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Jenny Brown & Doug Abel wanted a celebration that would also be a house-warming party and fundraiser for the couple's newly formed Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary.
October 2, 2004
Woodstock, New York
115 guests
While working at Farm Sanctuary in Upstate New York, my then boyfriend—now husband—and I got engaged. It was a beautiful sunny day on a picturesque green pasture when he popped the question. The storybook setting was perfect for a couple who dreamed of starting their own farmed animal sanctuary.
The next spring, Doug and I found a home in Woodstock, New York which would double as a site for the sanctuary. We immediately put a spare shed to use, housing some rescued chickens, and built a fenced-in pasture for cows. We knew immediately that we wanted to have the wedding at our new home. The celebration would also be a house-warming party and fundraiser for our newly formed Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. As we already had a fully stocked kitchen, we asked our guests for donations toward building a barn. Shortly after moving to Woodstock, we discovered an eclectic restaurant in town that had a selection of unique vegan fare. We hired them to cater the event, asking them to serve our favorite entrée (Chili-Spiced Seitan Cutlets with Chimmichurri Sauce) to 120 guests.
Our outdoor wedding was set against a beautiful mountain across a field. Guests sat on hay bales while a bluegrass quartet played softly before the ceremony began. Nearby in the pasture, our first rescued cows looked on with interest. Our dear friend officiated the wedding which was full of laughter. Doug and I lived in different cities for the first three years of our relationship, so we read excerpts of e-mails from that early courtship. They ranged from silly to romantic to humorously raunchy. We exchanged vows and then had a friend read a powerful essay by John Robbins. We completed the ceremony by reciting the lyrics to Green Acres in a mock beat-poet style. Then, to the surprise of our guests, we pulled up the back of the wedding tent to reveal a vintage lawn tractor and rode it down the aisle!
During the reception our friend, cartoonist and comedian Dan Piraro, sang a song about our marriage and made light-hearted fun of my tie-dyed wedding dress. He and his wife had picked wildflowers and made the wedding bouquets that morning. Another dear friend spoke about the important role animal sanctuaries serve. After our bountiful and delicious buffet supper, guests were encouraged to take the table decorations—miniature alfalfa bales—and feed them to the cows, much to the delight of both humans and bovines. It was a day none of our guests will ever forget.
Jenny & Doug's Menu
Hors d’Oeuvres
Mock Curry Chicken Salad with Pineapple, Dried Cranberries & Walnuts on Cocktail Bread • Spicy Baba Ganoush with Toasted Pita Points • Southwestern Black Bean & Cilantro Hummus with Corn Chips
Buffet Dinner
Chili-Spiced Seitan Cutlets with a Chimmichurri or Meanhouse BBQ Sauce
• Cuban Black Beans • Ginger-Scented Brown Rice • Hot & Spicy Pan-Blackened String Beans with a Creole Remoulade Dipping Sauce • Sweet Potato Mashers with Orange & Lime
Wedding Cake
Super Moist Chocolate Cake
with Creamy Chocolate Frosting
Beverages
Red & White Wine • Beer • Champagne • Coffee
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