Wedding menu

[imnewhere2024]

DP and I recently got engaged (yay) so we are starting to plan the wedding. We are at very early stages but have run into a very interesting question. DP and I are both vegetarian for ethical reasons with our families and most of our friends being meat eaters. Venues are asking our preferences for menus so they can provide us costs so we need to make a choice on whether to provide meat or do a vegetarian only dinner.

For clarity, when we go out to dinner with meat eaters we have no issue with people ordering a meat option, but given we are the ones footing the bill, it feels like we have a say over what they eat. Honestly, we don’t feel good about paying for meat to be consumed on our wedding day, and would be offering a decent range of veggie options (not your bog standard risotto or tofu loaf etc) Friends have never complained about our dietary choices when we go to their homes or events, its pretty easy these days to cater for and we are not picky eaters at all but I feel weird imposing our vegetarian ideas on them. Has anyone faced the same issue issue or have any insight ?

Sorry, this is ridiculous. ‘Horrified’.

Frankly I think you are being incredibly unreasonable. I would NOT be attending as it is tantamount to torture.

As a meat eater I’d say go veggie. If one of the bride or groom is vegetarian fine serve meat, if both I’d expect veggie. Provided you don’t go for tofu or quorn I think you are fine.

Italian food seems like a great idea to me. Everyone can enjoy a vegetarian pizza, pasta dish etc. without missing the meat - especially as you're vegetarian not vegan so there can be 'proper cheese'.

I think you'd be much more likely to annoy people if you served something that felt like it was trying to be a veggie version of a meat dish - like a nut roast, tofu cutlet, stuffed pepper or mushroom etc on a plate with potatoes, veg, sauce etc.

The only possible criticism of an Italian meal is that it's not the sort of 'formal wedding food' some people might expect, but that's subjective and as likely to be seen as a good thing as a problem.

You've never eaten anything that isn't dead animal?

Does make me wonder whether all the “I hate vegetarian food” people have ever eaten fruit, vegetables, potatoes? Bread? Rice? Pasta?

never had chips? Crisps? Baked potato with beans? Margerhita pizza? Garlic bread? Cheese sandwich? Crisp sandwich? Vegetable soup? salad?

meat is, or should be, actually a very small part of a meat eaters daily diet. So how people can declare they hate all vegetarian food seems mad to me.

No it doesn’t. 😂

I don't know what people eat these days, as I haven't been to a wedding for years. But surely don't "just have food", you want something a bit fancy, not say a sandwich and some crisps.

I'm a meat eater and this wouldn't bother me either. In fact, I'm the sort of meat eater who would try just about anything and doesn't get all doe eyed at lambs and it STILL wouldn't both me. Every single meal I eat comes with vegetables in some form or other, so it's not really a hardship. Plus, it's free food! As long as you let the guests know in advance (I'm sure they'll expect it) then anyone who really can't cope without meat for one meal can bring some jerky or pop out to mcds. If they're coming to your wedding then they must care about you and if they care about you they won't want you to do something you feel so uncomfortable with

Honestly think this was a joke. Bloody hope it was, anyway

Vegetarian meals can be satisfying and delicious with a bit of forethought and imagination. Going veggie for one meal is hardly a real hardship. Good that you'll let people know ahead of time so they can adjust their expectations accordingly. Have a great day, OP. 🌹

I’m genuinely shocked that there are meat eaters out there who think one vegetarian meal is some sort of hardship. Everyone should be regularly eating vegetarian meals as part of a balanced diet. No wonder the health of the nation is in such a terrible state.