Wedding Dilemmas

Weddings always seem to cause issues with me. If the bride and groom choose to have the guests choose their meals, there is usually only one option on the list that I feel comfortable enough ordering. It still always seems that there will be at least one thing on the plate that I won't eat. Peppers are some of the worst things for me, so "Mixed Vegetables" always makes me a little nervous. But I still prefer getting to make my own choice as opposed to not having an option and being given a pre-made plate. Because at least I'll know what I'm getting into from the start.
Unfortunately, that was the case for the wedding I went to yesterday. It was at the Coachman's Lodge in Bellingham, MA. I hate worrying so much about food. I feel like it's all I think about at times. I got lucky yesterday, though. Dinner was served family style. The waitstaff put soup, salad, bread, ziti with red sauce, roasted chicken, roast beef, and stuffed sole on our table. All of which looked delicious. Basically everything that can't go wrong. The only thing I was unsure about was the stuffed sole.
My father is a fisherman (by hobby, not trade). I grew up on an island, and my dad would go fishing all the time. So I grew up eating fish at least a couple times a week. I love most seafoods. Needless to say, I was very excited to see the stuffed sole come out. Unfortunately it had an unfamiliar sauce on top, and you really never know what to expect with the stuffing. Chefs love to put chipotle or jalepenos in unnecessary places. Because of this, I've grown wary of pretty much everything I've never eaten before. I have the best husband ever, though. Even though he makes fun of me sometimes, he understands my situation. He has become my taste tester. Any time I get nervous, he'll try it for me first. Luckily, the sauce on the stuffed sole was not spicy at all. I'm honestly not sure exactly what was in it, but it was delicious. There were red peppers in the stuffing, though. Red peppers at least stand out, making it easy to pick them out.
Passed appetizers can also be scary. The nice thing is the waitstaff is required to tell you what it is, and I can usually avoid the things I can't eat. Sometimes you get the surprise, though. Yesterday they came around with skewered chicken. No one told me it was marinated in beer, though. I don't know how most of you feel about beer, but I think it's one of the grossest things on the planet. The puff pastry items can be pretty scary, too. As I said, chefs like to put unnecessary flavors in food items. There's nothing worse than  expecting something ordinary and getting your mouth set on fire.
It may be stupid, because I know food allergies can be extremely severe, and I am honestly glad that with everything I am allergic to, I am not allergic to any foods. But I get frustrated with weddings that make exceptions and serve special plates for people with food allergies or people that are vegetarian/vegan and they never consider those of us that have problems with everyday foods. I think the issue is lack of knowledge. Although it's a common affliction, people still don't know much about it, if they know anything about it at all. That's another thing I'm hoping to do here; get a little more info out there. Hopefully enough to help all of us get a little more understanding in everyday situations.