Vegan weddings

[gertvegan]

2004 Vegnews vegan wedding feature. Read about eight spectacular vegan weddings, HERE.

[gertvegan]

Getting married, maybe the Wedding Woes article from Joanne Stepaniak could be of some wee help.

I'm sure there was an article in a previous uk vegan society mag, and not that long ago. If anyone keeps their vegan magazines, please have a look, and post the article if poss.

[gertvegan]

You can also read the 2005 Vegnews vegan wedding feature HERE. .

[Veggie4Life139]

Speaking of vegan weddings, does anyone have an idea for a vegan wedding cake or how to order one?

[Evilfluffbunny]

Interesting link.

I don't know where exactly you'd get a vegan cake made up (there are caterers who'll do it though as well as people who specialise in vegan cakes), but there are recipies for vegan fruit cake and sponges that you could make yourself. The sponges often aren't as large as 'normal' sponge (unless I'm just a bad cook), but you can sandwich up several layers into one big cake before icing it. That butter icing filling is simple to make with soya margarine and tastes just as good.

My partner and I have been trying to plan a wedding for well over a year, but the vegan thing is going to be an issue with a lot of folk (I'm NOT compromising with that though! They can like it or bugger off), plus the fact I absolutely HATE being the centre of attention and don't want a large wedding. All hell would let loose if we cut anyone from the party though, so I'm trying to think of a way round it.

I bet that sounds really selfish, but I don't want a bunch of people I either don't know or don't like being there for our wedding when I know they're only there for a free meal and the excuse for a p*ss up! I have a couple of family members who have literally walked straight past my Mum and me (and definately not by accident), they don't care about us one way or the other but they'd still go mental if they didn't get a wedding invite!

OK, end of rant......

[Franny]

Hi Evilfluffbunny,

I have the exact same problem. The thought of a big wedding freaks me out. The vegan thing is difficult too. What we are going to do is have a destination wedding, and then have a reception(vegan) when we return. We still have to pick the island and arrange the whole thing, but I just couldn't stand the idea of the traditional wedding. Just an idea.
Franny

[ConsciousCuisine]

Speaking of vegan weddings, does anyone have an idea for a vegan wedding cake or how to order one?

It would be helpful if you post where you are (State/City/Country) so that an appropriate suggestion can be made.

[spo]

Hey, EFB
How about running off--just the two of you--and doing the deed. Then, just a small party for the closest friends and family, who bring their own pot-luck vegan dishes. You, guys could then make a small vegan cake or two. What do you think? I am partial to this because that is how I did it, except for a professional vegan cake from NY city.
spo

[Evilfluffbunny]

Thanks for the advice Franny & Spo, I've already suggested that though (I fancied going to Ireland or something), but my fiance' isn't keen on the idea as he thinks his Mum would be devastated (especially now that she's been diagnosed with an incurable illness) and his Grandpa is very old and would also want to see it.

I thought that would have been the perfect compromise as well.....!

The only other thing I can think of is having a registry office wedding with everyone invited, then a close family/friends only ceremony afterwards. I don't really want a party at all to be honest! You can now get married in one of the underground vaults in Edinburgh, so that's always an idea too - as far as I remember you could only fit about 20 people maximum in there.

[Veganbear]

Evilfluffybunny--
I hate being the center of attention too! I understand you not wanteing people you don't know or like there. I understand your wedding issues. This is what I did: The wedding was small and simple: no wedding party or anything. The only people invited to the wedding were parents, siblings, and grandparents. My husband's one aunt was mad about it, but oh well. Then his sister threw a fit because her boyfriend wasn't invited--he's not FAMILY!! I ended up letting her bring him, and he ended up not being able to come anyway! Everyone else (all other relatives, friends, coworkers) were invited to the reception. That way you're not really the center of attention because they have other people there to talk to and stuff. We had a buffet, so there was vegan food for me, and animal for everyone else. I don't even know what we all had to eat--I just know there was a nice vegan pasta for me! As for the wedding cake, It was 3 tiered, but each was on it's own seperate tray. The one level was vegan (for me), and they cut the animal cake for everyone else. My husband is an animal-eater, so we couldn't have a completely vegan wedding, so we comprimised. It was funny--everyone thought the whole cake was vegan and people kept telling me how good it was considering there was no animal in it!

