My Vegan Wedding

Yes it’s all vegan!

When planning my wedding for the summer of 2017, both my husband (a veggie) and I were on the same page - the food had to be superb and it had to be vegan.

Choosing a venue that could cater to our needs was essential. Initially I wanted to bring in a specialist vegan caterer. However after visiting several wedding fairs we discovered that most venues only allowed you to choose from a small list of their approved caterers. None of them were particularly exciting menus; ratatouille and a fruit salad. We were after something a little more special. We spoke to a a local hotel who said they were prepared to 'give a vegan menu a go' - erm no! A bit of internet research of 'vegan wedding venues in West Sussex and Hampshire' and up popped the beautiful Upwaltham Barns near Chichester with its own vegan menu! Hurrah!

The menu offered all sorts of mouth watering choices including a vegan chocolate brownie for dessert and we were drawn to the venue's willingness to be flexible. We were keen for our food and our wedding to be remembered for all the right reasons - and excellent vegan food was a key one.

Our menu for the whole day was entirely vegan, and the team at Upwaltham Barns out did themselves. After the ceremony we celebrated with Pimms and a selection of nibbles including popcorn and olives - perfect for a scorching hot day.

For the wedding breakfast we served our guests a starter of a caramelised onion tart followed my a nest of Mediterranean balsamic vegetables with wild rice. The trio of desserts were particularly tasty; chocolate brownie, lemon ‘cheesecake’ and sorbet.

For our cake we had a tower of vegan cupcakes and a little top cake to cut decorated in fresh flowers. We had four flavours - the top cake was chocolate and hazelnut, while the cupcakes were elderflower and lemon, chocolate and raspberry, and strawberry and cream. Our cakes were made by the very talented Purely Scrumptious and they were absolutely delicious!

In the evening we served chips in a cone and I put together an epic sweet table overflowing with Love Hearts, bon bons, lollipops, Millions and more.

We compromised on a few small things - we made sure as much of the alcohol was vegan as we could, but we weren't able to source all vegan wine within out budget. I don't drink wine but spending out on it when it wasn't vegan was something that bothered me. Unfortunately time and money were against us in the end. The other compromise was the venue did serve milk with the tea and coffee, but we made sure that there was soya milk available too. All the little chocolates that the venue served with the tea and coffee were vegan - scrummy Montezuma's chocs! 

It was a really magical day and I just love reminiscing about it all! Even the staunchest of meat eaters present commented on how great the food was and several of our guests had dairy allergies and were delighted that they didn't need to worry about anything all day!

Tips for planning a vegan wedding

Don't be afraid to ask when planning your menu - a good venue will be flexible and happy to accommodate to your needs. We requested a vegan cheesecake which wasn't on the venue's existing list and they were more than happy to make one. I gave them my trusted recipe and was confident, having tasted their food, that they could do a good job on it.

Do a taste test - if you have found the most picturesque venue but they haven't got an existing vegan menu then ask for a taster evening. Most venues provide this as part of the experience. It may be a private afternoon meeting or you may be invited to a larger evening gathering with other couples. If they don't then you are within your right to ask before you hand over thousands of pounds. It's important that you get to try out the food, especially if the venue usually relies on meat or cheese-based dishes. Believe me, I've been served some odd dishes as a vegan at friends' wedding in the past!

Stick with your morals - you'll find that a lot of people will have opinions on how and what you should do on the day. Remember that is your day and should be a reflection of you two as a couple.

All photography by Laura Mott
Cake by Purely Scrumptious
Venue - Upwaltham Barns
Food by Nibbles 2 Nosh at Upwaltham Barns