Vegan wedding and no alcohol

I had a dry wedding and we let people know via word of mouth. Did people go out and get booze after the reception? Sure, but that's their choice and not at our wedding. We had our reasons for having a dry wedding and that didn't prevent anyone from coming or having a good time.


Personally, I don't think a heads up about the vegan food is necessary. You are inviting people who know you, and presumably they know your beliefs about eating and your lifestyle. I wouldn't expect a heads up about Indian food if I went to an Indian wedding, so why would I expect a heads up about vegan food if my hosts were vegan?
Idk if you are doing a buffet or plated dinner, but if you do a plated dinner, you would need to send out meal choices with your invites anyway. If you are doing a buffet and really want to gove people a heads up, you xould post a sneak peek of your menu on your wedding website. I wouldn't draw attention to the fact that it's vegan - I think people get scared off by their preconceived beliefs about it? If that makes sense?

Personally, I feel like it is fine to host a vegan wedding, even if not all of your guests are vegan. No one here would suggest that a Jewish or Muslim couple must serve pork at their wedding because some people are used to eating pork, so I think it's unreasonable to demand that a vegan couple serve meat to their omnivorous friends. Your wedding is supposed to represent you, and if you personally feel that the values that make you vegan are ones you want to highlight on your wedding day and only wish to offer vegan food items and favors, so be it. We are talking about one meal on one day. Anyone can eat vegan for one meal (even someone on a ketogenic diet).

Hosting a vegan event is very different than demanding that all your guests conform to veganism for the event. It's fine to serve vegan food and have the groom wear a vegan belt and shoes, but it would be a totally different thing if you told guests they could only wear non-leather shoes and vegan makeup. What you offer to guests is totally up to you, but you shouldn't be in a place where you are only allowing your guests to enjoy certain things and have expectations of them that vary significantly from what is considered normal. I feel like those saying "you need to serve meat because most people eat meat" are thinking that you are somehow restricting your guests by serving them alternative food, which I don't feel is the case. It isn't like you are letting your guests go hungry, you are still feeding them a full meal, just one that varies from the stereotypical omnivorous wedding cuisine most of us are used to, which typically features animal-based proteins.

I also think dry weddings are common enough that if you didn't want guests to drink that would be socially acceptable, but I do feel that guests would probably appreciate a heads up about the meal offerings and lack of alcohol being served. Also there is a difference between not serving alcohol, and having an alcohol free, completely dry, sober wedding, so I think it's important to specify to your guests which type of event you are having.

I think putting a note on your wedding website that you are having an alcohol-free (or "we will not be serving alcohol" if you are okay with guests drinking beforehand or bringing their own), vegan event would be totally appropriate. I feel like wedding websites are the best place to put "need to know" information that may be too detailed or otherwise out of place on an invitation. If you have any guests who aren't internet users (like an older relative), it might be nice to give them a heads up with a phone call just so they aren't surprised that day.

View Quoted Comment Omg !
That’s sounds amazing ! The grilled seitan with mash potatoes !! Sounds greattt!

Thank youuu !

View Quoted Comment Brandi !


Well said ! Honestly if you don’t eat Vegan it’s okay 👌🏽 just know I won’t have any meat at my wedding ! Folks it’s only for a an hour at dinner ! And your telling me you can’t sacrifice lol
It’s my wedding and if you want to come come and if you don’t that’s ok too. Just because I’m serving vegan food doesn’t mean I’m a bad host !
It just mean I don’t follow traditional beliefs and or trends. just because one person thinks My guests will starve to death They won’t!
People are so weird nowadays

View Quoted Comment Kari!


