Ask what you can act on
Plan for the guests
who are actually coming.
Access and food needs are planning inputs, not a footnote on the invitation. Ask for what you can change: a step-free route, a seat, a labelled meal, a quiet moment. Then give each supplier the list that matches their job, and no more than that.
By EventDoIt · Updated 3 October 2026 · 8 min read
Ask
Mobility, seating, diet, allergens and anything that changes the visit
Label
Allergy, intolerance and preference separately, in the guest’s words
Share
The catering list with the caterer, the route list with the venue
This page is not
Medical, legal or building-code advice
01
Ask questions you can do something about
On the reply form, ask whether the guest needs step-free access, a seat rather than standing, a chair with arms, or a route without stairs. Ask what they need the caterer to know about food, and whether they are happy for that note to be shared with the kitchen. Leave a line for anything else that would change their visit, such as a companion, a hearing need, or leaving early. An open “any special requirements?” box is easy to skip. Specific questions are easier to answer.
Step-free access
Need for a seat
Diet and allergens, in their words
Child or different meal
Companion or assistance
Permission to share the note with the kitchen
02
Keep the guest’s wording for food
A preference, a religious or cultural requirement, an intolerance and an allergy are not the same instruction. Do not collapse them into “vegetarian” or “no nuts” unless the guest used those words. Record the person, the wording, and whether it applies to every course and to drinks. Ask the caterer how they want that list formatted and how they mark a plate. The catering formats guide explains why shared platters and buffets need a separate plan for anyone who cannot eat the common food.
03
Turn access replies into seats and routes
A reply that asks for step-free access should change the entrance you publish, the seat you offer, and the toilet route you check. Offer a seat to anyone who cannot stand for the format you chose, even if the rest of the event is a standing party. Ask the venue to show the route rather than accepting the word “accessible” on a listing. If the building cannot do what the guest needs, say so early enough for the guest to decide, and look at whether the format or the venue has to change.
04
Share the minimum with each supplier
The caterer needs the food list and the names required to serve the right plate. The venue needs the access and seating needs. A band does not need the allergy list. A rental company may need to know about chair types and a clear route, not the medical detail behind the request. Do not attach the full reply spreadsheet to every email. Ask suppliers who on their team sees it and when it will be deleted or returned. EventDoIt’s own privacy notice does not govern how a caterer stores your guest list.
Caterer: food notes and plate names
Venue: route, seats, toilets
Rentals: chair or table needs
Everyone else: only what changes their job
Who to call on the day if a note looks wrong
05
Include children, alcohol-free drinks and quiet
Count children’s meals in the catering brief if children are invited. If some guests do not drink alcohol, the drinks plan needs a proper option, not an afterthought at the bar. If the format is loud, say whether there is a quieter place to talk and whether that place is staffed or simply an unused room. These are hospitality decisions. They are not a promise that the event is suitable for every sensory or medical need.
06
Close the list on the caterer’s deadline
Ask the caterer and the venue when they stop accepting changes without a problem. Chase missing replies before that date. After it, record late changes in the same document and mark what you have told each supplier. A dietary note that arrives in a text to the host, and never reaches the kitchen, is not a plan. On the day, one person should hold the current list and be allowed to speak to the caterer if a guest’s plate is wrong.