The Veggie Table: Vegan Wedding

By: Janel Ovrut Funk
Janel's Wedding Cake Topper

With just a few days to go before my wedding, I’m not surprised I woke up in a cold sweat after a wedding-related nightmare. The stress of the big day is manifesting in my dreams resulting in a slightly harried bride who isn’t getting enough shut-eye. Fortunately, the one thing I’m not losing sleep over when it comes to this wedding is the food. They'll be something for everyone: vegans (like me) and the ominvores in the crowd. Here's how I weighed the options for my big day.

To Go Vegan or Not to Go Vegan?

While we were initially drawn to our venue Granite Links because of its clean, modern look with a gorgeous view of the Boston skyline, the menu of the venue is what sealed the deal for me. Not only do they have an extremely lengthy menu to choose from, but they also have an entire page devoted to vegetarian options, and another page with vegan options. Vegan!

Several people have asked me if we’re having a vegan menu for our wedding, and while it’s something I daydreamed about even before we were engaged, it’s not happening. Sure, we’d love the chance to show our guests how amazing, satisfying, and varied a vegan wedding can be, but we’re also very grateful that our omnivore parents are hosting this incredible day for us. This, I know, can be a tough decision to make for many vegetarian brides and grooms. We selected a menu that includes an option of chicken, fish, and a vegan entrée, and are avoiding having any red meat served. My fiancé and I know that we’ll be well fed on our big day, and don’t have to worry about butter, chicken stock, or cheese slipping into our meals.

To all the former brides who have warned me that I’ll likely forget to even eat on the big day, I say: not a chance. With vegan options at our venue like Swiss Chard and Golden Raisin Stuffed Pate de Brik and Black Bean and Purple Sticky Rice Cakes served over Curried Cauliflower and Carrot Ragout, I’m confident we’ll take the time to enjoy our vegan entrée before dancing the day away as Mr. and Mrs.

Janel Ovrut, MS RD LDN, loves experimenting with vegetarian and vegan cooking. Read her food blog, Eat Well with Janel , and follow her on Twitter @DietitianJanel .  Catch up on her previous posts here .

Have you ever customized an event’s menu to fit your dietary needs? Did you face resistance from anyone, including guests? Tell us in the comments below.

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