6 minute read
Vegan weddings
FEATURE
VEGAN WEDDINGS
Advertisement
Before the coronavirus lockdown, Kaya Gromocki chatted to six vegan couples who made their vegan values the heart of their wedding.
Choosing to make your big day vegan is an exciting but also daunting prospect. There is a lot to consider, from the food, to the clothing, to the venue. I spoke to six couples who celebrated their love with a vegan wedding. Read on for their experiences, from the most enjoyable to the most challenging, along with the tips they would give to other couples who are planning their special day.
Planning
Arguably the most stressful part of any wedding is the planning. If the wedding is going to be vegan this will bring some extra considerations, although it will also provide a wonderful opportunity to share your lifestyle with those you love. All of the couples I spoke to were in agreement that being true to your own beliefs is crucial to planning a day that you will enjoy.
Dustin and David, who had their BBQ-themed wedding in Brooklyn, New York, added, “Set boundaries and be firm on what is important to you as a couple. It’s your day, so throw a party that you would want to be a guest at. Forget about tradition if that’s not important to you.”
Clothing
One of the areas that may require a little more planning is clothing. Val and James, who married in London in November 2018, did a great job of summarising the points that couples will want to look out for: “If you haven’t been vegan for a long time, remember to check for things like leather, silk and wool when looking for your dress or suit.” Other materials that you will want to be aware of include horse’s hair in jackets, mother of pearl on buttons and goat’s hair in cloth. In dresses, whalebone corsets are now unusual, but it’s worth checking if you are opting for a vintage dress.
L i s a a n d B e k k y
It’s your day, so have it your way
Some tulle, chiffon and satin can also be made of silk. There are of course a variety of options available. Danielle and Chris, who married in July 2018 in Essex, also highlighted the importance of playing to your strengths when it comes to the details. Danielle explained, “As a vegan makeup artist, I had my own full kit available for myself and all of the wedding party to use.” Using your own skills, or those of your friends or family members, is also helpful if you are on a tight budget.
Some couples, such as Lisa and her wife Bekky from Southsea, who were married at Folly Farm Centre in Bristol, managed to find exactly what they were looking for. Lisa says, “Our challenge was twofold, as we were holding a queer and vegan wedding. Bekky really wanted a suit that fitted her sense of style, and luckily we were in the fortunate position that we could order a bespoke suit from King and Allen, who made us feel welcome from the start and had great options. They even have a fully vegan made-to-measure women’s service.” Amy and Kiya (pictured on the cover) from Australia found that they had to compromise: “When looking for dresses, we wanted them to be second-hand to reduce the environmental impact. Unfortunately, we didn’t find what we wanted, so we just ensured they were made from vegan materials, which was cheaper anyway.” Dustin and his husband Chris decided to break from tradition, which they felt made choosing their outfits much easier: “We didn’t wear suits. We both wore dark jeans with dress shirts and a waistcoat. This was purposeful as our theme was casual, colourful and fun.” They explained that this allowed them to piece the outfits together while being sure that every item was vegan.
Food
The couples I spoke to all took different approaches to their catering, but they all had one thing in common – they wanted to impress their guests and show them how delicious vegan food is.
Meagan and Spencer (pictured on the Contents page), who married in a forest venue in San Francisco in 2019, explained how they veganised the traditional food of their own cultures, much to the admiration of their guests: “We set out to create a vegan menu with traditional dishes that would be familiar to our guests. With both of our families rooted in the South, it was only fitting that our wedding refl ected our roots with Cajun, southern and Creole inspired dishes.”
The pressure to impress can be more pronounced when you are serving a vegan menu to non-vegans, but Dustin
and David had no trouble with this: “Most of our guests were not vegan, so I relied on two of my colleagues, Chef Taryn Clayton and Chef Trish Brancale. Together we created a menu that we thought non-vegans would love. Clementine Bakery in Brooklyn, one of my favourite vegan bakeries, supplied the cupcakes and cake. The guests devoured them. Think about your favourite foods and food that generally appeals to the masses so your guests aren’t saying ‘yeah it’s OK, but it’s vegan’.”
Val and James said, “Our favourite part was being able to share our lifestyle with our closest family members and show them that vegan food is totally delicious and far from boring.”
All of the couples I spoke to were excited to share the different ways that they incorporated veganism into their wedding. Meagan explained, “We wanted each and every small detail to show our guests that veganism is more than a diet, but also a culture and way of being. We were excited to plan a ceremony where we could share our version of love, but most importantly, we wanted to showcase our passion for promoting health and wellness in the Black community.” Overall, there was a strong feeling of gratitude and generosity, as couples enjoyed the opportunity to share the very best of their veganism.
Tips
When looking at your wedding with the benefit of hindsight, it’s not unusual to wish you had done things a little differently. With this in mind, I asked the couples about the advice they would give to others planning a vegan wedding.
Danielle and Chris advised couples to use vendors that live a vegan lifestyle themselves, rather than just providing a vegan service as an alternative. Danielle said that although this wasn’t a necessity, “it’s a nice feeling to know those involved in your day share your values.” Chris added, “I’m a DJ and I get an extra buzz from playing at vegan weddings!”
Val and James stressed that they would encourage couples to stick with what they want: “It’s your day, so have it your way. We’ve heard many stories of people who have had family members refuse to attend if non-vegan food isn’t available. We think that if you have guests who don’t respect your lifestyle enough to eat a plant-based meal at your wedding, do you really want them there?”
Meagan made the important point that couples should remind themselves of the reasons why they went vegan when planning their wedding, to ensure they remain true to their principles. She added that she would encourage couples to get creative and “not to be afraid of breaking traditions to make the wedding a refl ection of you, your spouse and your love story.”
Amy and Kiya added a practical tip, encouraging couples to select a venue that allows outside catering. This can help to avoid using the caterer provided by the venue, who may have only limited vegan options. They added, “The goal should be wowing your guests with incredible vegan food!”
Thank you so much to all of the couples who shared the stories of their special day with us. Sadly, in light of coronavirus many couples have had to put their own weddings on hold. Our thoughts are with those people – and we wish you joyful celebrations in a safer time.
