My Advice If You Are Considering Planning a Vegan Wedding

I was married about a year ago and had a lovely a Vegan Wedding. If you are considering planning a vegan wedding I thought I’d give you some advice.

Your wedding is your special day, probably a day you’ve been dreaming about your whole life. Why should you have to compromise? If your family loves you they will suck it up and not eat meat at one meal, that is least they can do for you, after all you are the one getting married which is every parent’s dream for their child. We vegans are always an afterthought at most weddings, family gatherings, and even restaurants. Shouldn’t we be entitled to one day of our lives were the vegan food is the main event?

Of course, all weddings do have some element of compromise. For example, I wanted to elope but I compromised and had a small wedding. I eat mostly raw food and I compromised and had a cooked vegan wedding. However, when it came down to it I was not going to be a hungry bride on my wedding day, my stomach wouldn’t let me compromise.

Besides 1 or 2 people most people at my wedding were big meat eaters and not used to vegan food, but everyone appreciates good tasting food that is really important. Make sure the food that you serve is the best vegan/vegetarian food you can find in your local area and that the catering company/restaurant you choose specializes in vegan food. We had our reception at an award winning vegan restaurant called Ravenswood, at Stanford Inn by the Sea who is known for their excellent vegan cuisine. Bottom Line, it really doesn’t matter if it’s vegan or not as long as it tastes good. And I’m almost positive people care more about the alcohol at weddings than they do about the actual food!

Give your guests plenty of options. We let our guests choose off the menu, this gave them some ownership in their choices. There was an excitement, a buzz at our table when guests were eating. People were looking around and asking: What did you get? What is that? Let me try some? The dinner was a culinary adventure. Some of the menu items were sea palm strudel, mushroom stuffed ravioli, quinoa pilaf, creamy red bell pepper and carrot soup with coconut !

Amazingly, no one complained and if they did, it didn’t reach me. My dad who is originally from Spain, didn’t even know the wedding was vegan.

Don’t preach about veganism, just let them experience a different type of cuisine. At an Indian wedding you wouldn’t expect there to be Italian Food so why wouldn’t you expect vegan food at a vegan couples wedding?

As far as the cake, in my opinion, chocolate cake is one of the easier cakes to make taste good vegan. Our baker used coconut milk to make a luscious chocolate frosting. Another option is to have a raw food wedding cake. Raw food cakes are amazing and don’t get dry like some vegan cakes can.

Every good wedding planner will tell you that your wedding is an expression of you, it is your chance to make a statement to friends and family about who you are. If vegetarianism is important to you why wouldn’t it be part of your wedding? My husband and I are passionate about vegetarianism, organic food, and gardening so we got married in a beautiful organic garden and had a quaint elegant vegan dinner amongst close friends and family, no regrets.

Part of being a vegetarian is doing what is best for you and not caring what people think. There is liberation and a deep sense of satisfaction in being yourself even at the risk of disapproval. Everyone should try it once an awhile!