How to plan a vegan wedding ceremony

Eco and ethical weddings: a vegan viewpoint

Planning a wedding, as we all know, is not without its challenges. From finding the perfect venue to locating the most exquisite dress, the checklist grows every longer and the need for a wedding planner ever stronger!

So you might think that planning a vegan wedding is even more demanding, requiring a much higher degree of research and organisation. Fortunately the reality is that it’s never been easier.

A vegan wedding is so much more than the food

Thanks to consumer-demand, the wedding industry is experiencing a huge growth in online resources for those brides and grooms wanting to reduce their carbon footprint and make better environmental choices for their most important day. From The Kind Bride to Green Union, there are now more and more sites signposting visitors to ethical suppliers.

And while the uninitiated might think the main challenge of vegan wedding planning is deciding upon the catering, it’s important to remember that the term ‘vegan’ isn’t just a descriptive for food. It’s a way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.

So a vegan wedding is as much about finding eco-conscious venues such as Mount Pleasant Eco Park, in Porthtowan Cornwall.

Venue: Mount Pleasant Eco Park 

It is also about cruelty free bridal wear, fairly-traded jewellery, ethically sourced flowers and compassionate gifts, as it is about the wedding banquet. It’s now even possible to source vegan wedding planners, photographers, musicians and yes, celebrants.  But why might this matter? Here’s my take on it:

How to be a vegan wedding couple

Being vegan isn’t traditional. It isn’t conventional. It certainly isn’t about keeping everyone happy. But your wedding day is all about YOU. In theory, it’s the one day that you’re allowed to have things exactly the way you want to. As a vegan, it’s about living life in the most compassionate, ethical way you can, and I imagine you’d want your day, and especially your ceremony, to reflect that.

Choose a vegan celebrant

If you are in a position to choose a vegan celebrant, you automatically have one of your own on board. You’re going to be supported by someone who shares your deeply felt values and embraces your framework for life. Someone who is going to instinctively develop and incorporate meaningful and mindful content for your ceremony, which requires no justification or explanation on your part. Someone with whom you can relax, safe in the knowledge that your ethics are understood and respected. In short, they will totally ‘get’ you.

Photo credit: David King Photographer

And let’s look at it from the celebrant’s viewpoint, because they are simply going to LOVE working with you! There’s going to be no worries that the ceremony will take place in a zoo or in a hunting lodge or an animal farm; no concerns that the room will be decorated with animal skins or that the couple who want to release butterflies or birds as a form of symbolism; and next to no chance that the clients will book a company which trains birds or animals to deliver the wedding rings, or that a pig will be roasting on a spit in the background.

Ultimately, it’s all about finding your tribe. And the ceremony is such an important part of your day, why wouldn’t you want to find a vegan celebrant to complete your wedding tribe?