[Evilfluffbunny]

Thanks for the advice Veganbear.

The only people invited to the wedding were parents, siblings, and grandparents. My husband's one aunt was mad about it, but oh well. Then his sister threw a fit because her boyfriend wasn't invited--he's not FAMILY!!

This is the main problem really, I only really want parents & Grandparents there, but all hell would let loose if I invited Grandparents but not aunties & uncles, then if I invite them, I have to invite all my cousins (and their partners and children etc). How can you invite everyone though? It just gets totally out of hand!

I also have my partner's family to contend with as they're assuming that all their family friends and extended family in Canada etc are all going to be invited over too. Aaargh! That's why I thought going away to get married then just having a party would be a good compromise, but I think everyone's expecting the whole massive white wedding thing.

Oh well, I'll just have to be unpopular for a while!

[absentmindedfan]

As far as a vegan wedding is concerned once me and spjessop can afford to get married in a few years (spjessop is another member of this forum and my boyf for 3 years, I've been veggie for 10yrs for ethical reasons and he turned veggie about a yr ago after gut problems and learning about the awful methods involved in obtaining meat and how unhealthy it is,and we both recently turned vegan) are going to have a small registry office wedding (so we can't fit many people in!) and are having vegan catering. If people don't like it they can b*gger off-I've been to enough weddings where all I can eat is salad and baguette, this is OUR wedding, OUR special day and we're having it exactly how we want. Sounds harsh but you can't please everyone and it *is* your wedding after all! As far as we're concerned if people are going to kick up a fuss about the vegan food, they can not come. If they care enough about us they'll manage.

[vegan114]

wish I saw that before I got married about a month ago

[Veggie4Life139]

It would be helpful if you post where you are (State/City/Country) so that an appropriate suggestion can be made.

Agh! Sorry! I'm from Cincinnati, Ohio. USA. My boyfriend and I have talked about marriage before and am hoping for an all vegan wedding. Thanks for any help or suggestions.

[Skajen]

my boyfriend and i are planning on marrying in a year or so and i've spoken 2 my mum about having a veggie/vegan spread and no meat. she was really off with me and said, "i'm paying for half so i want some say- its not fair to not have meat- what about all the guests" (she's normally really liberal- i got a shock)

anyway i've spoken to my bf and we both want a veggie/vegan wedding with a half veggie/half vegan wedding cake for both of us (he's veggie). i live in england so wouldn't even know where to begin and there's the added problem of our entire meat eating families, i don't want 2 cut them out of the loop but i can't stand the thought of MEAT at my wedding!

sorry 2 put a damper on things peeps! x

[Yoggy]

I'm not planning to get married anytime soon, but when I do, it's certainly going to be a vegan wedding, no matter what my family says! The wedding is all about ME AND MY HUSBAND! Not the guests! Surely they can go one meal without animal carcass???

[screamingcarrot]

my bf and i hope to get married once we get back to australia..

hes an omni..i dont think ill have converted him by then..(ill try tho!)
so in guess to be fair well have half and half.. ill put my foot down about the cake, though.

[veganesquire]

I have tired all the usual suspects - Mooshoes, Pangea, Vegan Essentials, etc....Does anyone have any suggestions on where to find dyeable shoes for a wedding? I need ivory shoes to match my wedding gown and I cannot find any without leather.

Any suggestions or lead will be appreciated!

[LittleNellColumbia]

.

[mophoto]

if i am not mistaken i have seen them at bakers. i don't even know if bakers still is in business- haven't been shopping in a mall for so long.

i would imagine the shoes are vegan, though.

[Hemlock]

There was a thread on here for v.expensive vegan shoes including weding shoes but blowed if I can find it again!!! They were over the £100 mark tho'.

[Litsea]

Hmmm... have you tried places like Payless Shoes or Famous Footwear? You never know what you'll find there.

For what it's worth, I didn't buy new shoes for my wedding. People would ask me about it and I just couldn't be bothered with that detail. My dress was long enough that my shoes were hardly ever seen. Plus, I figured that if anyone noticed my shoes didn't match my outfit perfectly then, well, they were probably paying too much attention to the wrong details. As it is, nobody noticed my shoes at all that day.

