Imagine living with a serious food allergy which may include gluten, peanuts, shellfish or other allergies, and realize that it can be a little scary when going to conferences or special events, always being worried that they may eat something risky and provide some social anxiety.

Attendees with severe food allergies can become self-conscious being the centre of attention as they sit down to dine and the topic of conversation turns to their dietary issues.

Food allergies are considered to be an invisible disability. As meeting professionals, I think we would all agree that attending any conference or event should be safe and inclusive, where everyone is able to eat!

We have a duty of care and responsibility to our attendees to remove barriers and risks for them. Some consequences if food allergies are not properly handled?

Your guests don’t get to eat. They eat, but get sick. They get rushed to the hospital. Or worse….they could die.

Plan ahead

• Always ask for dietary restrictions when coordinating your conference – even if it’s only a small snack being provided.
• Ensure your registration questions are clear so you can differentiate between preference and allergy. For example, the questions need to be specific.
• When sourcing venues, ask specifically how they are able to accommodate food allergies and give your business to ones that have a good plan in place and take this topic seriously.

Questions to ask the guest

• Contact the guest before the event to discuss their allergy and find out how severe it is. Some allergies might be mild and don’t need many accommodations while others can be extremely severe. Ask if it’s an airborne allergen and what level of risk it is.
• Share the menu ahead of time. This will reduce anxiety.
• If a guest has specific questions around food handling, they might want to speak to the chef themselves. At Granny Mouse we are also there to discuss and find alternatives.
• We also need to confirm whether they are staying in the hotel. If they are, ask for the guestroom to be cleared of any allergens and disinfected, if necessary. We also have fridges in all our rooms so guests can keep their medication in there and we can also provide food that will not affect their specific allergy.
• If the allergy is quite serious, we at Granny Mouse like to have access to emergency contacts and action plans so we can assist in the event of an allergic reaction.

Speak to the venue

• If it is a buffet, we make sure there is a separate meal made, which is covered and placed on a separate table. They should never be told to eat from the same buffet in case of cross contamination (unless the food allergy is very mild). Their plate of food should have their name on it, not just “gluten-free” as other people might take it.
• Food should also be labelled and clearly state what the food does, and does not contain? This can be lifesaving information!
• Our chef is more than happy to chat about providing food alternatives which look similar to what the rest of the group is being served – for example, if everyone gets chicken, provide the guest chicken, but without the allergen. This will avoid the focus of conversation being on their meal.
• For a reception of passed appetizers, ask for a plate to be created of foods that can be offered to the guest at the beginning of the event.

Prepare onsite

• Meet the conferencing manager and do a walk-through of procedures together with our banqueting team.
• When a guest arrives at the registration desk, we can also provide a dietary card.

With some careful planning, your guests will be able to enjoy the event knowing that the meeting coordinator and venue understand the severity of their allergy, are advocating for them and are fully prepared. It is our opportunity to protect the safety of our attendees and there is nothing more important than that!

Luckily at Granny Mouse Country House & Spa, their dedicated team is there to help you plan for every food allergy, to ensure that your next conference is stress free, and that everyone has something tasty to remember.

Source: https://www.corporatemeetingsnetwork.ca/2018/01/09/plan-events-food-allergies-mind/

Not every wedding has to be formal and ceremonial. If you’re a fun and funky couple, then why not think of some slightly unconventional ways to do the conventional and create special memories for both the wedding party and your guests!

Remember that more spontaneous actions and colourful add-ons make for some lovely photographs too!

The Granny Mouse team is on board to ensure that you can have that special day that suits your personalities.

Meanwhile, our team has shared some slightly unconventional and casual ideas for the cool couple that is looking for a more carefree vibe for that special day.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: Remember that any venue can be adapted to suit your unique needs. While Granny Mouse can host the ultimate black tie affair, it can also be the comfortable and laid back venue that can make for a far more casual event.

Pre-Ceremony Refreshments: There’s no rule saying your guests have to wait until after you say “I do” to enjoy a cocktail. Set the stage for a fun, laid-back time by offering your guests a simple cocktail (named after you), a refreshing non-alcoholic beverage, or a glass of champagne on arrival. You could add a water and tea station right next to the ceremony spot or simply set out a cooler of drinks for guests to grab on the way to their seats. Don’t forget to add a cute sign and even bottle openers so your guests grab their tipple and take their places for the big moment.

