rsvp w Buffet dinner

Your caterer doesn’t offer a kids meal? I’ve never heard of that. What side dishes are included? Is it a lot of kids that will be invited? If it’s just a few, I’d reach out to those families and let them know. Neither of my kids is a picky eater, but chicken and beef are pretty vague so I have no idea if your options are kid friendly.

Some caterers don’t offer children’s options but that is rare. Did you ask about separate pricing for them? Even if they don’t have a labeled section on their menu, they should still be able to offer a table with chicken strips and sauce with French fries and a vegetable. If they refuse to accommodate that, I would look elsewhere.


You need to call up each of those parents and talk to them directly after you talk to the caterer to see what your alternatives are. Some kids are happy with chicken strips and some prefer adult meals and have no problem putting them away.

Also even as an adult, it’s very vague to say “chicken” or “beef” with no description whatsoever. Guests need to know what exactly is being offered. In addition to accommodating dietary restrictions and allergies.

MHMM toughy .. sorry Emma maybe see if you can find a cheap catering option for kids.. maybe like catering something like chic fila for kids nuggets? that's hard they don't make meals for kids... If I think of anything else .. I will come back here & let you know!!!

Second thought.. I think maybe a buffet may be your best options too keep it simple & easy!

View Quoted Comment That's what we were going for. We just didn't know if it mattered whether there's a kid option or not

View Quoted Comment As long as there is something kid friendly available labeled as such, you are golden

I wouldn't mention it on the invites but maybe you can add details about it on your website. All the buffet-style caterers I researched didn't have kids meal options. A head is a head whether they are kid heads or adult heads. When they rsvp, they'll either choose chicken or beef for what their kids prefer. Since it is not a plated meal, the parents don't have to get what the kids won't eat. It's up to you if you choose to have kid-friendly food. We decided to have mac n cheese as a side specifically thinking about kids who wouldn't eat the other sides (including ours lol).

Echoing the responses of everyone else, a detailed menu on your wedding website will give people the best heads up. Parents know their kids, so if there’s a heads up, they should be able to plan accordingly.

View Quoted Comment

Mhmm ohh okay that makes sense.. I would think the buffet would work great!

You should be providing food for every invited guest, so maybe check in with the families to make sure there will be something on your buffet that their little ones can and will eat. Caterers should be willing to accommodate for dietary restrictions, and this should count. For us, we had a buffet but our caterers provided plated meals for things like this (for us, it was plated vegetarian meals ), so most should be able to provide a plated kids’ option (often, though not always, at a discounted per person price)— which is another option. Depends on the kids and what they eat though, so it is worth a conversation with the families. It could be as simple as making one of the sides on the buffet be Mac and cheese.