[DianeVegan]

Payless for sure. I saw dyeable satin shoes there just 2 months ago. Most shoes that can be dyed are made of cloth - I can't believe the shoe companies feel compelled to add leather!

(By the way, Litsea didn't have to worry about anyone looking at her feet during her wedding. I was wearing orthopedic shoes (hey, I added butterfly pins) with my bridesmaid gown and all eyes were glued to my recently removed bunions. If you can't find shoes for your wedding then I highly recommend putting ugly shoes on one of your bridesmaids.)

[veganesquire]

Thanks for all the great suggestions! I wouldn't necessarily buy new shoes because I know that no one will look at them, but absolutely every pair of shoes I own is black, so I figured a new pair might be nice. The problem with all the dyeable shoes I've seen is, while the upper is cloth, the sole is leather. Ugh. And they advertise like that is a good thing! "GENUINE LEATHER SOLE!" Well, it least it makes it easy for me to cross off my list.

I checked out Payless - great suggestion! There are a couple choices, and they are pretty inexpensive. Thank you!

[Litsea]

Awesome! I'm glad Payless will work out for you. Have you seen Amelie? I enjoyed that movie.

Diane, I hadn't thought about that with my wedding... and it's probably the case of why nobody noticed my shoes.

[Roxy]

Actually I've found this helpful too! My boyfriend and I are expecting that we will probably be invited to a wedding next summer and as I don't own any fancy shoes suitable to wear to a wedding - I will have to buy some. Actually a whole new outfit will be in order as I don't own anything fancy thats suitable to wear to a wedding.

[DianeVegan]

Thanks for all the great suggestions! I wouldn't necessarily buy new shoes because I know that no one will look at them, but absolutely every pair of shoes I own is black, so I figured a new pair might be nice. The problem with all the dyeable shoes I've seen is, while the upper is cloth, the sole is leather. Ugh. And they advertise like that is a good thing! "GENUINE LEATHER SOLE!" Well, it least it makes it easy for me to cross off my list.

I checked out Payless - great suggestion! There are a couple choices, and they are pretty inexpensive. Thank you!

Sorry, I never thought about the leather soles. I am checking out a few new online shops this week. I'll let you know if I come up with anything.

[DianeVegan]

And the winner is - PayLess Shoes!!

I checked yesterday and found out that the cloth shoes are 100% man-made materials. Go into any PayLess and there is a catalogue of dyeable shoes behind the cash register. Delivery takes 7-14 days.

Now go get married.

[foxytina_69]

i was going to suggest payless shoes but knew someone else would anyway yay for payless!

[Ayla]

Here is a link to all of the bridal shoes Zappos has- Zappos . They offer free shipping & returns, so you could order several to try on.

Good luck!

[snaffler]

If you don't mind shopping in the UK by mail order these two companies are highly respectable and 100% vegan, good for more posh shoe shopper.

http://www.beyondskin.co.uk/html/
http://www.bboheme.com/

[pookah]

HELP! I am getting married next year and it seems that all the wedding dress shops etc use silk in their dresses. Now, I know I don't have to go down the traditional route, BUT, I really want the white(ish) dress etc but don't want to buy silk. Does anyone have any suggestions or have they themselves managed to find a retailer that will play ball - vegan style?

[Nadine]

Hi Pookah, I noticed this problem when I recently got married. I ended up buying fabric(the shops still tried to entice me with silk when I told them it was for a wedding dress ) and making my own(but I do have plenty dressmaking experience). So, perhaps you could find a dressmaker who would be willing to make the style you want using your own sourced fabric?
I had thought about doing this myself on a small business scale but it is so difficult to check everything out to ensure it is 100% animal free especially when it comes to dyes n' such

[catmogg]

BTW... Oxfam do a range of wedding dresses in a special London store....They get donated from shops when they've been on display, etc. Apparently you can pick up a complete bargain beauty. I don't really know how i know this info... but there you go!!

