Veganism was never just about food. At its core, it’s a set of values. A commitment to causing as little harm as possible to animals and the planet. For most vegans, those values shape everyday choices: what they wear, what they buy, what they support. So when it comes to a wedding, it makes sense that those values show up too — as a reflection of who you are.
A vegan wedding can be just as beautiful, indulgent, and celebratory as any other. It just requires a little more intention. In this guide, we cover what to keep in mind and what to look out for when choosing your venue, food, decor, and more. Plus, how to make sure your vendors and guests are all on the same page before the big day. And if you’re not vegan but want your celebration to feel a little more conscious and considered — most of this applies to you too.
Food, Drinks & Cake
This is usually where couples start. And honestly, it’s the easiest part to get right.
If you live in a city with a strong vegan food scene, a fully plant-based caterer is absolutely an option. But you don’t have to go that route. Many traditional catering companies are happy to build a custom vegan menu if you ask early enough. Don’t assume it’s not possible just because it’s not listed on their website.
One important caveat: some venues work exclusively with in-house catering. If that catering isn’t vegan-friendly and outside vendors aren’t allowed, you’re limited to whatever they can offer. Any vegan who’s been to a non-vegan event knows exactly how that ends. Hello, french fries. Check this thoroughly before you fall in love with a venue.
@cupidcontentco Replying to @Tori Soderberg #greenscreen wedding menu details 🌿 #veganwedding #weddingmenu #familystylewedding ♬ Somewhere Onlyyy We Knooow (Remix) - FAITAH NADA
@chenxily Why we made our wedding vegan 👰♀️🤵♂️: We wanted to celebrate this special day of love with love for the animals and the planet too. 🥰 I couldn’t stomach the idea of having to pay for the suffering of animals and creating a huge carbon footprint just to celebrate our day. 🥺 My husband and his family are not vegan, but they were very understanding and respectful, giving their full support for this decision. 🥹 Extremely grateful for that! 💛💛💛 Besides, what’s most important is that everyone enjoyed the food and had a great time nonetheless — which is why we chose Empress! 🔥 They are not a vegan restaurant, but they have an excellent vegan menu. 💯💯💯 📸 Special credits to @Ramya Ramesh and @𝐁𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐲𝐕𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐲 for some of the footage 💖 Vegan in Singapore 🇸🇬 Special Episode! 👰♀️🤵♂️ EMPRESS | @empress_acm 📍1 Empress Pl, #01-03 Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore 179555 🥦 Vegan-friendly 🍽️ Chinese Restaurant 🧄 Allium Free Options 🕌 Not halal-certified Wedding Favours: @WE ARE POSTCARD Gown: @alerisa.co MUA: @mua.aunn @canvaseetybrides Photographer: @thechiastatement @theperfectstatement Flowers: @hookedonflowersbychris (all not sponsored ☺️) Follow me for more vegan finds! ✨ . . . . #wedding #sgwedding #sgbride #plantbasedfood #veganfood #sgvegan #sgvegetarian #vegansingapore #singaporefood #sgrestaurant #sgfoodie #sgeats ♬ From The Start - Instrumental - Mei Mei The Bunny
For the menu itself, you have two directions: a fully vegan spread, or a vegan-forward menu with one or two non-vegan options for guests. Neither is wrong. It’s your day and your call.
Don’t forget drinks. Most wine and beer is actually not vegan. Animal-derived fining agents are commonly used in production. Vegan wines and beers exist and are easy to find; you just have to look for the label. Same goes for cocktails — some syrups and mixers contain honey or dairy. Worth checking with your bartender.
And the cake. The vegan cake reputation is finally catching up with reality. Talented bakers around the world are making stunning, multi-tiered vegan cakes that nobody at your wedding will know are plant-based, until you tell them. Take Don’t Panic It’s Veganic, a Barcelona-based vegan cake studio, or Hana of Rustcakes, a Berlin-based baker known for her wildly artistic, fantasy-inspired creations. The kind of work that makes it impossible to argue that vegan baking means compromise.
