Vegan Weddings!

Kathryn Fangsrud & Steven Carpenter 
Guanajuato, Mexico

Guests: 8
Pricetag: $8,000
Honeymoon: Lebanon
Words of wisdom: “As long as the food is yummy, people are going to love it. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want from your caterer, and offer recipes if your caterer isn’t familiar with certain vegan substitutions.”

Their story: As a new New Yorker, Kathryn asked one of her classmates at Queens College about nearby vegetarian restaurants, and Steven happened to overhear. The fellow herbivore was happy to share his inside knowledge, so Kathryn offered him a dried pineapple ring to show her gratitude. Says the bride, “We now joke that I gave him a ‘ring’ before he gave me one!” They moved in together and went vegan the same year, helping each other get through those “I just gotta get a slice of pizza” moments. Aside from “that darn NYC pizza,” the couple felt the transition to veganism was easy, especially since they had each other’s support. One evening, Steven invited Kathryn out for “dinner,” which turned out to be a spa date followed by a trip to the Thai restaurant where they had shared their first kiss. It was here that he proposed, ensuring that Sripadphai in Queens would always be “their” restaurant.

The wedding: Guanajuato, Mexico, served as the vibrant (and surprisingly veg-friendly!) backdrop for this tropical wedding. Since their families had not yet met, the couple opted to bring just a close circle of loved ones with them. At a brief ceremony at the City Hall in Guanajuato, the couple exchanged their vows in Spanish, prompting Steven to quip that he didn’t know what he was getting himself into. That they were the only couple getting married that day added to the excitement and attention they received, both at City Hall and in the streets. According to local lore, newlywed couples who pay a visit to Callejon del Beso (Kissing Alley) will be blessed with good luck for seven years if they pucker up on the third step. The wedding cake proved to be a test of their luck Kathryn’s sister-in-law planned to make the cake as a gift to the couple but hadn’t accounted for the altitude, so her first attempt was a flop. Kathryn sent her non-Spanish-speaking brothers out on an emergency maple syrup mission. Luckily their frantic pointing at a note that read jarabe de arce did the trick, and the second cake turned out beautifully.

The Menu

Appetizer
Pomegranate-drizzled green grape and avocado guacamole boats
Hibiscus flower taquitos (mini tacos) with chipotle “cream”
Mushroom cocktails
Bruschetta topped with walnuts and tofu “feta”
 
First Course
Sopa azteca (a traditional Mexican soup), served with crusty bread.
 
Main Course
Zucchini-blossom-stuffed enchiladas, drizzled in green sauce, tofu “cream,” and pomegranate seeds
Root vegetable medley
Local tequila served in glasses carved from jicama, local wine, and Mexican beers
 
Dessert
Chocolate cake garnished with marzipan lilies
Cinnamon coffee

Meet all of our 2010 Vegan Wedding Couples:

Sadaf Hussain & Brandon Juhl (Mercer Island, Wash.)
Traci Medeiros & Patrick Bagan (Riverside, Calif.)
Heidi Grosskamp & Dennis Crean (Redwood Valley, Calif.)
Kathryn Fangsrud & Steven Carpenter (Guanajuato, Mexico)
Emily Shapiro & Matt Pascarella (Brooklyn, NY)
Candy Tolentino & Josh Black (Beverly Hills, Calif.)
Leslie Ramos & Jason Carmona (Austin, Texas)
Danielle Distefano & Matthew Miller (New York City, NY)

For a complete list of caterers, dressmakers, and photographers from each of this year’s wedding couples, visit our 2010 Guide to Vegan Weddings.