I actually was looking forward to the wedding on Saturday. My wife's cousin, Erica, had made a point of telling us there would be a vegan meal for us at her wedding reception. Erica and her beau got hitched in the fanciest of places, the country club at The Dominion in San Antonio, the place where country singer George Strait and former basketball great David Robinson and other famous people reside. Normally, when we go to a family event, we come prepared or get a bite to eat beforehand. That wasn't the case, however, when Erica's sister, Susan, got married in January. Susan knew full well we were vegans, so we came relaxed. The only thing we could find at that wedding was chips and salsa -- albeit good chips and salsa. Needless to say, that was a let down, but we let our guard down again this past weekend when we drove four and half hours to attend Erica's wedding. The wedding was beautiful, but what were they thinking to have a wedding outdoors in August in Texas? One of the bridesmaids got faint and had to leave. We had to hear the preacher talk about how a wife is in "servitude" to her husband, but the pastor goes on to say, "That doesn't mean they aren't equals." Huh? I don't care what the Bible says. Servitude means slavery. Supposedly John and Erica really care about animals -- he's a vet, she a nurse and they both are members of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Yet, they didn't see anything cruel about releasing turtles and butterflies during the wedding. I thought about those poor butterflies all cooped up and hungry when they flew to the nearest flowers after being released. How many in that box died, I wonder? Anyway, we made it to the reception, which was thankfully indoors. Everyone but us got a plate full of beef kabobs, asparagus, rice and some sort of sauce made out of the beef droppings. We got our plates after everyone else. It was grilled vegetables that were cooked on the grill that had been used for the kabobs. They didn't have any sauce on them. They were disgusting and not vegan. Afterward, we went to a Mediterranean place (Alex's Shish Kabab, 7500 Eckhert Road, No. 152, San Antonio, TX 78249, (210) 680-1826) close to my parents-in-laws' home. This wonderful chef made to-die-for pitas, hummus, fresh baba ganoush and dolmas. The chef had recently come to San Antonio after having had a successful restaurant in Seattle for two decades. We couldn't have been more fortunate.
Certainly a familiar story. I always find it rather odd when people claim to care about animals, but then go and do things like that. At least you were able to find something after the ceremony!
ReplyDeleteI cannot tell you how many times a plate that looks just like that has been plopped in front of me as the "vegan offering" at some formal sit-down dinner event. :(
ReplyDeleteI am going through wedding planning right now as the only vegan in a sea of omnis (my fiancé and our families are all omni). I have won a small battle in that we are having a vegetarian reception, now I have to start working with the caterer to make sure the food is up to standard! Oh, and mostly vegan. I’ve conceded to some appetizers with cheese (compromise is part of married life, at least that’s what they tell me) but I’d really like to keep the main course vegan. I can guarantee we won't be serving our guests plates of flavorless grilled vegetables.
;)
I can't even imagine how difficult it must be to plan a vegan meal at a wedding. That's really awesome you are trying to do that. I was married a year before I became a vegan (in 2001). We had, I am embarrassed to say, a barbecue place cater it.
ReplyDelete