3. Review menu options provided: Now that you have that menu in hand, review it and be ready to take notes about questions and comments. WM’s menu is extensive and offered the following:

Cocktail Hour: 

11 Passed hors d’oeuvres (things like pot stickers, puff pastries, skewers, scallops etc.)

10 Cold displays (Things like Wine & cheese pairing, Mozzarella Caprese, Bread station, Hummus, etc.)

Your choice of 8 hot stations (Choose 8 stations from 10 themes: Northern Italy, Southern Italy, Pasta Station, Carving Table, Asian, Greek, Spanish, Southwestern, Mediterranean, Vegetarian Station)  

Reception: Champagne toast 

1 Appetizer and Salad, or Combination Course (one dish served usually to save sitting time) 

7 Main Entrees (Veal Chop Fondue, Ameretto Filet Mignon, Chicken Olivata, Shrimp and Salmon, Sea Bass Provola, Mixed Vegetable Stir Fry, Duck a la Orange) 

Your choice of Dessert (Gelato, Mousse, Cheese cake, Cookies, Tartufo) 

Chocolate Liquor bar, and a Coffee and Cordial table 

The Wedding Cake (which we opted not to do through WM)

We meticulously went through every page of that menu and:

1.  put a check next to everything that was gluten free and safe to start

2.  circled every ingredient that was obviously gluten filled or questionable

3. Wrote down our questions, comments, or thoughts on what a good modification would be
4. Choose what we wanted

The final step was the hardest. There are two choices. You can opt to be safe and go with the items that are naturally gluten free. This is a good option if you are fearful of what subsitutions might taste like, or don’t want to cause too much hassle. But remember, this is YOUR wedding. The catering hall agreed to assist you, and you get to taste many things before the wedding in most cases. If your like us, you can opt to mix it up a bit. You can choose some dishes that are naturally gluten free, and others that might need some modification. We personally avoided some obvious tough areas for gluten free, such as pastas and pastries, and picked a good mix of gluten free, vegetarian and carnivore friendly dishes.  

Can they make gluten free puffed pastries? (No)
Can the sauce for the Duck a’ la Orange be modified gluten free? (Yes)
Will they be getting a variety of gluten free breads or just one type (They could get many types)
What brand of breads were they using? (Schar)

It was a totally open dialogue, with both parties making suggestions and discussing what was possible, what was not, and what we liked. The menu planner was consulting with the chef the entire time, which kept him aware of what was going on and us confident that she wasn’t just trying to please us but wouldn’t live up to what she was saying. We had to change a few options because they could not make them gluten free, which was mostly the case for the passed hor d’oeuvres, but overall the substitutions or modification options were discussed and the ‘final menu’ was decided upon. 

6. Taste test: Our taste test occurred a bit earlier than most, about two months prior to the wedding. It is a better idea to have it earlier so that there is time to order, change, or modify any items that you did not enjoy or which did not work out on the chef’s end. The taste test included a variety of items from cocktail hour through dessert, many of which were the gluten free substitutes or modifications. We could have up to 6 guests, so we opted to bring the maximum amount to get the maximum opinion on our options. Make sure to bring some non gluten free folks with you to the tasting, to get the perspective that many of your guests will have. Also make sure to ask to speak to the chef again, to thank him for his work and to ask any questions or pose any concerns that you might have. On the off chance that you get ill after the tasting, make it a priority to bring this to the attention of the chef, menu planner, and any other relevant parties. Luckily I didn’t get sick, and this event allowed me to taste my foods, thank my chef again, meet the day of maitre d’, get the opinion of the food from my non gluten free relatives, and breathe a sigh of relief that our food was going to be delicious.

7. Final decision: After the tasting, or even during, talk about how the food tasted with those who attended the tasting. If you have any concerns, which we didn’t, speak to the menu planner about them so you can come to a conclusion about what needs to be changed. We messaged her with a final go-ahead a few days later, and thanked her for all of her work with us.

But at the same time, be sure to be a gracious ‘host’. Thank your guests for coming and ask they if they are having a good time, and how the food tastes. Our guests absolutely raved about our food. They loved the variety, they loved the quantity, and above all else they loved the taste and quality. While some of them knew it was an entirely gluten free wedding many did not, and they were surprised when they realized it was. This, to us, proved the importance of making the wedding entirely gluten free. In reality, and despite many misconceptions, there is little difference between the quality of gluten free foods and gluten filled foods if its done right. And boy was this done right!

Conclusion: So there you have it, the full outline of how we went from feeling overwhelmed by a large menu to having a delicious wedding that our guests couldn’t believe was entirely gluten free. For many people your options may not be as extensive, we got a great package with far too much food for an amazing deal, but the same basic steps, openness, and dedication apply if your attempting to plan an entirely gluten free wedding that can wow your guests. Just remember: Stay positive, Be clear, Be Blunt, and Be thankful. Ultimately, I hope you have found this outline helpful and I wish you the best in gluten free wedding planning!