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Allison Rivers & David Samson met through VeggieDate in 2000. After several months of e-mails, long phone calls, and weekend visits, they knew they were completely in love.
May 30, 2004
Nevada City, California
70 Guests
Allison and I met through VeggieDate.com in August of 2000. After several months of e-mails, long phone calls and weekend visits, we knew we were completely in love. We could no longer bear the miles separating us and decided that Allison would move from Vashon Island, Washington, to live with me in Ventura County, California. Later, we moved to rural Nevada City in the foothills of Northern California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains and within one year were engaged and planning our wedding.
The biggest challenge was finding a location that highlighted the natural beauty of our new hometown and reflected our shared passion for nature. We discovered Pleasant Valley Sanctuary, a solar-powered yoga retreat center with picturesque grounds in a stunning setting. There was one hitch: we had to provide our own dance floor. Given the uneven terrain, this was no easy feat. Since we love dancing together, though, the floor was a must.
Besides dancing, music is an essential part of our life together. We created our own wedding soundtrack from the thousands of songs we love, ranging from funk to big band. We even played a tango for our first dance! Our efforts were well-rewarded because every song was a favorite.
We planned a three-day event, which included a welcome dinner the night before our wedding and a farewell brunch at our home the morning after. This gave us the opportunity to share our mutual compassion for animals with our families and friends by serving three delicious vegan meals. The biggest hit was our scrumptious, four-tiered wedding cake, crafted by the best vegan pastry chef ever. Ok, I may be biased, since she is my wife!
We handled many projects ourselves including printing and assembling our invitations, making our own centerpieces with locally grown organic flowers, and writing the entire ceremony. Allison designed her gown in cruelty-free fabrics with a local wedding dress maker. My vegan suit was accompanied by cruelty-free shoes from MooShoes, a non-leather belt from Pangea, and a stylish black velvet jacket.
The best part about our wedding was that all the planning enabled us to relax and thoroughly enjoy the festivities. It was a magical weekend that we will cherish forever. The cherry-on-top was our rejuvenating and romantic honeymoon week with great vegan meals and massage at The Stanford Inn in Mendocino, California. It was the ideal way to honor and continue our wonderful journey together.
Allison & David’s Menu
Appetizers
Olive Tapenade Crostini • Stuffed Crimini Mushrooms • Grilled Polenta Spears
Sit-Down Dinner
Crisp Caesar Salad • Herb Focaccia Bread with Creamy Tuscan Spread • White Bean Cannelloni with Roasted Marinara Sauce, a Tower of Grilled Vegetables, & Lemon Rosemary Broccoli • Grilled Portabella Mushroom Fans with a Rich Demi-Glace and Hazelnut Three-Rice Medley
Wedding Cake
Four-tiered Vanilla Cake with Lemon Filling, Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Filling, Chocolate Cake with Hazelnut Filling, Vanilla Cake with Coconut Cream Filling and Vanilla Frosting
Assorted Cookies & Brownies from Allison’s Gourmet
Beverages
Organic Sparkling Pear Cider • Sparkling Juices • Mineral Waters • Organic Coffee & Tea
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