Vegetarian wedding breakfast ideas?

Whilst many people with a regular menu will cater for the token vegetarian or two, would you have separate options for the regular eaters or expect everyone to just cope with being vegetarian for the day?

I'm veggie too and all I ever get at weddings is veg lasagne or mushroom stroganoff!

I always think whatever the meat eaters are having, have that but as an alternative not something completely different. Too many occasions people will be having the meat and two veg option whilst I'm getting an overload of garlicky lasagne.....with brocolli and cauli on the side!

Not really helping here though am I.....?

I'll have a think for you.

Too true with the lasagne!!!

We will probably have a veg starter that the meat eaters will have too and then 2 separate main courses. Would be nice to keep them quite similar as you say Katie.

That's another gripe of mine with christmas party meals - we always get something completely random when all we would like is some vegetables and a nut roast or something!!

I thought maybe some sort of tart as a starter - tomato, pesto & mozarella or something. Simple so should be liked by most but not soup which is all veggies seem to get

And AJ, what do you mean by "cope"!!!!!

At OH's brother's wedding, they did the following:

Starter - chicken liver pate and/or roasted red pepper pate

Main - chicken pie and/or vegetable pie

They had quite a rustic wedding and wanted to go for a very sociable, sharing type style to the meal. They brought the two types of pate to the table on platters, along with a big bowl of salad, and they'd put jars of homemade chutney on the tables. It was then up to the guests to pick what they wanted.

The pies were brought round on plates with mash, veg and gravy, but you could choose on the day what you wanted.

It was some of the nicest wedding food I've ever had!

I'm veggie and 6 of my guests are veggie. The hotel has given me the following options:

(the meat eaters get a meaty menu)

Starter

asparagus plolenta with sauteed mushrooms and sesame seeds

leek, aubergine and blue cheese filo parcels with red pepper coulis

butternuts quash risotto with parmesan shavings and chive oil

spinich, mushroom and ricotta tortellinis with pesto cream sauce

main course

roasted med veg crumble with paprika oil

baked field mushrooms with spicey lentils

stir fired vegetable crepes with chervil cream sauce

goats cheese tomato and red onion tart with pesto dressing

My mum's a veggie too so I've told her she can choose what the vegetarian option will be - our options are;

Starters

Choice of soups;

Tomato with basil oil
Leek and potato with thyme croutons
Pea and mint veloute
Wild mushroom and tarragon, truffle cream and parsely

OR/ Goats cheese crostini, red onion marmalade, dressed leaves.

Main

Goats cheese fritter, warm salad of chargrilled vegetable, balsamic syrup, pinenuts.

Roast vegetable wellington, spinach, tomato and pesto.

All this talk of food is making me hungry!

Well in the same way that vegetarians seem to be complaining about being offered 'garlicky lasagne type things' or mismatched stuff with vegetables piled on the side to make up for the lack of meat, I'm sure a lot of 'meat eaters' would feel it strange for their dietary preferences not to be taken into account just as if a vegetarian would find it strange for their dietary prefernce not to be taken into account when it comes to catering.

By the sound of it, you aren't even planning on asking the meat eaters if they mind "going vegetarian" for the day but just imposing it on them. I'm sure you'd be upset if, as a vegetarian, were told you'd just "have to deal with it" if you had a lump of chicken put on your plate?

Woah there, the meat eaters are getting a meaty main course. She's not imposing anything...

We're offering red pepper and goats cheese tart as our veggie option. two veggie friends attending picked that one. everyone's having potato and leek soup to start (and i checked, no meat or fish stock!)

And, its her day and her guests would only have to 'cope' with one veggie meal even if she did....I'm a meat eater and personally think veggie food is amazing and would be more than happy if I went to a wedding where one of the bride or groom requested that everybody not eat meat for their wedding breakfast, they are paying for it after all.

But I am hypothetically speaking obviously...

AJ is clearly in the camp that says a dinner ain't dinner without meat.

My husband thought something similar until I took him to a veggie restaurant and he said it was one of the best meals he'd ever had.

I used to think along the lines of you needed meat with every meal...

Until I was shown how nice veggie food is !

Quite often when we are out, I will choose a veggie meal as its not somthing I would think/be able to make at home and its always good !

