Managing Meal Preferences

Collecting Meal Preferences and Dietary Needs

Getting accurate meal counts is essential for your caterer. Here's how to collect and manage this information effectively.

Setting Up Meal Options

Go to Dashboard > Settings > RSVP > Meal Options:

1. Click Add Meal Option
2. Enter the meal name (e.g., "Beef Tenderloin")
3. Add optional description ("Grilled to perfection with red wine reduction")
4. Mark as vegetarian, vegan, or contains allergens if applicable
5. Repeat for each option

Example meal setup:

• Beef Tenderloin (contains gluten)
• Herb-Crusted Chicken (gluten-free)
• Pan-Seared Salmon (gluten-free)
• Butternut Squash Ravioli (vegetarian)
• Grilled Vegetable Plate (vegan, gluten-free)
• Kids' Chicken Fingers (for children under 12)

Collecting Dietary Restrictions

Enable the dietary restrictions question in your RSVP:

1. Go to Settings > RSVP > Questions
2. Toggle on Dietary Restrictions
3. Guests can select from common options:

- Vegetarian

- Vegan

- Gluten-free

- Dairy-free

- Nut allergy

- Shellfish allergy

1. Plus a free-text field for other restrictions

How Guests Select Meals

When guests RSVP:

1. They confirm attendance
2. For each person in their party, they select a meal
3. They note any dietary restrictions
4. They can add specific allergy notes

If they have a plus-one, they can select meals for their guest too.

Viewing Meal Counts

Your dashboard shows meal totals:

Summary View:

• Total attending: 142
• Beef: 45
• Chicken: 38
• Salmon: 28
• Vegetarian: 22
• Vegan: 6
• Kids: 3

Detailed View:

Click any meal option to see the full list of guests who selected it.

Handling Special Requests

For complex dietary needs:

1. The guest adds notes during RSVP
2. You receive a notification for special requests
3. Review the request in their guest profile
4. Add your own notes about accommodations
5. Communicate with your caterer

Common special requests:

• Severe allergies requiring separate preparation
• Religious dietary requirements (Kosher, Halal)
• Multiple restrictions (vegan + gluten-free)
• Texture modifications (elderly guests, dental issues)

Exporting for Your Caterer

Generate a professional report:

1. Go to Guests > Export > Meal Report
2. Choose your format (PDF recommended for sharing)
3. The report includes:

- Summary of meal counts

- Breakdown by table (if seating assigned)

- Complete list of dietary restrictions

- Special request notes

1. Download and email to your caterer

Making Changes

If a guest needs to change their meal:

1. They can update their RSVP before the deadline
2. After the deadline, update manually in their profile
3. You'll see a "Modified" flag on changed responses

If you need to add/remove meal options:

1. Go to Settings > RSVP > Meal Options
2. Add new options anytime
3. Removing options only affects future RSVPs
4. Existing selections remain unchanged

Timeline for Meal Counts

• 8-10 weeks out: Set up meal options
• 6-8 weeks out: Send RSVPs
• 3-4 weeks out: RSVP deadline
• 2-3 weeks out: Send final counts to caterer
• 1 week out: Confirm any last-minute changes

Pro Tip: Order 5-10% extra meals of your most popular options. Last-minute changes and mistakes happen, and you don't want anyone going hungry!