To only serve vegan food at my wedding.

[inthewest]

My partner and myself are both vegan. We want to serve an only vegan menu from an excellent vegan caterer. I know people aren't a fan of "fake meat" and we've deliberately chosen to not have anything of that sort. Our menu will include many options and will cater to allergies and dietary needs such as celiac. The food is delicious, is very "us" and reflects us as couple.

We have had pushback from my partners family. Adult family. I'm fully prepared to cater for children but not adults. Our thinking is that it's one meal.

If you’ve never had a good vegan meal/enjoyed a vegan meal that’s a shame.

But do realize the misfortune/issue is with you, not the food. Some people have never had a good Chinese meal or enjoyed a Chinese meal. That doesn’t mean Chinese food is bad or not enjoyable. It just means the restaurants they went to were seriously subpar, your friends can’t cool, you have extremely conservative tastes, you are extremely picky etc etc

If you went to a Chinese people you’d just have to grin and bare it - or perhaps keep an open mind and see if you enjoy it this time.

Best to not mention the food will be vegan

Most will assume it’s vegetarian which won’t quite cause so much unnecessary fuss

Cried with hunger oh please didn’t they have a cracker you could eat

I think you need to get s grip if I'm honest.

Thanks for taking the time out of your day to provide that insight.

I don't think it's at all unreasonable. Some guests might not enjoy what's on offer, though: I can't eat beans or pulses, which feature heavily in a lot of vegan recipes. I am predominantly vegetarian and make plenty of vegan recipes at home, so I have no objection to vegan food on principle, but my heart sinks a bit at the sight of a vegan menu because it's so difficult to avoid the Dreaded Bean.

The fact that you're serving food at all is great. Many people insist on inviting lots of people although they can't afford it or are too stingy to serve food. I can't said I had fun stuck in a freezing barn in the middle of nowhere for hours, starving . But hey, they spent almost nothing

I do like some well prepared veg but don’t find it satisfying on its own.

Well have some chips, bread or pasta along with them then. Honestly, my six year old sounds more mature than a lot of commentary on this thread.

*Chinese wedding

My friends are vegan.

They had a vegan meal and buffet.

My pal and I bad bits, had something to eat in our hotel before we went and before the reception, had a fee drinks and a great night.

Why would I expect my friends to look at meat at their own bloody wedding to suit me?

Cried with hunger oh please didn’t they have a cracker you could eat

I had an apple. It wasn’t very filling. I didn’t want to rummage for food because to get out of eating the gross food I had to pretend to be stuffed.

@ConstantlyChanging

I think you need to get s grip if I'm honest.

Thanks for taking the time out of your day to provide that insight.

Well. Crying with hunger.

Look at the world around us.

I don't think many people are saying that they would miss meat.

I think lots of people would find it harder not to have any milk products, including milk in coffee, cheese, etc. A vegetarian meal would be fine and probably unnoticeable - it's the replacements for dairy that I often find are the worst.

I wouldn't claim allergy to soya as it's just an intolerance, wouldn't normally even have mentioned it, as I only react if there is enough, and I wouldn't normally expect a wedding to have that much in it. But if I didn't know, and it turned out there was soya milk or other substitutes for a number of ingredients, I would be quite ill.

So it's not really about the lack of meat. It's about some of the replacements for certain products, that many vegans would think are fine, but others might not - and might not know they are problems until they have enough of them. I didn't know about soya until I had to go dairy-free for a while to test for allergies, and only then did I have a problem as it was in enough of those foods to cause an issue. Since then, I don't encounter it often enough for it to matter.

So not telling people that it's vegan, but then having food with lots of soya stuff in, could well result in issues.

Same with lentils, etc or other fibrous foods.

I do agree with comments around meat eaters refusing to serve vegan - what would your opinion be on that?

For example, DH has ARFID so his dietary requirement is that he can only eat meat with potato. Would you meet his dietary requirements?