[Yogini]

I have no intention of marrying soon, but if and when I do, it will be vegan. And definitely open bar. Anybody who doesn't like that doesn't have to come.

I'd also really like to have it in a certain meadow in the Sierra Nevadas that can only be reached by hiking uphill for 3 miles. Not only is this the most beautiful place I know, it will also weed out the people I don't really want there but have to invite out of propriety. I.e. my stepfather - there's no way his fat, cheap meat and candy fed-ass is getting up a mountain.

Love,
Anna

[speedylemons]

AWESOME. That's such a great idea. I never thought about that before. If i do get married someday, it will for sure be vegan, and hopefully it's somewhere amazing. If it just so happens to be hard as hell to get to then that's cool too.

[Bodybuilder]

The current issue of VegNews Magazine is also all about Vegan Weddings and is titled the Sex and Romance issue. It should be on newsstands anyday now. It just arrived in the mail for most subscribers on March 6th.

In this issue they feature 9 Spectacular Weddings, Vegetarian Dating, Great veggie dates, Veg Romance, Veg Bachelor, top 10 veg pick-up lines, and all kinds of other stuff in this issue.

Check it out if you get a chance. It's not in all mainstream book stores or magazine shops, but many healthfood stores will cary it and some popular chain book stores.

[Kiran]

There is not much coverage on how and where to buy vegan bridal wear. Probably not a good thing for a guy to be discussing, but let me talk from the ethical issues point of view.

I have witnessed a few vegans turn a blind eye towards their principles and ethics when it comes to their weddings. Maybe, because they want it to be their dream wedding (and in many cases only once in a life time). This really pisses me off.

Bridal wear is predominantly and usually by default made of SILK. Vegans do know this, and I don't understand why the hell they don't bother about animal suffereing when it comes to selecting their bridal wear. How can people qualify and associate the title of being a vegan, when they contribute to animal suffereing directly.

The point of my post is to discuss the alternatives to silk bridal wear.

Given below is one such company that will custom design bridal wears to suit vegans.

Uptight Clothing is an independent company, specialising in hand-made, bespoke corsets and corseted gowns; it was founded in 1999 by fashion and theatrical costume Interpretation graduate Janice Whitehorn.

Janice Whitehorn is a vegan herself and appreciates the requirements of ethical bridal wear.

The site declares that.....

if you are wanting a gown made from all non animal source, or all natural fibre, she will do her very best to find the appropriate fabric, and dye it if necessary.

Here is the website.... (This is based in England)

http://www.uptight-clothing.co.uk/indexFrameset.htm

.

Here is one more based in New Mexico

http://getconscious.com/

.

Does any one know other companies that do Vegan Bridal Wear?
.

.

[feral]

My wedding dress was a two piece beaded bodice and satin skirt. I noticed in the shop where I got it there were a few vegan friendly dresses. A lot of them come as two pieces now with skirts made out of taffeta, satin etc. Mine was by stevies gowns http://www.steviesgowns.co.uk/catalogue/moreinfo_n.asp?pcode=9317 I think they have a few non-silk gowns and are very reasonable and available both in Europe and the USA.

[Kiran]

Thanks to confetti.co.uk for this useful guide

no meat? no problem

Not so long ago, being a veggie was considered little short of freakish by the majority of people, but not any more. Concerns about farming and rearing methods and a new awareness about healthy eating mean that some four million Britons - seven per cent of us - are now fully vegetarian and the number is still rising.

So even if you're not vegetarian yourself, the chances are your partner may be or at the very least some of your wedding guests. The good news is that nowadays, catering for veggies isn't as hard as you think - so long as you know what you're doing, the range of food available is just as varied as that for meat eaters. You don't need to worry that you'll end up with a wedding feast restricted to beans and lentils! First of all, you need to consider whether you want to provide a completely vegetarian wedding breakfast or a combination of meat and non-meat options...

totally veggie
You might opt for this route if:

• you are vegetarian yourself and dislike the thought of serving animal products at your wedding.
• your wedding party has more veggies than non-veggies.

Here, the way to convince the meat eaters that they won't miss eating meat is to go all out for some really creative options that aren't simply meat-free versions of old favourites.

part veggie
Go for half-and-half if:

• there are a small, but significant number of vegetarians among your guests (especially among the key guests). Make sure you can get an idea of just how many.

