Our beliefs and values underpin who we are and our respect for each other. Our non-religious ceremony will include an exchange of vows to each other reflecting our sincerely held beliefs, which we plan to incorporate as a running thread underpinning our wedding celebration.
In case you would like to know a bit more about what this involves, we have shared some resources below. We hope that aligning our wedding celebration with our beliefs will be a special opportunity to share a part of us with all of our guests.
Beliefs
Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.
Before we met, our vegan beliefs evolved as a swirling amalgamation and extension to our other held beliefs and values. Veganism advocates for compassion with all living conscious beings, regardless of species, gender, or other traits an individual may hold.
Whilst recognising that not all harms can be directly avoided or immediately influenced, it is possible to adopt an approach of non-violence in our day-to-day lives, and to try to extend this through our other actions as best we can. We practice a lifestyle of non-violence to animals by excluding food from our diet which contains animal excretions or flesh. On this diet we don’t just survive - we thrive - and we hope to share with you what this can look like as part of our wedding.
Sustainability
Ecosystem collapse and the climate crisis are a result of humanity’s collective impact to the planet which we live on. The scale and nature of these problems is overwhelming, but we don’t give up because we know that climate action is the only way forwards.
And though she be but little, she is fierce.
We are aiming to maximise the sustainability of the celebration as best we can. Just take a look at Massive Attack’s festival 1.5 for inspiration on holding a super low carbon party. If you have any experience and ideas that you would like to share we would love to hear more!
Wellbeing
We will strive to make our wedding celebration a positive experience for everyone who attends, advocating and planning for accessibility needs and mitigating stresses that our guests may anticipate or experience. This will involve sidestepping certain wedding traditions which might cause anxiety, such as for guests who, like us, struggle with an eating disorder or are neurodivergent. We know that the process of travelling to, attending and preparing for a wedding is lengthy and can be overwhelming. We welcome open conversations about wellbeing and suggestions for ways to ensure you feel comfortable whilst being involved as much as you wish in our celebrations.