Planning any wedding menu alone can be a struggle; planning a fully vegan menu can make your head spin. While logic says the bride and groom should feel free to plan their day– and menu– around their needs, all too often, the reality of this day plays out differently. Fear of what guests may say about a cruelty-free menu leads many to ignore their own beliefs in hopes of keeping the family happy.
Kick anxiety to the side! City Roots Catering and Events takes pride in helping vegans all over NYC—and elsewhere—take ahold of their special day. In this easy guide, we break down the different courses and provide options to help you keep your day both stress and cruelty-free.
With the experts from City Roots Catering and Events, you’ll have no problem planning the vegan wedding menu of your dreams, using our vegan wedding catering designed to keep every guest begging for more. Reach out to us for catering so your guests will be wowed by every bite, sip, and spectacular presentation.
Full Service / Drop-off Catering / Request a Quote
Vegan Wedding Menu: Starters
Though often brushed to the side, your starters may be the most important course on your wedding menu. These tasty appetizers serve as an introduction to dinner, setting the tone for the entire dining experience. Ideally, these starters should offer big flavor in a relatively tiny package: enough to stimulate the senses without leaving guests too full for the main event.
Start your meal off right with appetizers and hors d’oeuvres guaranteed to please! Looking for some truly show-stopping starters? Look no further than the following classics:
Stuffed Mushrooms
Savory and easy to customize, these adorable little caps are as easy to prepare as they are to eat.
Quiches
With their flaky pastry crust and savory filling, these delicate dishes make the perfect starters. Though traditionally prepared with egg, a few simple substitutions ensure your guests will not notice the difference.
Mezze
This Mediterranean appetizer is an incredible and unique way to kick-start your menu! This is essentially a selection of small dishes. Unlike tapas, this is an assortment of Greek and Turkish dishes. When we prepare this dish for our clients, we have assorted dips, spreads with crudities, and housemade chips.
Salad
You can’t go wrong with a classic. A cool, crisp salad makes a fantastic introduction to the full meal.
Charcuterie boards
By supplementing your charcuterie boards with vegan cheeses, dried fruits, nuts, and even homemade marmalades, you’ll create a display as intricately beautiful as it is delicious.
Cheese Boards
In place of traditional cheese options, vegan takes on this classic can easily utilize plant-based substitutes, offering your guests the opportunity to experience this classic in never-before-seen ways!
Vegan Wedding Menu: Main Course
Once your crowd has been properly warmed up, it is time for the culinary event everyone has been waiting for: the main course.
As the largest portion of the dinner, this course is understandably the greatest source of worry for any anxious vegan host. Don’t worry! Keep things simple with these easy, crowd-pleasing meals guaranteed to keep even the pickiest guest pleased.
Skewers
Is there anything easier or more satisfying to eat than a grilled skewer? Whether you’re hoping for a formal sit-down meal or one in which guests stand, mingle, and dance, a gorgeously colorful veggie skewer is the solution to your vegan wedding menu. Be sure to add some pops of bright color and interesting flavors to give your guests a unique experience with every bite.
Roasted Whole Cauliflower
This is an elegant main course that people love the moment they try it. A big beautiful cauliflower on each plate, golden and beautifully seasoned, will leave your guests talking about your menu and how unexpectedly stunning it was. Here at City Roots, we serve this with lentils.
Vegan Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
Vegan Roasted Cauliflower Soup Recipe
Vegan Roasted Cauliflower Salad Recipe
Vegan Steak
Who doesn’t like a traditional steak? Now you can serve this at your wedding without the meat. Cut the cruelty when you add a vegan steak to your menu like the one that City Roots provides!
Pasta
A culinary crowd-pleaser, pasta makes for an easy, delicious main course guaranteed to please. Offer your guests variety with veggie pasta, stuffed ravioli, or other delicious Italian-inspired options.
Vegan Wedding Menu: Dessert
If the first course sets the tone, the final course determines your guests’ mood at the end of the night. The key to finishing your meal with a “bang” lies in options. Though every guest may want to partake in dessert, not every guest craves the same level of sugary, syrupy sweetness.
The metaphorical icing on the cake, this sweet finish is the final touch you need to cement your dinner as one to remember. When designing your vegan menu, be sure to include a variety of options, such as:
Cookies
Whether you prefer tiny, crisp wedding cookies or the classic chocolate chip, this classic is a certified crowd-pleaser.
Mousse
Fluffy without being dense, sweet without being sugary, this dairy-free option is a staple dessert!
Tarts
The most adorable dessert options, these tiny, flaky stuffed pastry shells make for a beautiful addition to any party.
Cheesecake
Don’t be fooled by the name; this mouthwatering dessert is easy to make cruelty-free with the help from amazing vegan cream-cheese substitutions. For further variety, be sure to offer an assortment of different sweetened jams and fruit toppings for guests to choose from.
Reach Out
At City Roots Hospitality, we know food. Our renowned chef Guy Valkin has worked tirelessly to assemble the widest variety of vegan options, ensuring every mouthwatering bite is made to satisfy. Our signature stations, inspired by global flavors, offer your guests a unique opportunity to sample flavors from around the world, cruelty-free.
Don’t spend another moment stressing. Instead, invest in a wedding caterer that cares about your beliefs as much as your overall wedding experience. Contact us today for a quote and to start planning the vegan wedding menu of your dreams!