Vegetarian wedding

I haven't either, but I think it really depends on what she plans on serving. Every wedding I've been to has had two meat options so I could see serving pasta as one option, but I'm not sure what another option would be. The issue with pasta is if anyone has gluten allergies.

I have never been to a vegetarian wedding before however I think if they both are vegetarian then they should do vegetarian meals. People always act like you will be still hungry after having only eat vegetarian dishes and they always act like it's literally just sides of vegetables. But honestly there are so many amazing delicious and filling dishes in the vegetarian area. They could have plates like spaghetti squash, eggplant parmesan, vegetable soup, potatoe salads, etc. The list goes on and on. Honestly I really think she should do it.

I have never attended a full on vegetarian wedding, however some of our good friends are vegans and we made sure that there was going to be a vegan entrée as well as incorporating vegan passed hors d’oeuvres etc.


Vegetarians are soooo much easier to feed because they can do creams and cheeses eggs butter etc. and if you get a good catering company, the food will be more than enough! For our vegan dish for example we are doing eggplant rollatini! It’s basically eggplant rolled up with a bunch of different stuff inside like coulis and some other stuff I think may be chickpeas. I don’t know I kind of forgot to be honest lol but all I know is that it’s delicious and it’s definitely filling when we went for a tasting.
I am a meat eater! And we eat a lot! That was also a concern of mine in the beginning. The catering company has dealt with this situation before if they are reputable. Trust me! They will come up with amazing past hors d’oeuvres ideas and I can say from first-hand experience if the guests did not know that they were attending an all vegan wedding, they probably wouldn’t even realize it.
As far as your friend having issues about it, I think that’s a little bit rude of her. If she wants to have the meals that she wants that’s totally fine, but she can’t force people to want to eat it LOL. She hast to understand that this is the slippery territory that you enter when you want to bring your own personal habits into everyone else’s lives.
If I were you though I wouldn’t be hesitant to at least give it a try. Explain to her all of your food allergies and let her know that you just don’t wanna get sick LOL if she’s got a problem with that then maybe she’s not the kind of friend that you need

Never been toa vegetarian wedding. Maybe you could do a veggie burger or veggie meat option.

View Quoted Comment This is good to know! I think if she can serve a filling meal, everyone will be happy and not even care about the whole meat aspect. Maybe she needs to show her dad some menu options. She even mentioned those immitation meat meatballs, which could be good.


Yeah I definitely hope she can be understanding with me and maybe others who just want to eat separately. I get that she doesn't want to pay for meat and that's totally fine, but I'll need to talk to her as we get closer about whether I can bring my own meal or if I should just go swing by the diner and get some grilled chicken. But I don't know how common it is for people to be doing meat-heavy diets, I feel like vegetarian is more common

It’s so silly people think vegetarian foods won’t be filling enough or people won’t enjoy the meal. A balanced vegetarian meal is plenty filling and her dad sounds super old school. Vegetarian meals are more than a side salad. They should totally have a vegetarian meal since that is what they are, especially if it’s for ethical reasons. I personally would eat before rather than leave and come back. I understand why that offended her. Support your friend in the wedding that she wants!

Also never been to or seen a vegetarian wedding, but as PP have said there's plenty of ways for them to do that. A hearty spinach/vegetable lasagna is a good way to go, and they can always see if the caterer can use a GF pasta if that's a concern.

There are also some really phenomenal middle-eastern and other ethnic foods that are fully vegetarian and super filling.

If them being vegetarian is a core belief for them (animal rights), then guests can respect that for one night. As long as they're being graciously offered a meal that fits their dietary needs, there's no reason they have to offer a meat protein.

Dad can suck it up for one night.

View Quoted Comment I agree with you on having a conversation with her. And you said you do keto… I don’t know what sort of guidelines you follow but you may want to try to Google search vegan keto diets. Maybe you could discuss this with the bride And maybe she could talk to her catering company about your specific needs. My MOH is attending virtually now because she’s pregnant and high-risk, but I was going to have to get something separately for her because she’s got basically got every allergy under the sun when it comes to food. Most catering companies are very willing to handle any sort of allergy or make a specific meal for any guest. And it’s only for one day. So even if you have to go get some grilled chicken somewhere I need it before the wedding, that’s always an option like you said. It sucks to have to do that, but it’s still an option. Good luck!