Hit the nail right on the coffin! I recently stated that they’re will be open bar for my guests (obviously we paid for it) but vegan entrees
I don’t care what my guest wear if it’s vegan or not. All I care is that you repeat what I want to eat.
My husband is adamant on no meat or dairy for food and that’s what we will provide. Our wedding is very expensive per person per plate so we won’t let the people starve. People on this thread really believe my guest will starve because there is no alternative. My guest know my husband and I don’t eat meat or diary and they respect that. Almost everyone knows my wedding will be vegan.
What we did was people want to drink so open bar it is but for food it will be vegan and yummy !
All I ask is that you repeat how I eat just I do every day with other people for one hour.
My guest are fine with it and we’re gonna have a blast !

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Just curious, what do you mean by "All I ask is that you repeat how I eat just I do every day with other people for one hour." Are you saying that you eat non-vegan food with other people every day?

I hope you included this
detail on your save the date invitations. However, if not, it’s okay as there
are many vegan restaurants out there that offer delicious main entrée food that
non-vegans would also love. We had the same dilemma when we organised my sister’s
18th birthday last year. My mom found this healthy catering Ibiza based restaurant and
luckily, we were able to provide good food to all our guests, including the
non-vegans. Just search for restaurants that offer a wide range of food
selections and has also received positive reviews from their past customers or
diners. Anyway, hope this helps a bit.

View Quoted Comment I agree. I understand some people are deciding not to pay for and provide non-vegan foods whilst still providing yummy food their guests can eat. We are not vegan but eat vegan food all the time, either because we’re substituting out fish (allergies) or just because! Id let people know on the website what type of food will be served and still ask people about allergy needs. Eg lots of vegan foods or alternatives use nuts or soy and you want to make sure there’s something to accommodate everyone’s needs. Depending on your crowd, people could be less than understanding of your position but I wouldn’t mind as long as there was plenty of delicious food. Alcohol will probably be the same as far as knowing your crowd. I would much prefer the option to buy a drink during the wedding if you weren’t providing them. If alcohol isn’t available because of your personal beliefs I would be a bit disappointed but would get over it because I’m there to celebrate the marriage at the end of the day.

Not everyone finds vegan meals to be palatable based on how they are prepared. Alcohol is never required and people skip it all the time with no issues. You don't need to inform guests ahead of time. But the reception is the first party you are hosting for your guests as a married couple so their comfort needs to be priority but also keep your convictions as well.

This thread is longggg dead but I hope you're still going to have an amazing vegan meal at your reception! My FH and I aren't vegan, but pescetarian, and aren't having anything we don't eat at our reception. Why should we go against our morals just for a party? Our guests will be perfectly happy with their sustainably caught salmon and whatever other menu items we decide. I'm not going to further harm the environment to adhere to decorum. Go you!!!

I find it very interesting that people think not serving alcohol at a wedding or serving a vegan meal at a wedding is “pushing your beliefs on someone”. Uh no. Just because people have this idea of what a wedding needs to be does not mean it has to be that. I don’t like bar b q but I’ve been to several weddings where that was the meal served. I ate it, had a great time celebrating my friends/family and went on with my life. I also don’t like cupcakes but that’s one of the new trends now instead of cake. Is that pushing your beliefs on me? Nope.
If you are ethically against eating meat you should not feel pressured to serve it at your wedding. And if someone is annoyed by this they aren’t very good friends and quite frankly aren’t very good people so please don’t concern yourself over them.

I disagree with those saying you need to cater to meat eating guests. You should provide food that everyone can eat, and omnivores are fully capable of eating vegan meals. One vegan dinner isn't going to ruin their keto, protein, whatever diet for the day. This is your wedding, and if every other part of the wedding is supposed to reflect you as a couple, why can't your food and drink choices as well.

I'm assuming you are completely vegan but if you are pescatarian, I would consider having some fish or shellfish as an animal based protein option. Usually animal based protein of any kind will make a meal feel more filling and complete to someone who isn't used to being completely plant based. If fish or eggs are not an option, I'd make sure your vegan options are pretty varied and really tasty. Forcing a bunch of meat-eating friends to eat bland vegan dishes is a surefire way for them to leave dissatisfied (and turned off to going plant based) but if you have a variety of filling options, it should be no issue.