Here the key to success is to provide delicious veggie dishes that will have the meat-eaters wondering if they should have chosen the veggie option instead.

menu ideas
Whether you plump for an all- or part-vegetarian spread, for your meal to be a success it must consist of a well-made and balanced selection of dishes. When planning a meat-based meal, traditional combinations make this fairly easy. But when designing a vegetarian meal, you'll need to give more thought as to how you'll achieve a good balance of flavours, textures and colours. (See menu ideas).

Alternatively, you may want to go for an informal style buffet. Serve up a variety of delicious bite-sized nibbles and you can guarantee that no one will notice that they are meat-free. If any guests are vegan, be sure to cater for them too with no dairy, fish, eggs or meat.

starters

• Aubergine paté
• Fresh tomato soup
• Orange and watercress soup
• Vegan minestrone
• Tomato and mozzarella cheese salad with basil and olives
• Onion tart
• Grilled portobello mushrooms with herb-tofu aioli and red onion marmalade
• Deep fried goats cheese with marinated grilled vegetables
• Lettuce and rocket salad served with a vinaigrette sauce
• Peppers, tomatoes, mozzarella and basil bruschetta with extra virgin olive oil dressing
• Herb risotto cake with grilled corn relish and warm wild mushroom salad

main courses

• Mushroom stroganoff
• Wild mushroom risotto
• Vegetable moussaka
• Pumpkin curry
• Vegetarian paella
• Stuffed eggplant with green beans amadine and vesuvio potatoes
• Crispy angel hair scallion cake with portobello and shitake mushroom ragu and romesco sauce
• Mediterranean vegetable en croute
• Spinach timbales with sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts
• Grilled goats cheese and mediterranean vegetable tartlet
• Grilled polenta with Tuscan vegetables
• Vegetable tagine with aromatic couscous
• Blue cheese soufflés with steamed chard and asparagus
• Warm salad of potato, chestnut mushrooms and butternut pumpkin with stilton dressing

desserts

• Apple tarts with Calvados cream sauce
• Tiramisu
• Tarte tatin with caramel sauce and ice cream
• Tropical fruit kebabs with melted bitter chocolate sauce
• Mixed berry shortcakes and vanilla cream
• Chocolate almond midnight with raspberry sauce
• soya ice-cream with fresh fruit and an exotic fruit sauce
• Fruit sorbet

party finger-food

• mini pizzas
• stuffed vine leaves
• crudités and dips
• mini pancake rolls
• vegetarian satay sticks

catering talk

Finding the right caterer takes time and research. Of course, the right person/outfit will be someone who really cares about the quality of food * well-fed guests are happy guests! In addition, however, it needs to be someone who really understands what vegetarian food is all about * especially if you're not veggie yourself. And that means much more than just leaving out meat: gelatine, for example, is made from animal by-products and is often found in such apparently meat-free foods as ice cream and other dairy products.

Ask veggie friends for word-of-mouth recommendations, and make sure your caterer understands the following points:

• Cheese: not all cheese is vegetarian. Double check that vegetarian rennet - and not animal rennet - is being used.
• Wine: the sediment in wine may have been removed (fined) with gelatine or egg white. Always check with the supplier. Remember, too, that organic wine is not necessarily vegetarian.
• Eggs: many veggies will only eat free-range eggs.
• Margarine: some margarine contains whey or vitamins A, D or E, or additive E471, any of which may be from animal sources. It's safest to used margarine with the vegetarian or vegan symbol.
• The cake: does the icing contain animal products, such as egg whites? While this will be OK for veggies, any vegans among your guests will not be able to eat it.
• Honey: is avoided by most vegans.
• Pasta: may contain egg or squid ink.
• Soup: double check the ingredients in the stock.

