Vegan Bride Refuses To Allow Her Wedding Guests To Bring Their Own Meat & Dairy Just Because They're Offended By Her Menu
She says her wedding will have a variety of vegan options, despite guests fearing that they will be "eating carrots" all day.
RONEDYA / Antonenkos / Shutterstock / Reddit A bride has caused a divide between herself and her wedding guests after revealing what will be on the menu during the big day.
Some of her guests believe that her food options are controversial and unfair, with a few of them claiming that they will be bringing their own meals in. However, the bride disagrees with some of her guests’ dietary choices and expects them to eat the meals provided at her wedding or nothing at all.
Now, she is asking others if she is in the wrong.
The bride is vegan and will only have vegan food choices served at her wedding reception.
Sharing her story to the subreddit, r/AmITheA–hole, the woman, who is in her early 20s, reveals that she has been a vegan for the last 10 years, abstaining from eating any animal-based products including meat and dairy products.
The woman recently became engaged to her boyfriend of six years, who is not vegan. “We both have quite large families and a lot of friends, so the wedding is going to be a big affair,” she wrote.
Although her fiancé is not vegan, the woman claims that he is on board with having only vegan options served at their wedding.
“As I have been vegan for so long, I don't feel comfortable paying for hundreds of people to eat meat and dairy on account of coming to my wedding,” the woman admitted.
Instead of hiring a caterer, the woman and her friends have decided to make all the food and cater the wedding themselves to make the vegan options a bit more creative than “three different types of fancy salad.”
“We intend to cater the wedding with a lot of meat and dairy substitutes (like seitan, soy meats, aquafaba cakes, etc.) so it's not as if the wedding is going to be just salad and fruit,” the woman wrote. “I truly believe if we didn't mention all the food was vegan, most people wouldn't be able to tell from the menu alone.”
Photo: LElik83 / Shutterstock
Still, after disclosing to guests that the food being served at the wedding would be vegan, some of them protested.
“Some people hear the word 'vegan' and take it as a personal attack,” the woman wrote. “My fiancé’s grandparents don't understand what being vegan means so they are worried, despite lots of reassurance, that they'll be eating carrots all day.”
Other guests have stated that they are going to “sneak in” meat products while others have asked if they could bring their own dishes in.
“I have no intention of changing my menu as I will be cooking a lot of the food myself in my home, and I don't want to put all of my money towards something that really isn't a big deal for one meal and an evening's worth of snacks,” the woman shared. “But need to know whether I really am an a–hole for this or whether the some of the guests need to just be a little less offended.”
The woman clarified that the wedding venue does not allow outside food and that she and her fiancé are more than willing to accommodate those who may have food allergies.
The woman divided Redditors, with some agreeing with her and others slamming her decision.
Some people believed that since the bride was vegan, she had the right to serve only vegan options at her wedding.
“Your wedding, your rules. You're not entitled if you're not demanding more than is yours to ask for, and the menu is absolutely something that you decide as it is your wedding,” one user commented.
“A lot of vegan dishes and pies are delicious. I’m not vegan, but I wouldn’t mind a vegan wedding at all. Instead of whining, people should take it as an opportunity to taste new dishes,” another user pointed out.
“As long as guest allergies are taken into account I don't think it really matters what is served at a wedding, vegan or not,” another user wrote.
However, others believe that a wedding is not just about the bride and groom, but the guests as well.
“In my opinion, I think when you are throwing a party (and let's be real, a wedding reception is just a big party to celebrate the two of you), you should offer things your guests like, not only things you like,” one user commented.
“You can definitely eat what you want. But I do think forcing everyone else to eat based on your lifestyle choices is kind of not good for your guests,” another user shared.
“It is your responsibility to ensure that the guests at your wedding have a good time and I don’t think restricting the eating choices accomplishes that,” another user wrote. “Your wedding may be attended by a diverse group of people and you should be accommodating to their needs, not the other way around.”
Others advised the woman to be prepared for some of her wedding guests to decline her invitation once they learned about the menu.
Food served at a wedding is undoubtedly one of the most significant elements of the whole event, with 62% of wedding guests reporting that food is something that they particularly pay attention to, per a poll from WeddingWire.
It is important to take your guests’ comfort and enjoyment into consideration when planning a wedding.
However, since the woman is catering her own wedding and paying for the entire event, she is entitled to serve food choices she views as ideal, even if some of her guests disagree and there is a smaller turnout at the wedding.
Even if her guests are not a fan of the food, a vegan meal for one day won't kill them.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.