Vegan Weddings 2011: Kim Karpel & Ben Milner

Kim Karpel & Ben Milner
Newport Beach, Calif.

Guests: 110
Location: Aboard The Athena Yacht
Cost: $25,000

Their story: After working at Olive Garden together for a year, Ben and Kim’s mutual friends set them up on a date, and the rest was history. At the beginning of their relationship, Kim saw the film Meet Your Meat and became an instant vegan. Ben’s transition to veganism quickly followed, and they quit their jobs waiting tables. Almost a decade after Ben asked Kim to be his girlfriend at Disneyland’s California Adventure Park, they returned for what Kim thought was just another fun date. Once Ben had convinced her to join him on the Ferris wheel and they were at the very top, overlooking the park, he got down on one knee and asked her to make him the happiest man in the world. As an added surprise, Kim’s family was waiting at the Ferris wheel exit with personalized engagement T-shirts and congratulations (they even made tees for the couple’s three-legged Chihuahuas!).

The Menu

Appetizers
Soy chicken kabobs
Vegetable wontons
Vegetable spring rolls
Chinese salad with lettuce, cabbage, fried wontons, snow peas, and mandarin oranges

Entrées
Tofu salmon wrapped in seaweed
Asian vegetable stir-fry
Sautéed glass noodles with soy chicken and mushrooms

Wedding Cake
Chocolate cake with raspberry purée and whipped cream filling and vanilla cake with strawberry and chocolate mousse filling, all topped with vanilla buttercream

For a complete list of caterers, dressmakers, and photographers from each of this year’s wedding couples, visit our 2011 Guide to Vegan Weddings. Want more vegan weddings? Purchase our special wedding issue featuring Kim and Ben’s vegan wedding! Check out all of our 2011 vegan wedding couples here, 2019 couples here, 2018 couples here, 2017 couples here, our 2016 couples here, our 2014 couples here, and our 2012 couples here!