Vegetarian wedding ? help!

You know people can read without typing, right?

Well y'all sure are showing your apologies to Erica...

Erica, I don't know much about the meat industry because I'm a big meat eater and I know if I did my research I wouldn't be able to stomach it. But is there any type of meat you might be comfortable with serving ? Even if it's just the one choice it might calm your family while not hurting your morals too much.

Only Vegetarian is fine!

Not true not all! No all Meat eaters eat non meat options! I think it's rude. Your wedding isn't just about you it's about your guests too. I made sure I catered to vegans and vegetarians and I'm not either

You have a bunch of mixed opinions here, doesn't seem like there's a definite answer. In the end, people are going to find something to complain about. If you're ok with some of your guests complaining that there isn't a meat option, then go ahead and serve vegetarian. I may be the minority but I really don't think there's a way to cater to every guest that comes to your wedding, unless you're having very few guests.

@elizabeth thank you! I will, waiting for pro pics!

If i have to provide a bar against my beliefs. You should have to provide meat against your beliefs. I see no difference

I think this is the alcohol. Just because the host doesn't drink alcohol doesn't mean they shouldn't provide it for others...

Well, just because you don't eat meat, doesn't mean you shouldn't provide it for your guest.

Vegan person here! I bet you know what my answer is already. Since your aversion to meat is based on a deeply help moral and ethical belief, exactly like a religious dietary restriction, and since there will be an abundance of nutritionally balanced and delicious food available for your guests, you do not have to serve meat.

Ask any of your family and friends who are giving you flak if they also feel observant Jews and Muslims MUST serve pork, even if they offering a large variety of other options.

SMH to all the pasta comments. Now I know why I always get sad wedding pasta and sad wedding vegetables at the small proportion of weddings that actually have a vegan option available.

Have a great wedding OP! I am sure it will be delicious.

You know, I don't know if lumping Jews/Muslims/religious reasons together with not agreeing with the meat industry.

@AlwaysMs: That's not comparing two equal things though, because someone who eats a non pork diet usually doesn't care if others partake, and is still serving a meal with multiple options for protein that are unlikely to be objectionable to the majority.

A more comparable statement would be that OP's position is, if anything, like someone inviting a large portion of people who do not eat pork (whether it is via a kosher or Muslim diet), and only doing a pork roast. Sure, those guests will have a few options (sides and breads/carbs), but it's highly unlikely to be appealing to them and will likely have them leaving early to find other food options.

Just like OP has admitted her own guests have already expressed to her.

Considering her own FH eats meat in at least some capacity (by OP's own admission), this really shouldn't be such an issue.

As a meat eater, I'd be fine with a vegetarian reception, but I would want to know in advance. My FH just wouldn't enjoy himself and wouldn't want to go unless it was for someone very close. He'd never make a scene over it, but it's hard enough to get him excited for social situations. Lol food helps, but not so much when his favorite food group isn't there. Point is, I'd want to know in advance so I could find someone else to bring. :-)

I would suggest having at least 1 meat option. Just as most people would offer 1 vegetarian option at a "pro-meat" wedding. It's just polite since all of your guests are spending the time and money to celebrate you and FH.

@MNA: vegans and vegetarians don't care what others eat either, but they do not want to be the one buying it and furthering something they have moral and ethical objections to. So, if a veg of either stripe goes out with their friends to dinner, everyone orders what they want and each pays for their own. If I throw a dinner party, it's vegan. When I go to a wedding and there is zero I can eat, ok that's a poorly hosted event for me, but that's pretty common. Saying that veg food won't be palatable, won't be balanced, it's just nonsense. Of course if someone has a medical issue like an allergy or hypoglycemia they should notify the hosts and the hosts should do everything they can to accommodate. But if your medical issue is that you can't survive without pork you wouldn't ask someone with religious scruples about pork to provide it for you, right? You would probably do what I do and bring a bar or snack or whatever you need to keep chuggin' on. Meat eaters who are sure that vegan and vegetarian food = only starch, pasta, beans, icky things just puzzle the hell out of me. Hosting requires that you provide a reasonable array of things to make up a balanced meal. There will be obvious limits on that. BBQ weddings usually don't provide beef, pork, chicken, fish, shrimp, quail, tempeh, tofu, seitan, lamb, etc. There will be a reasonable variety though. If a guest just doesn't like beef, pork, or chicken then that's really their bag, not the hosts. If a guest has an allergy or medical issue, of course the host will make reasonable efforts to accommodate them. Omnis are perfectly capable of eating a single, balanced veg meal where there is a reasonable array of choices. Pushing being a guest into requiring other people to violate deeply held ethical and moral beliefs is just not being a good guest. It's not a preference or a neurosis, and living those beliefs in the face of enormous amounts of hostility and criticism can be pretty rough sometimes. Perhaps on their wedding day a bride and groom deserve to be able to feed their guests in ways that don't violate their ethics and morals.

You don't have to serve meat. Your guests will understand and respect your beliefs. As long as the food is good and you have pasta and veggies, it should be fine.

I wouldn't expect meat, but if you're planning on mashed potato and pasta bars then I wouldn't leave disappointed. BUT my FH would probably disagree with me ...

@AlwaysMs.: Again, your argument just circles back to what we tell nearly every non-Mormon/LDS bride who uses religion as a reason not to provide alcohol. They also have moral and ethical objections, but it's still seen as poor hosting not providing alcohol. How is this any different? In fact, it should be considered less of an issue BECAUSE OP's FH DOES eat meat.

I would want to know ahead of time so I could properly prepare. I am pretty picky and would probably pre-eat in case I didn't eat anything.

I'm having a full vegan buffet. FH and I met in a vegan group. Several of our guests and family are vegan. You do not need to do shit for wedding. Not everyone couple takes care of their vegetarian/vegan friends. Do not let anyone guilt you into feeding food you're not comfortable with. I have been to weddings where the food portion was so small people left and that was for a nonvegan wedding and where there wasn't enough food. As long as you feed your guests a filling meal that's all that matters. Do what you feel is right because you only get one day to do it how you want. Do not have regrets.