Recently I had the pleasure of attending a close friend’s wedding in Mexico. With it being a destination wedding I was at a resort for a total of 3 days. This Mexican destination wedding was unique as it was not hosted at a typical big beach resort but was located at a resort in a small town in the mountains a few hours outside of Mexico City. I have attended locally hosted weddings in the past, and usually it is not too difficult to ensure that there are appropriate accommodations made for my allergies, however, a destination wedding required a bit more planning and involvement on my behalf.
My first tip is ensuring you have open communication between yourself and the wedding couple with regards to what your allergies are and their severity. In my situation, the bride was thankfully a close friend of mine so she was well aware of my allergies. Despite this, I still made sure that I spoke with her and effectively communicated exactly what my dietary restrictions were. She was then able to relay this information to the wedding planner as well as the resort staff. I found it helpful to speak to someone involved in the wedding planning directly as opposed to just writing my allergies on the RSVP card.
When I arrived, I made a point of speaking to the main coordinator at the resort who oversaw the wedding plans. She was already aware of my allergies and was very accommodating, letting me know which foods were safe for me to eat throughout the weekend and notifying me of any food that contained my allergens.
For the cocktail hour and other events leading up to the wedding, I made sure to double check with the serving staff asking about ingredients and potential cross-contamination. With there being a slight language barrier, I enlisted some guests at the wedding who spoke Spanish to translate for me when needed.
Lastly, at the wedding reception I had a specific meal that was made allergen-safe for me. I spoke to the server of our table and let her know that I was the one with the allergy to make sure I was given the right food.
I made it through the whole weekend without a hitch and got to enjoy some delicious local Mexican cuisine! Overall, attending a destination wedding with allergies is very doable and just requires a little bit of extra effort on your behalf to ensure you stay safe and steer clear of any of your allergens. Being open and ensuring good communication between yourself and the couple, wedding coordinator, staff and chefs will make the weekend a lot easier and safer for you to enjoy!
– Lindsay S.
Tags: Travel, vacation, Weddings