Destination Wedding

[*lee-lee*]

my boyfriend and i have been discussing weddings lately and we've both decided we don't want to do the whole big traditional thing. there are many reasons but the cost is at the top of the list. we agree combining our wedding and honeymoon (with a few select guests for the ceremony) is our preference so of course that got the wheels spinning in my head! i'd love to go to Aruba or Jamaica or some tropical island but there is the ever present question of food.

has anyone had or attended a destination wedding where gluten free wasn't an issue? i'm just looking for some personal experiences! thanks in advance

[kenlove]

There have been a number of gluten-free weddings on the Big Island of Hawaii. One of the forum members here got married a few years ago too. At the Fairmont the chef James Babian ( Now at the Four Seasons here) took care of a gluten-free wedding party of 40.

Most chefs at resort hotels are aware of celiac but the ones here go out of their way. I have had some trouble getting gluten-free meals in some places like Puerto Rico and Guam.

Good luck and congrats!

Ken

my boyfriend and i have been discussing weddings lately and we've both decided we don't want to do the whole big traditional thing. there are many reasons but the cost is at the top of the list. we agree combining our wedding and honeymoon (with a few select guests for the ceremony) is our preference so of course that got the wheels spinning in my head! i'd love to go to Aruba or Jamaica or some tropical island but there is the ever present question of food.

has anyone had or attended a destination wedding where gluten free wasn't an issue? i'm just looking for some personal experiences! thanks in advance

[SacGFGirl]

I too wanted a tropical destination wedding and live in Northern CA, so we figured Hawaii but I was concerned about the food and the cost of guests flying there. So in the end we decided to get married in San Diego, a reasonable airfare for guests, and then we could easily continue on to Hawaii for the honeymoon. That way we still got a somewhat tropical wedding location in comparison to where we live, and guests (we only invited 30, and probably about 15 are coming) can choose to pay a reasonable airfare, several hundred dollars less than if I asked them to pay to fly to Hawaii. There are lots of gluten free options in San Diego: catering companies and restaurants. All the large hotels I spoke with were very knowledgeable about dietary issues, which is good since hotels will not allow outside food for any reason. We wanted to keep it small and low-cost, so we ended up renting a beach house and having the ceremony and reception in the sandy backyard right on the ocean, and with that a plus is that way we have complete control over the food. We're making some of our own food, but we're also ordering items from a catering company. All things you should think about. Good Luck!