Photo: Idan Gilony, Rustcakes
Finding the Right Venue
The venue is actually the first thing to sort out, before almost anything else, because it determines what’s possible. Beyond catering logistics, it’s worth looking into how the venue operates. Do they have sustainable practices in place? How do they handle waste, energy, and sourcing? Most venues share this information on their website, including any certifications. And if it’s not there, just ask — any venue that takes this seriously will be happy to walk you through it.
And one thing that’s easy to overlook: what’s around the property. A beautiful barn on a working livestock farm might not be the setting you’re looking for. It sounds obvious, but it’s worth a quick Google before you fall in love with the photos.
Photo/Venue: Merry Amber/The Green Village Bali, LaFave Media
For couples who want a venue that already shares their values, fully vegan properties exist and they’re stunning. Stanford Inn by the Sea in Mendocino, California is one of the most well-known — completely plant-based, from the restaurant to the room amenities, with an organic farm on-site. Casa Albets, a restored 11th-century manor in Catalonia, is a boutique vegan hotel two hours from Barcelona with a gourmet restaurant and mountain views. Koukoumi Hotel on Mykonos is one of Europe’s few fully vegan luxury hotels, with an emphasis on sustainability and animal welfare.
Botanical gardens and open-air spaces are another option worth considering — especially if you want full control over your vendors. Places like Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables, Miami let you bring your own caterer, florist, and decor team, with no restrictions on the menu.
Florals & Decor
Flowers are one of those areas where the vegan question gets a little more nuanced. Cut flowers themselves aren’t an animal product, but the industry behind them has a significant environmental footprint. Most fresh flowers sold in the US are flown in from Colombia or Kenya, which means a considerable carbon cost before they even reach your florist.
If that matters to you, there are good alternatives. Locally grown, seasonal flowers are the most straightforward choice. Dried flowers have had a serious design moment over the last few years and work beautifully in bohemian and earthy aesthetics. Potted plants and herbs are another option — guests can even take them home after.
Photo: Nichols Photo, Courtesy of BYROSE
On the decor side, the main things to watch for are materials. No real fur, no leather, no silk. Silk is often overlooked, but it’s an animal-derived fabric. The same goes for wool. If your planner or florist is sourcing any textiles for the tablescape or ceremony setup, tell them upfront what’s off the table. A good vendor will take it from there.
Speaking of vendors: if you’re working with a planner and a florist, this is a conversation to have at your very first meeting. Share your values early and let them do what they do best.
Photo: Emily Magers, Goshá
Stationery & Invitations
This one is easy to overlook, but there are some simple swaps worth knowing about.
Recycled paper is the most straightforward option and widely available. Many stationery studios now offer it as a standard choice. Seed paper is another one — your guests can plant the invitation after the wedding and actually grow something from it. And if you want something truly keepsake-worthy, fabric invitations are having a moment. Think embroidered linen or cotton — beautiful to look at, and something guests will actually keep. The Happier does this beautifully, and Etsy is full of talented makers if you want to explore more options.
If you want to go paperless entirely, digital invitations have come a long way. Platforms like Paperless Post offer beautifully designed options that don’t feel like an evite from 2009.
One thing to check with your printer: the ink. Most standard printing inks are petroleum-based. Plant-based and soy-based inks exist and are worth asking about, especially if you’re going all-in on the details.
Your Bridal Beauty Routine, Veganized
Here’s something a lot of people don’t realize: cruelty-free and vegan are not the same thing. Cruelty-free means a product wasn’t tested on animals. Vegan means it contains no animal-derived ingredients. A product can be one without being the other. If both matter to you, you need to check for both.
When booking your hair and makeup artist, ask upfront whether they work with vegan products. Not all do, and not all will have thought about it. If they’re open to it but don’t have a fully vegan kit, one easy solution is to bring your own products for the day. Most artists are happy to work with what you bring.
