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Writer's pictureLisa Flahant

Ceremony planning: a vegan viewpoint

Updated: Nov 27, 2019

There has been much excitement in the Celebrant in Cornwall office this week - I have been booked for my first vegan eco-wedding! And the timing of it couldn't be stranger, as a blog of mine on this very subject has been published on The Celebrant Directory today - hopefully raising the profile of what a vegan wedding really means. You can read more about it below:

Newly wed couple in a wildflower meadow

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 more 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 (Mount Pleasant Eco-Park in Cornwall is one of the best!), 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:


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. And 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.


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 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 instinctively understood and respected. In short, they will totally ‘get’ you.


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 rooms 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 train birds or animals to deliver the wedding rings, or that a pig will be roasting on a spit in the background.


Put it this way, it’s all about finding your tribe. It’s human nature to search for belonging. We don’t always get the opportunity to live, work or even be with our tribe, but when we do, it’s totally special.



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