I’m a meat eater but would have no problem with this at all. Ultimately a portion of every meat eating persons diet is vegan so....😂😊

My friend did vegan only at her wedding and it was delicious (this was in rural Scotland too). There was one bit of food that I didn't like but it was because it was peanut butter based and I don't like that any way. Everyone raved about the food!

Enjoy x

Crying with hunger.

😂 😂 😂

This thread keeps on giving

@ConstantlyChanging

Cried with hunger oh please didn’t they have a cracker you could eat

I had an apple. It wasn’t very filling. I didn’t want to rummage for food because to get out of eating the gross food I had to pretend to be stuffed.

Are you five?

Hi, friend/family member,. Could I have a slice of toast please? I'm still hungry. Thanks so much.

In countries across the world, even this country, there are people who are genuinely destroyed by hunger. Crying in your room because you had to eat the gross food.

@supermoonrising

If you’ve never had a good vegan meal/enjoyed a vegan meal that’s a shame.

But do realize the misfortune/issue is with you, not the food. Some people have never had a good Chinese meal or enjoyed a Chinese meal. That doesn’t mean Chinese food is bad or not enjoyable. It just means the restaurants they went to were seriously subpar, your friends can’t cool, you have extremely conservative tastes, you are extremely picky etc etc

If you went to a Chinese people you’d just have to grin and bare it - or perhaps keep an open mind and see if you enjoy it this time.

And I would grin and bear it, as I've said. I'd not say a thing and I'd still go to support my friends. I just wouldn't be looking forward to the food personally.

Who knows, maybe I'd have my opinion changed if it was a wonderful tasty spread, I'd be open to that. I've just not yet been as fortunate when trying these foods and I don't think I'm alone.

I think unfortunately a lot of people's experiences with these types of food are the crap substitute 'fake meat' kind which puts people off.

I'd be happy if the food was good but unfortunately my previous experiences of eating veggie/vegan foods have been dire.

Forget dairy so a second, so you've never ever had a nice meal without meat? You have to have meat at every single meal?

Meant to add you could arrange for a burger van to come in the evening and those that can't survive a day without meat could buy themselves a burger/hot dog?

We went to a wedding once where the family was tee-total for religious reasons and provided soft drinks only. Friend persuaded her parents to allow a cash bar. We bought our own wine to go with the meal, problem solved, but I can't imagine people not going had their been no alcohol.

Yes, you need to be considerate of your guests but allowing them to call the shots on your wedding day - absolutely not.

Well have some chips, bread or pasta along with them then. Honestly, my six year old sounds more mature than a lot of commentary on this thread.

I’d happily do that. But it sounds like that wouldn’t be an option as I’d have a plate of vegan crap to plough through. But anyway I did say their wedding their choice. Just that they must understand the some people like me (whatever you think of me) will hate it.

I am impressed though. 25 pages and only one post from the OP.

Yeah I thought that. The OP dropped a bomb and ran!

Serve whatever you want, it's your wedding. They'll live. Just be prepared for a lot of people to either slope off for a sneaky McDonald's or leave fairly early because they didn't like anything on the menu and are hungry.

Do people really still eat meat everyday?

Not meat no, but absolutely my day would feature one of dairy, eggs, fish or meat in almost everything.

Do it! There's no reason you should have to compromise your morals at YOUR wedding and spend YOUR money on meat you object to. I wouldn't do meat for the children either. (Though might do vegetarian for them.) Go all in!

There's nothing to "accommodate" with meat eaters. Unless you get someone who is a literal carnivore and whose every meal is 100% animal products, you're giving them food they'd usually eat. Toast, marge and jam is a vegan meal and loads of people have it for breakfast.

That said, it might be kind to give a choice of meals if it's likely to be things people aren't used to. Not a massive choice, but I've been to lots of weddings where you RSVPd yes/no and also RSVPd meat/fish/vegetarian.

@TheKeatingFive

I do like some well prepared veg but don’t find it satisfying on its own.

Well have some chips, bread or pasta along with them then. Honestly, my six year old sounds more mature than a lot of commentary on this thread.

Carbs! You couldn't possibly expect people to eat carbs. The very idea.