And it's almost certainly healthier for you. Unless, like me, you choose the most cheese-laden thing on the menu, then less good

At a family wedding everyone had a goats cheese and beetroot tart with salad for starters

Main was lamb with roasties, root veg and gravy

My veggie alternative was a stack of veg including peppers, aubergine, courgette, tomato, and some others im not entirely sure, with pesto, cheese and fruity chutney, but still having the roasts and root veg so it was very similar to the meat eaters.

And AJ, thats a tad rude. Having to 'cope' with a slab of chicken on my plate is a bit different than you having to 'cope' with a perfectly lovely meal but minus the meat. You obviously havent tasted any of my veggie dishes then. My carnivoure husband certainly approves! (And no, im not getting into a debate about vegetarianism before you start ?)

I've been veggie for over 20 years and my friends are all massive meat eaters. They happliy mock me for this and would refuse to go to a veggie restaurant. Until last year for my birthday when I forced them there. 2 of them ended up buying the recipe book and we've been back since. They LOVED it!

Which one was that? Iv only been to Demuths in Bath. AMAZE!

The one we went to was the Warehouse Cafe in Birmingham. Lovely stuff. I had 3 courses and each was better than the one before!

Correct me if I'm wrong AJ, I was under the impression that 'meat eaters' (or do you prefer carnivore - apologies for not using the PC term) ate both meat AND non-meat foods i.e. vegetables, fruit, pastas, bread???

You obviously demonstrate complete pig ignorance (excuse the pun) when it comes to understanding vegetarianism, perhaps in the same way I seem to have interpreted carnivorism. Being a vegetarian may be a "dietary PREFERENCE" for some, but for the vast majority it is a belief. Would you demonstrate this degree of disrespect to a Hindhu for example?

Thankfully my guests are open minded and I'm sure they will be grateful for whatever meal they receive and the thought that has gone into it and probably not even notice that the starter doesn't contain meat.

I think thats when you have a good vege meal, when you dont miss the meat. Thats what my H says anyway and he couldnt be more Elmar Fudd if he tried.

One of the aversions to veggy food is often the way that vegetables are cooked. I admit that I am a carnovore(sorry) although understand the reasons why many are not. Roasted root veg IMHO is far better than boiled. My daughters OH was a total carnivore until he started eating my roast veg .....much to his mums disbelief after 22 years of previously hating anything apart from meat.

I have mixed feeling about vegetarians. I hate the ones who try and push the 'meat is murder' message down my throat, but I respect the ones who choose it as a healthy/lifestyle option or religious belief. I eat meat, I am of the 'kill it, cook it, eat it' school of carnivores, but I would never preach to a veggie on the benefits of eating meat, or to a hindu about 'god put the animals here for us to kill and eat'. However, I do occasionally eat a meatless meal and thoroughly enjoy it.

My sister is veggie, and often complains about veggie meals in restaurants - she says it's always got goats cheese, butternut squash or nuts. I have to agree with what has already been said though, many of the veggie dished are either extra spicey or completely uninspired.

To the OP - is fish a reasonable alternative? There are some fantastic types of fish now avaiable in this country now and worth exploring. My veggie option is mediterranean vegetable pie - served with roasted spuds and regular veg. I'd say a fish pie would be a good option, as long as those who don't eat fish are catered for.

I used to be a 'meat is murder' vegetarian. I find myself more of an environmental vegetarian these last few years. Meat is murdering our planet!

I thought the idea of a veggie is they do not eat meat or fish? Surely somebody who eats fish isn't quite a veggie, just somebody who doesn't eat meat?

Fish eaters are called pescatarians (sp) , you are right, they are not vegetarians.

just a thought, I would avoid goats cheese as many people dont like it.

For me its always been a confusion when "some" vegetarians say that they eat fish.

Our veggie option was portabello mushroom on a bed of sweet potato and pesto mash, was lovely, tried it at the tasting.

Thanks for some of the lovely ideas ?

I am a self confessed "meat is murder" vegetarian but I never preach and avoid telling people I don't eat meat for that reason, and the AJ's of the world!

I live near Birmingham and have never heard of this restaurant, will be giving that a try ?

Hi Wherts......fwiw, the comment by AJ earlier was a bit unusual as he normally makes very sensitive posts.....allow him a second chance.....

That is absolutely ridiculous! There is usually a reason why a person decides to not eat meat. There is absolutely no reason at all why someone can't have a vegetarian meal on this one occasion. As you're so fond of saying it's her day she can do whatever she wants and people should be grateful the privilege of being there.

WSS.

Although now I am a pescetarian not vegetarian but I always buy sustainable fish.