For canapes, try pastry puffs with a variety of fillings, bruschetta, veggie skewers, stuffed mushrooms, etc. Consider using a really convincing and tasty vegan substitute for meats and cheeses throughout your food menu - Beyond Burgers (and other Beyond products) are really good and I've had a few really tasty vegan sausages. My husband and I eat meat but we have Beyond Burgers at home as often (or more often) than ground beef ones because we like the taste so much. Or try grilled portobello mushrooms as as main dish or starter, perhaps with a really flavorful loaded wild rice on the side. Consider leaning into the season as well - winter squashes in fall can be done up really nice. Stuffed acorn squash with wild rice, nuts, herbs, and dried cranberries is super tasty, feels elegant, and 100% vegan. In general, my favorite vegan meals tend to be curries, chilis, stir fries, and other "one pot" options where lots of flavors and spices combine together, but these tend not to be the most elegant foods for a fancier event. But you only need 2-3 dinner options and probably 3-5 canapes, so you should be able to figure something out.

Definitely make sure that along with all of the vegan things you are also considering some other common food restrictions. Sometimes going vegan can force you to rely more heavily on plants that are common allergens. I'd be sure there are some gluten-free and nut-free items on the menu.

As for a dry wedding, people have these, but I'd rather go to a vegan wedding than a dry one. I am not much of a drinker, but having a glass of wine at a wedding makes it feel fancier to me somehow. If you are totally against alcohol, you don't have to serve any (it will save you a lot of money), but you can also just serve wine with the meal or just have very limited, low alcohol content beverages - you don't need to do a full bar. If you decide to go alcohol free, I would definitely recommend coming up with some fancy mocktails with elegant garnishes to have the event feel like something extra.

I personally don't think its completely necessary to notify your guests of these things - as long as there is a full meal of some kind, I think you are okay - but if you want to give them a heads up a note on your wedding website is sufficient. You don't need to call a ton of attention to it, just make sure its up there in some context. On our wedding website I described the event as having "delicious farm to table food and free flowing drinks" because I wanted to be clear that we were providing guests with locally sourced ingredients and having an open bar.

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I agree with Celeste's post!

I also LOVE Amanda's food suggestions. I'm drooling.

Lastly, I understand where you are coming from and the compromise to have alcohol and stay vegan is more than reasonable! You have beliefs and a lifestyle and spending money on meat (even if you aren't eating it) is still paying to kill those animals or paying for the cheese from the mistreated cow. So I totally get it and it wouldn't bother me in the slightest to attend a vegan wedding. I know you will find delicious vegan options! Is Beyond Meat vegan??? We eat beyond burgers and brats a lot!! (FH is vegetarian and I'm pescatarian) I have the largest problem with chicken, I can't stand even thinking about how they're abused and it makes me gag looking at it - eggs too - so- I took it off my menu entirely lol. Like you said.. why not? It's OUR weddings! Plus, I have a feeling our vegetarian options will go over really well.

If I were to suggest yummy vegan meals for a meat eater, I'd suggest: a hearty pasta salad (with a vinaigrette), maybe rosemary potatoes with vegan butter (or any potatoes.. or an entire potato station!!!), general tso's deep fried cauliflower, sweet potato fries with salt, anything with avocado is always a hit! Also, there's a hello fresh meal we eat often that is baked and browned cherry tomatoes/zucchini (or asparagus) with thyme on it over a bed of browned isreali cous cous (that's boiled in "better than bouillon vegetable") and all is cooked with oil.. so I'm pretty sure it's vegan? Then on top we put sliced almonds.. omg its so good. It's my favorite. So filling and delicious. I can find you the recipe if you want it!

And finally for your question haha- yeah, don't put it on your invites or save the dates. If you have delicious options, it's not going to matter. I can't believe this has to be said but.. Grown ups can't be upset about a warm meal. This isn't their mother's house. And you're not forcing them to eat raw kale. Good luck!!!!