The Hubz and I just returned last night from an anniversary weekend getaway and we both have been back to work and busy busy busy! Where did the long weekend go?!
Friday night the Hubz and I headed out to start our Third Wedding Anniversary Getaway! We made a last minute decision to head to Massachusetts a day early and we stayed at a hotel I have been dying to stay at since I went away for girls weekend last summer. For our girls weekend getaway we headed to Lexington, MA to the Element Hotel which I loved and is located across the driveway from ALoft where the girls and I enjoyed a little night life. After the girls weekend I knew I had to find a time to stay at the Aloft and our anniversary seemed like the perfect time!
Bed
Sink
The Most Amazing Shower
The Aloft is a fun and young boutique hotel chain part of W Hotels. The Hubz and I both loved the atmosphere of the hotel as well as it’s gym and our room. Our bed was super comfy and the shower absolutely amazing!
Hotel Rating (5= amazing, 4=good, 3=pretty good, 2=meh, 1=awful)
Hey Bloggies! Hope you are enjoying your weekend I am sure the Hubz and I are. Ashley is currently on the last leg of preparing for her June wedding and is presenting you with her top five tips for planning a vegan wedding. Enjoy!
How to Plan a Vegan Wedding
You may want to choose a vegan wedding for your commitment to the environment, to match your own diet or just to do something different. Of course a vegan wedding is just as much work as any other wedding. The difference is your leg work and research into everything from the best vegan caterer in the area to what your wedding dress is made of.
On June 25th of this year I will marry my fiancé, Richard. Afterward our friends and family will enjoy a delicious vegan meal of sloppy joes, tempeh wraps, roasted sweet potato salad, sesame green beans and cornbread at our barbeque style reception. Our decision to host a vegan wedding is a reflection of my own vegan diet and Richard’s desire to show our friends and family how exciting eating without animal products can be.
Below are a few tips for planning a vegan wedding.
Remember: vegan is delicious. There is more to a vegan meal than lettuce and rice and beans. Talk to local vegan/vegetarian restaurants who believe in show-stopping local and creative vegan food. If your town has never heard the word “vegan,” contact caterers and ask if they’d be able to cater to a vegan event.
Consider not telling your guest list. Some guests think that lack of meat equals lack of taste. You know that is not true and that your meal will be delicious and filling. No need to create an uproar before the big day.
Expect conversation. A vegan meal is sure to spark discussion. Be ready for lots of “really, this is vegan?” and “I didn’t think vegan could be so tasty,” comments.
There is more to vegan than the food. Consider vegan options for your attire, china and decorations.
Make a statement with your wedding. Compostable plates and flat ware, local vendors, recycle bins and fair trade favors all give a nod to social and environmental responsibility.
Neil and I are celebrating our Third Wedding Anniversary this weekend and today we are off to explore Providence, Rhode Island. While we are galavanting around Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire I hope you enjoy the Vegan Wedding Feature posts. In this first post Tess Challis discusses her all vegan menu and how if the food looks beautiful and taste delicious anyone will eat vegan. Enjoy!
Lentil Spinach Soup (photo by Michelle McCluggage)
Although my marriage didn’t have a fairy tale ending, I can happily say that my ex-husband and I are still great friends! We were married in the fall of 2002 in the Lizard Head wilderness. Here in Colorado, you can legally marry each other without anyone else present. However, we did want to have a gathering to celebrate a few weeks after the actual marriage took place. At the time, we were on a shoestring budget so we had to get really creative. Luckily, there were lots of incredibly kind and generous people who offered to participate. Local professional musicians offered to sing at our celebration for free and the space we rented for the celebration was also practically free!
So, all that was left was food! Being a vegan since 1991, I was determined to work delicious vegan cuisine into the event as well. And since I was in charge of the food (and my husband was a vegan-friendly vegetarian), we decided on a delicious, all-vegan menu. Having done quite a bit of catering and personal chef work at that point, I knew what dishes were crowd pleasers. For an event like this with mostly omnivores, I wanted a menu that would be exciting and satisfying for everyone. I didn’t want even one person to say, “That was good, but where’s the meat?” So, we decided on a menu that included the following: Creamy hummus (pictured) with sourdough bread, gourmet mini-pizzas (pictured), Italian bread salad, fresh spring rolls with peanut sauce, Lemon Asparagus Linguine (pictured), Lemon Lentil Soup (pictured), and Chocolate Decadence Cake (pictured). I’ve obviously found that Italian food is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser! And it was – even my meat-and-potatoes grandma said after dinner: “If you cooked for me every day, I would be a vegan!” Everyone loved the food and talked about it for many months afterward.
Creamy Hummus with Sourdough Bread (Photo by Olga Vasiljeva)
Mini PIzzas (Photo by Michelle McCluggage)
Lemon Asparagus Linguine (Photo by Michelle McCluggage)
Chocolate Decadence Cake (Photo by Michelle McCluggage)
So, this has been my path! Turning people on to a vegan lifestyle via delicious food. It’s such a sneaky approach, but one that works surprisingly well! I can’t tell you how many people have told me over the years that the vegan food I’ve served them has been just about the best thing they’ve ever eaten. It’s so exciting to turn people on to really delicious food that awakens their taste buds – and then to tell them, “By the way, that was all vegan – and healthy!”
Quintessence (“Tess”) Challis began her holistic health journey in her late teens. After a lifetime of numerous health ailments (including acne, obesity, strep throat, constant illnesses, anxiety, and depression), she found that a vegan diet along with an “inner wellness regime” of meditation and visualization literally made a world of difference.
In 1994, she began sharing this knowledge through cooking classes, catering, meditation classes, and workshops. She has also been a personal chef to many clients across the United States.
In 2009, Tess published the 2nd edition of Radiant Health, Inner Wealth, a vegan cookbook and complete holistic health resource. Tess’s latest book, The Two-Week Wellness Solution: The Fast Track to Permanent Weight Loss and Vitality, was released in June 2010 and includes a foreward by Dr. Neal Barnard. Her next book, Radiance 4 Life: The 4 Cornerstones of Ultimate Vitality, is due out in June 2011. She currently works as a wellness coach, cooking class instructor, author/speaker, and personal trainer.
Last night Allie invited the Hubz and me over for a vegan dinner party along with a few of her friends. Allie was excited to try her hand at making Isa’s black bean burgers from Veganomicon which she served up with grilled zucchini, broccoli slaw and pesto. Everything was delicious and the company enjoyable. After stuffing our faces with Allie’s yummy burgers we dived into the Carrot Cake with Cinnamon “Cream Cheese” Frosting that I brought.
Allie hard at work
Dinner- yum!
Cake- so good
After dinner it was time to take out all of the animals- I think they literally out numbered us at one point. Allie has two ferrets, Polar & Bear and two rats. One of Allie’s friends also brought along her little dog Wally (because it was storming out and he is afraid of storms). We had a great time watching the ferrets play with the dog, seriously entertaining for hours- I know we are easily entertained.
Polar
Wally
After dinner at Allie’s we headed home to get ready for our weekend away. This included finishing dishes, packing, providing the kitty with some love and finding time to sleep. I ended up getting up way too early this morning to finish things up however once this work day finishes the Hubz and I will be off for our Anniversary Weekend adventure and Allie has so kindly agreed to guard the house stay with the kitty while we are way.
Quintessence (“Tess”) Challis began her holistic health journey in her late teens. After a lifetime of numerous health ailments (including acne, obesity, strep throat, constant illnesses, anxiety, and depression), she found that a vegan diet along with an “inner wellness regime” of meditation and visualization literally made a world of difference. 
