i'm not getting married just yet but i'm planning ahead

i'm a vegetarian almost my whole life for very serious moral reasons... my boyfriend eats meat but he's very open minded, understands my points, and eats significantly less of it then he did when i met him... i was thinking i don't want to serve meat at my wedding... i mean for starters, i hate the idea of how much of my money would be paying for and supporting something i'm against... esp. when half of it might go to waste... and i dont' really want to smell it either on my wedding either... but are people going to be mad then? do i have to forewarn them there won't be meat? should it matter???? i was thinking dishes like eggplant parm, baked ziti, pasta primavera, i might even be willing to do a fish dish (although i don't eat it)... has anyone been to a wedding like this? what do you think?
cindra- does every single meal you eat contain meat?? is it that horrible to go one meal without it??

i know PLENTY of meat-eaters who don't have meat with every meal they eat... they choose things like eggplant parm, mushrooms, pastas, etc. on their own.

if you have vegetarians coming to your home for dinner do you make them a seperate meal??? because sorry but i've had to bring my own food to every event i've gone to (or make a special request) so i'm not sure why a meat eater would freak out that they had to do it for once...



anyway, your right about the fish... don't eat it and not around it much but your right it probably would be smelly. i'm thinking portabella mushrooms seem to be liked by a lot of people and might be another good option (like grilled mushroom with potatoes and veggies) along with the other traditional italian fair... i guess i could handle a meat sauce on the side if it's a huge deal eh....
he doesnt' care

just wanted to know what i'd be up against from other people and what good meatless dishes people might like.

You're right in that you shouldn't have to pay for something you are morally against, and it is certainly possible to serve meatless entrees that are good, but you have to be careful. A lot of non-vegetarians find vegetarian food disgusting (probably the same way you feel about meat, without the morality.) Eggplant and tofu is particularly offensive to carnivores. Meatless is one thing, but make sure you are not serving health food, or you will have a lot of grumpy, hungry people not ready to party. If you go with a pasta, you are less likely to freak people out. Some kind of pasta like cheese ravioli or pasta alfredo would work, and people would not really notice that they aren't eating meat. Would a meat sauce bother you? Fish has much more of an odor than other meats, so you may want to skip that. What you might want to do is get some meat eater friends together and have them sample meatless dishes--they will tell you which ones are gross.

Keep in mind, some people are going to be cranky about this, but don't worry about it. They'll get over it if the food is good. And, make sure you have a line on your pick-an-entree card for people to write in special dietary needs. Some people may need to have a special dinner made for them, and it may have to contain meat. Some people may be allergic to pasta or something, and some people actually HAVE to eat meat. My uncle (a former vegetarian) actually wound up in the hospital because of an excess of some vitamin found in plants, and they told him he HAD to start eating meat--at least fish. (He was not thrilled.) It's rare, but it happens. Still, 1 or 2 plates with meat on them will be pretty hard to smell over the other food.

Good luck!

I don't think it would be a problem. There are lots of wonderful meatless dishes that non-vegetarians can enjoy. If your future husband is up for it I would say talk to your kitchen staff and see what they can work up for you.

Only if your fiance is okay with it. Remember that it's his wedding day, too, and if he wants to eat meat you'll have to respect his decision that way he's always respected yours.

I think its a great idea. I think people are actually way to worried about menus at wedding anyways,hosts and the people eating it. It is going to be your day, its is ultimately up to the bride and groom. Then nothing else matters.

Usually you provide one meat option and one non-meat option... however, it's your wedding- as long as you warn people in advance that there will be no meat, it should be fine.

Having a vegetarian wedding would be rude. You see, this is NOT your day only. If you want to make this day all about you, then you and your fiance should have a private ceremony and a private celebration. Once you involve other people, you turn it from ME to a celebration involving others. If you invited people over to your home for dinner and you knew they hated corn, would you serve corn anyway because it's YOUR HOME and you like corn? It's the same thing for a reception. If you don't want people to enjoy themselves, then don't have a party. If meat sickened you that much, you wouldn't be marrying a meat eater.