With every choice we make, we’re making a difference to the world around us. We only get to choose what that difference will be! Given the huge investment in money, time, and resources that your wedding takes, the choices you make for your event have the potential to be incredibly impactful. Hosting a vegan wedding is a powerful way to make a difference. I, Tenille Evans from Vegan Wedding and Events, break down the reasons why throwing a vegan wedding is truly a great idea!

Image: Liam Foster 

It’s great for the environment!

Even if you aren’t completely vegan yourself, a truly eco-friendly wedding or special event is a vegan one! The United Nations identified animal agriculture and food consumption as one of the most significant drivers of environmental pressures and climate change, stating that ‘a substantial reduction of impacts would only be possible with a worldwide diet change away from animal products.’ Did you know, raising animals for food generates more greenhouse gas emissions than all the cars, trucks, trains, ships, and planes in the world combined? Even just reducing the amount of meat served at your wedding is a great start to moving towards a more eco-friendly wedding.

Image: Full Hearts Co

Eco-wedding change-makers Less Stuff More Meaning have created a wedding carbon footprint calculator, that shows you the various ways that you can use your wedding to make a positive difference to the world by cutting down on the carbon footprint of your event. Using the data from the calculator, the top three environmental impacts of a wedding come from air travel, the number of guests, and serving meat on your menu! Aside from not hosting a destination wedding that everyone needs to fly to, you don’t have a huge amount of choice when it comes to where your important loved ones are traveling from. You’re not exactly going to tell your parents that they can’t fly over from the UK because you’re thinking about carbon emissions! Not serving meat or animal products at your wedding though, is actually a really easy thing to do to cut down on carbon emissions.

It’s Inclusive

Plant based food can be eaten by more people. Vegans and vegetarians but also people with dairy, egg or shellfish allergies along with kosher and halal guests. Vegan caterers are generally more willing and adept at customising menus than conventional caterers too, perhaps because working within smaller parameters makes them more creative. Or maybe because they personally understand what it’s like to not be catered for. This means that they can also easily cater for your gluten free guests and those with other allergies like nuts and soy as well.

Image: Liam Foster 

It Saves Lives

Just one vegan meal shared by your wedding guests potentially saves hundreds of animals’ lives. Even the most “carnivorous” of your guests can go one meal without meat and you can be relieved from the guilt of paying for other people to eat animals when you might personally disagree with it. Your wedding should be a reflection of your values. A way to share things that are meaningful to you with your loved ones and the wider community. If you believe that animals deserve to live free from harm, then you absolutely should share that belief with the people who gather to celebrate you and your relationship.

Images (L-R): Liam Foster / Tilly Roberts Photo

It’s SUPER Tasty!

Vegan food has come a long way. There is almost nothing that can’t be made vegan and modern plant-based menus are generous, fresh, abundant, colourful, and every bit as exciting as conventional menus! You don’t have to compromise on taste, style, or quality when you decide to have a vegan wedding.

Header & Image: Liam Foster 

About Vegan Weddings & Events: Vegan Weddings & Events is a Gold License Accredited Caterer servicing the Central West, Blue Mountains, Sydney, and all over NSW. We are now a small, committed team of hospitality and events professionals. Our high level of service is matched by our shared passion for veganism and enthusiasm for taking plant-based food to new standards of excellence. Tenille Evans is a vegan chef, mother of three boys, and a business owner. She started Vegan Catering & Events to keep up with the growing demand for high-end vegan food for weddings and other special events and fell in love with cooking for special occasions. She is as passionate about human rights and other social justice issues as she is about veganism.