How to craft the ultimate vegetarian/vegan wedding menu

You’ve met, you’ve fallen in love and you’re finally tying the knot. And now it’s time to organize what might well be the happiest day of your life. That’s right—planning a wedding is an incredible experience that should be as fun as the big day itself. After all, how many other times will you be able to throw a massive party for your family, friends (perhaps some extended friends-of-family, and maybe even your Aunt Joan’s next-door neighbor that you barely even know … we get it, you have to invite her) and assorted acquaintances? For most of us, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The same goes for planning a menu for your big day. You want the food you serve to reflect everything from your personal tastes to your values and lifestyle preferences. For vegetarians and vegans, it goes without saying that menu planning is exciting, but can also be a challenge.

It’s not surprising that when we work with vegetarian or vegan clients (often pescatarians, too), the first question they usually ask is: Can you accommodate our dietary needs? Well, of course! But we understand why that query often comes up. While many catering firms claim to cater to their clients’ non-meat-eating preferences, many simply offer inadequate modifications of existing menus, or attempt to serve up a selection of hors d’oeuvres and dinner plates that are less than appetizing for anyone opting for a plant-based diet.

While we’re on the subject, is there anything worse than ordering the ‘vegetarian/vegan’ dish at an omnivorous wedding, only to be served a basic salad or veggie pasta that looks like it was thrown onto the menu as a last-minute afterthought? Herbivores deserve caterers’ respect, too!

Around here, that approach just won’t cut it. Our chefs are well-versed in vegan/vegetarian fare and won’t settle for serving second best. Our focus is on preparing thought-provoking, all-veggie dishes that your entire party will enjoy.

In fact, our clients’ meat-loving guests are usually pleasantly surprised by just how much they enjoy eating an entirely meat-less meal.

But putting a smile on the faces of a vegetarian/vegan married couple-to-be means ensuring that the entire wedding is catered to their tastes, from the first round of hors d’oeuvres and cocktails to the final piece of wedding cake.

We’ve also catered weddings where roughly half the menu was vegan, while the other half featured meat-lovers’ faves. We have to say, we love a challenge! That one involved a bit more logistical maneuvering to ensure that vegan and meat dishes were separated, served appropriately and were clearly-labelled so guests could be comfortable in their food choices—particularly as the canapes were being passed. A little extra planning and TLC resulted in a wonderful event that left everyone happy and satisfied.

The reality is that most wedding guest lists feature a mix of vegetarians/vegans and meat eaters. Couples often fret about accommodating the latter while adhering to their nutritional values. Not a worry, we reassure them. There are many ways to turn everyday items into vegetarian delights. Take our food stations, for example. It’s our job to get creative and dream up delicious vegetarian/vegan dishes that look familiar and taste just as fantastic when compared to traditional meat equivalents, such as our yummy Buffalo style cauliflower ‘wings’ that would make a discerning Buffalonian proud. Then there’s our deluxe vegetarian Fry Me To The Moon food station with an array of veggie fries including green bean, plantain, sweet potato and polenta fries, to name just a few.

Other hot vegetarian/vegan food stations include our famous pho or mason jar salad stations, our versatile pasta bar and our unforgettable mac ‘n’ cheese martini station. Whatever your preference, we have an array of experiential options perfect for meat-free weddings.

Of course, our focus is on working with you to create the customized vegan/vegetarian wedding menu of your dreams. For an upcoming plated wedding, for example, we assembled a delectable selection of dishes starting with a lightly-seasoned leek soup with shoestring potatoes and fried herbs, then followed by a salad of wild arugula and butter lettuce, hibiscus, bosch pears, ricotta salata, toasted hazelnuts, sherry vinaigrette and purple edible flowers (which are deliciously fragrant—we highly recommend them).

For their entrees, our couple selected a choice of local braised artichokes, white beans, corn puree, pickled butternut squash, red pepper romenesco, kale, or our famed handmade butternut squash ravioli, black truffle burnt butter and parmesan cheese dish as their main-course alternate. For dessert, they gave the thumbs up to our warm blueberry cobbler with lavender whipped cream—so good!

Preparing an unforgettable vegetarian/vegan wedding menu is something that every caterer should be able to manage with ease. This is your special day and it should be tailored to your every need and desire. Rolling out the ultimate vegetarian/vegan wedding simply takes the right combination of creativity, capacity—and a caterer with ample experience. The good news: we have all the right ingredients to deliver delicious results on your big day!

Fia Pagnello, founder

Want to plan your vegetarian/vegan wedding? Contact us now!