View Quoted Comment I would love to support her in what she wants, but I also would prefer not to be fasting for the entire wedding, especially if I want to have a drink or two

View Quoted Comment I'm sending her this comment, the last line made me laugh. I think you're right

I've been to one!! I don't know how many options they had....I think they just had one, actually. I happen to like falafel and pasta (and didn't feel hungry), but other guests wished they would have been offered another option. I echo other posters' comments that vegetarian fare can be (and often is) very filling and tasty! I would just encourage the couple to offer a few different options (which most couples do anyway, regardless of what's served). I can definitely envision a veggie lasagna, a tofu/vegetable curry, and maybe a veggie burger option! And perhaps the couple can ensure that there are plenty of appetizers available, as people may anticipate their own hunger after dinner (regardless of whether it happens or not) and eat some extra appetizers I would definitely encourage the couple to stay true to themselves with their wedding menu! As long as guests know ahead of time what the entree options are, they are fully empowered to have a snack before the wedding to make sure they don't get hungry

P.S. I sort of assumed in my initial reply (and thought I should clarify) that the couple would solicit and accommodate any and all dietary restrictions of any and all guests. Maybe they could have an extra "meal" option when guests RSVP that says "Choose this option if you have a dietary restriction, and the couple will reach out to you directly!" So I know I recommended veggie lasagna as one of the options, so maybe the caterer could have a few veggie lasagnas for GF guests....maybe zucchini noodles or chickpea pasta instead of traditional wheat-based noodles.

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I live to serve up the laughs

In respect to you possibly being on a keto diet at the time (which I know 0 about keto), I do think you could remind her that you would be gracious to offer a dish that caters to her diet needs (vegetarian) at your wedding, and it would be nice if someone is following a similarly strict diet to be offered an alternative in private. If there are a handful of people that absolutely have to have an animal protein meal, it would only be respectful in my opinion to honor their wishes as you would theirs at a more traditional event.

It's just a sticky situation with vegetarians because so many of them are morally against the purchase of animal protein. You know your friend best, but I think a gentle reminder of the above might help sway an inclusion of at least one animal protein dish.

View Quoted Comment Yeah I also dont want to make her give me a meal that would upset other guests or that would violate her conscience. I do think it's hard to not be able to accommodate someone, which is why I offered to just get my own meal, but maybe we could work something out.


Eggs, cheese and butter work for me, so maybe they could offer a frittata--I can't quite remember if eggs are okay with her, but I've seen her eat cheese and butter.

I think there are a ton of ways to make filling, delicious vegetarian meals! Veggie stir fry with rice, stuffed peppers, anything with chickpeas... If they're doing plated, I would suggest offering a minimum of two options, just like most other weddings, so people aren't stuck with something they don't like. We are inviting enough vegetarians to our wedding, I'm anticipating offering mostly vegetarian food with some limited meat options. I say to your friend, "you do you! Your dad can put his big boy pants on and eat meatless for one night."

She could easily do an all veg wedding with filling stuff! honestly, I would just tell her not to make a big deal of it and don't give people menu choices. Tons of salads, pastas (lasagna, baked dishes, etc), stuffed peppers, assorted baked and marinated veggie options would all appeal to meat and non-meat eaters. Stuffed mushrooms, veggie samosas, caprese skewers, plain old veggies and dip and cheese and crackers would all be great appetizer options.

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My venue actually specifically asked that I do not do this. Their reasoning (which I 100% understand) is then half of the guests will be claiming some vague food intolerance or sensitivity and the venue can't reasonably accommodate everyone. It's also a lot for the couple to manage. As a former server I can completely relate... can't tell you how many times a customer asked me a billion questions about what on the menu was gluten free because they had an allergy then when I apologized that the table on the bread wasn't gluten free they were like "oh that's fine I can have a little!"

We know who in our family has actual allergies and will make sure they are accommodated. Beyond that, I think people who have a serious allergy know how and when to make it known.

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Ahhh you're making me hungry! Vegetarian food can definitely be yummy

View Quoted Comment Have you picked out your meal options yet? I like the idea of options for guests.

I've been to one wedding where they served pescatarian food, and it was all delicious and filling!! Honestly the sides and veggies were way better than typical wedding fare, and everyone was full and satisfied.

Between pasta, squash, eggplant, polenta, mushroom, and veggie dishes - there's plenty of options for everyone!

Here's a sample menu that makes me drool (and I'm a big meat eater!):

A Vegetarian Wedding Menu for All Your Guests to Enjoy