Photo: Courtesy of Rare Beauty, Ernesto Casillas
The good news: the options are genuinely great right now. Fully vegan and cruelty-free brands that you’ve probably already heard of include Haus Labs, Rare Beauty, Rhode, Summer Fridays, Milk Makeup, and e.l.f. If you’re open to brands that are cruelty-free but only partially vegan, Charlotte Tilbury, Kosas, and Fenty Beauty all have strong vegan product selections — you just need to check the label. Either way, there’s no shortage of options, and the quality is there.
One small detail that’s easy to miss: false lashes are often made with mink. Vegan alternatives are easy to find and just as good. For hair, Aveda and Amika are both cruelty-free and widely used by professionals — worth mentioning to your stylist if it matters to you.
Photo: Courtesy of Haus Labs, Hailey Rhode Bieber
Rocks & Metals: Jewelry That Aligns
This is one of the most overlooked areas of vegan wedding planning. Jewelry doesn’t feel like an animal product question. But it is.
Traditional diamond mining has a significant environmental and human cost. Lab-grown diamonds are an increasingly popular alternative. They’re chemically identical to mined stones, look exactly the same, and come at a fraction of the price. For many couples, the choice is a straightforward one.
There are some great places to start. Brilliant Earth has been among the first jewelers to offer lab-grown diamonds and uses recycled metals across their collections. Vrai works exclusively with Diamond Foundry and uses renewable energy in production. Grown Brilliance is another well-known option focused entirely on lab-grown stones.
Beyond the stone, there’s the metal. Recycled gold and recycled silver are widely available now and don’t require new mining. Many independent jewelers work exclusively with recycled metals.
One more thing to check: some pieces contain pearl, coral, or shell. These are animal-derived. Worth a quick look at the details before you fall in love with a piece.
Photo: Courtesy of Grown Brilliance, Clean Origin
Finding Vegan-Friendly Vendors
The honest truth: where you live makes a big difference. In places like California, New York, Berlin, or London, finding vendors who are familiar with vegan requests is relatively straightforward. In smaller cities or towns, it takes more legwork — but it’s rarely impossible.
The most important thing is to have the conversation early. Don’t assume a vendor can’t accommodate you, and don’t wait until contracts are signed to bring it up. Most vendors want to make you happy. They just need to know what that looks like.
A few questions worth asking on your first call with any vendor: Have you worked with vegan couples before? What does that look like in practice for you? Are there any materials, ingredients, or products you typically use that we’d need to revisit? You’re not interrogating anyone. You’re just making sure there are no surprises on the day.
And if a vendor isn’t familiar with vegan requirements but is enthusiastic and willing to learn — that can be just as good as someone who’s done it a hundred times.
Setting the Tone with Guests
Most guests will show up, eat the food, and have a wonderful time without giving the vegan menu a second thought. But it helps to set expectations in advance — especially if you have family members who might need a little more preparation.
The easiest way to do this is through your wedding website. A short note explaining that your celebration will be fully plant-based is all it takes. You don’t need to write a manifesto. Something simple like “our wedding will feature a fully vegan menu reflecting our values — we can’t wait to share it with you” is enough. Most people appreciate knowing ahead of time.
For guests with dietary restrictions of their own, it’s worth including a line inviting them to reach out. A vegan menu is naturally free of many common allergens, but not all — and it’s good to give people the chance to flag anything.
Photo: Pinterest, Rod Sack x Isabela Montenegro x Yellow Foto
And then there’s the other kind of guest. The one who shows up determined to make a point. It happens. A few years ago, a story went viral about a wedding guest who ordered a pizza to be delivered to the reception because he didn’t want to eat the vegan food. It became a Reddit thread, then a TikTok moment, then a whole conversation about guest etiquette.
The best way to handle this in advance is tone. If your communication around the wedding feels warm and celebratory rather than instructional, most people will follow your lead. You’re inviting them to share in something meaningful to you — framing it that way tends to go a lot further than a list of rules.
Photo: Caroline Cooper Photo, Courtesy of Monetre
