How To Plan A Plant-Based Wedding Menu
Having a plant-based wedding menu can be a great choice for couples who want to embrace a more sustainable or healthy lifestyle. We’ve put together a list of our top tips for designing your perfect wedding menu with your chef’s and catering team.
1. Choose a Plant friendly Cuisine
Decide on a specific plant-based theme for your wedding menu. You could opt for a Mediterranean-inspired menu with lots of fresh vegetables, grains, and legumes, or a middle eastern themed menu with a variety of flavourful plant-based dishes like tabouleh, spiced roast aubergine and fresh pomegranate garnishes. This will help you create a cohesive and well-thought-out menu that is build around the dining experience as a whole.
2. Incorporate Seasonal and Local Ingredients
Use seasonal and locally sourced ingredients as much as possible. This not only ensures that you're using the freshest produce, but also reduces the carbon footprint of your menu by minimizing transportation and supporting local farmers and businesses. Work with your caterer to plan around what will be in season for your wedding and create exciting dishes around these ingredients.
3. Offer a Variety of Dishes
Include a diverse range of dishes to cater to different tastes and dietary preferences. Consider offering canapes, a main meal and desserts that feature a mix of vegetables, grains, legumes, and plant-based protein sources. Be mindful of any food allergies or dietary restrictions among your guests and ensure that there are options available for them as well.
4. Get Creative with Plant-Based Substitutes
Explore plant-based substitutes for traditional meat and dairy products. For example, you can use plant-based proteins like lentils or chickpeas as a substitute for meat in dishes. Non-dairy milks made from almonds, soy, oats, or coconut can be used in place of cow's milk in desserts or beverages.
5. Emphasize Presentation and Flavour
Pay attention to the presentation and flavour of your plant-based dishes. Work with your caterer to build a menu of dishes that present well and will you’re your guests. We eat with our eyes first, so interesting garnishes of charred citrus, edible flowers, and other visually appealing ingredients to add a touch of elegance to your dishes.
6. Provide Clear Menu details
Consider having printed menu’s per guests or dispersed along the wedding breakfast tables to inform guests of the dishes and what to expect. This can help avoid confusion and ensure that everyone, including those with dietary restrictions or allergies, can enjoy the meal without any concerns.
Creating a bespoke plant-based wedding menu can be an exciting a creative process, aligning with your tastes and values as a couple, and sharing this with your closest friends and family.
To chat to one of our catering team about creating a bespoke plant-based menu for your wedding or event get in touch at hellow@hallandcoeventdesign.co.uk. And to see more content on meat free real life wedding’s keep and eye on our blog and social channels.