Mix-and-Match Seating: Whereas more formal ceremonies are often characterized by perfect lines of identical chairs, we believe there’s no reason why you can’t mix it up for a casual ceremony.  Arrange for a mix of different chairs and couches or go for different coloured cushions. If you’re tying the knot outside, why not go for picnic blankets, poufs and oversized pillows – or even hay bales! The bonus is that an eclectic mix of chairs, textures, and colors is not only fun and unexpected, but stunning when viewed through a camera lens. (Just remember that, if you have older guests, you might need to include some more accessible, supportive or higher chair options for them).

Greenery Galore: Skip the over-the-top floral arrangements and create a fresh, natural feel with lots of greenery and subtle blooms instead. Greenery is not only beautiful — and a favorite wedding trend for modern couples — but it’s a cost-effective way to add some colour without going over the top. If green’s your thing, you can even skip the flowers altogether and add colour and interest through different shapes, textures and variegated leaves as well as different foliage in the form of trailing ivy, grasses and seeds and twigs. These can all be used for centerpieces, decorations and even bouquets. Remember, there’s something strikingly beautiful about a ceremony backdrop draped with garlands or a hand-tied bouquet with different textures and shades of green. Eucalyptus, olive branches, rosemary and herb garlands can add a special touch while tropical leaves can introduce a bit of the exotic.

Comfort Foods: Informal dinners are great for casual weddings. What about a buffet of fresh-made pizzas or a foods-of-the-world station featuring the likes of a taco station and margaritas? Remember that our chefs can take finger foods to a whole new level and then team them up with some of the great wines from the Granny Mouse cellar. Alternatively, pack fun picnic baskets for your guests and add local craft beers.

Table Song Naming: At your reception, instead of giving each table a number like everyone else normally does, give it a song title instead! Then, have your DJ announce at the beginning of the reception that when your table’s song plays, the entire table has to get up and dance! It’s a great and unique way to get everyone out on the dance floor!

Funny Wedding Pamphlet: Instead of handing out generic wedding programs, why not add some humour to proceedings with a funny pamphlet instead? You can even fill the wedding programs with funny facts about the bride and groom and a timeline of how you met and fell in love. Your guests will enjoy having something to read and many will certainly keep them as souvenirs.

Photo Guestbook: Instead of using a traditional guestbook at your wedding, ask your wedding guests to pose for Polaroid pictures while holding messages written on a small chalkboard. Alternatively, create a WhatsApp wedding group or Facebook page and ask all guests attending to send pictures so you have a unique and fun record of your wedding. It’s a great way to look back and remember who was at your wedding and what they looked like then.

Donations Instead of Wedding Favors: Instead of finding or making a little trinket or treat to give to your guests as a wedding favor, use the money that would’ve gone toward buying these to make a donation to a charity of your choice. Leave each guest a card with your picture on the front and the charity that was donated to on the back. This can be very special if you want to remember someone close to you who is no longer with you – you can choose a charity that was special to them or one that deals with a cause that is very dear to the hearts of the bride and groom.

Wreck Your Wedding Dress:  This is for the more radical revelers amongst us! You only get to wear your wedding dress for one night, so who cares what happens to it at the end? Create memories (and fantastic photographs) at the end of your ceremony by doing the unthinkable. If you are near water, the happy couple can take a dip in their wedding kit. Are you both creatives? Throw colored chalk dust at each other or even have a paintball fight!

Signature Stamp: Instead of singing your names on all wedding related correspondence, have a unique stamp made of you and your groom’s heads or create some cartoon characters! You can search the Etsy.com website for a bunch of people who make these custom stamps using a photo you send to them. It’s a cute and unique way to quickly personalize all of your invitations!

CRAZY CONFETTI: Who needs the conventional stuff (many venues actually ban it) or even rose petals? You can buy butterflies that your guests can release or even have your guests light sparklers to celebrate the end of the ceremony.

https://junebugweddings.com/wedding-blog/cool-casual-wedding-ideas-low-key-couples/

https://wedding.allwomenstalk.com/unconventional-wedding-ideas/