For more information on vegetarian catering contact the Vegetarian Society on 0161 928 0793 or at www.vegsoc.org .

a completely veggie day
To make your wedding a really veggie or vegan occasion, follow the same principles through as a theme:

• Wedding outfits: opt for man-made fibres and avoid leather shoes.
• Cosmetics: use animal friendly or 'cruelty-free' products.
• Flowers: add chilli, berries or grapes to your bouquet. Transform the church with seasonal flowers and fruits: evergreen berries and mistletoe for a Christmas wedding, or sheaves of corn, conkers, apples and pumpkins for an autumn wedding. Use the same theme on your table centre pieces.
• Confetti: use organic rice or real flower petals.
• Stationery: use recycled paper for invitations and thank-you notes.
• If you live close enough to where you're getting married, walk to the church or register office.

[treehugga]

I had one. I wasn't going to pay for ffod I couldn't eat just to please others. Most of the time people all go for the veggie fare anyway as it's usually more interesting. No one complained and everyone had fun. The food was great it was a luch so loads of finger food like bruschetta and little veg pie thingies and little sangas and fruit.

[madpogue]

We got married at home, so the cats could be there. We weren't totally vegan at the time, but we did all the food vegan, even the wedding cake and the desserts. Did it all ourselves, with the help of a couple of friends. Our vegan guests knew they'd be able to eat everything, but we didn't announce it otherwise. Not because we wanted to keep it from anybody, but because it was all (I must say) really darn good, and what should it matter to an omni? Everybody enjoyed it tremedously; the only sticking point was when my sister wanted to smoke in the house ("I'll blow it out the window...").

[veganesquire]

Well, I survived my wedding! Payless shoes and all - although the shoes came off right after our first dance and I opted for some classy white flip-flops! Payless is usually great for non-leather shoes, but they do take some breaking in. I didn't really get much of a chance to walk around in my white high-heeled shoes before the wedding day.

My dress was all satin - very heavy and more expensive than I had originally budgeted, but indeed cruelty-free. Our reception was entirely vegan, from the appetizers to the cake. The reception hall prepared all the food and they were very receptive to all my requests. I basically came up with the menu, gave them a list of what ingredients they could and could not use, and even suggested some brands and where they could order things. The cake was a little more trouble because I couldn't find a good bakery in Minnesota that was willing to do a vegan wedding cake. In the end a friend of my mom's came through and baked us a fantastic vegan carrot cake - three huge tiers! She just used the receipe I gave her from New Farm Veg Cookbook, and practiced a bit with the multiplying, and it really could not have been better.

The best part was that out of over 100 guests, only 5 were vegan, but absolutely everyone raved about the food. I know a lot of girls dream about the dress, the location, the honeymoon, etc... my dream wedding was a vegan wedding so everything was pretty perfect.

[Agatha]

congratulations! glad it all went so well.

Some friends of mine from uni are getting married later this year and having vegan catering. I was hoping to make the cake for them but in the end they found a professional caterers in Brighton (oh how I love Brighton!) to do it.

[Roxy]

Congratulations, Veganesquire! Sounds as though you had a wonderful day and I'm so glad your vegan wedding dreams came true

[Moto]

I've just survived my wedding too. I was the only vegan, and only a handful of veggies were there so we had a mix of vegan and carnivore food. I found it fairly easy to find vegan dress, shoes, cake etc.
Everyone seems to have embraced the vegan ethos behind the day, even if they were eating meat!

[Mystic]

As some of you know, I am getting married soon (March). Despite my fiancees non-veganess, we are having a vegan wedding! Was wondering if anyone else has done this? What did you serve and how did it go down?
This is my potential menu:

This is all 100% vegan

Entree:
- Baby dim sims
- Thai spring rolls
- Rice paper rolls

Main:
- Thai Green Curry with Jasmine Rice
- Indonesian Stirfry with Jasmine Rice
- Malaysian Hokkien noodle stirfry

Desserts:
- Chocolate wedding cake in the shape of a volcano
- Chocolate fondue with a pile of doughnuts (La Panella) mounted up against it to look like a volcano
- Fresh fruit (for the fondue)
- Another few cakes such as more chocolate cake, citrus & coconut.

We are also having a daquiri machine that mixes daquiri with ice so you get like a slurppee

[Tigerlily]

Can I come?

*Drools*

[Mystic]

If you are in Australia

[fiamma]

Wow, congrats on the wedding and the vegan dinner, your dinner sounds divine *swoon*