Alex HalperinAs summer inches toward autumn, another perennial shift looms on the horizon: wedding season. September remains the main target of the marriage-industrial complex, and there has been a recent emergence of weed-friendly weddings as California has made headway on legalizing cannabis.
At a weed wedding, guests may no longer feel compelled to sneak out for a puff when there’s a bud bar for the bridesmaids, a joint in the groom’s boutonniere or a weed-infused wedding cake. “Planning a weed wedding is like planning any other wedding,” says Cat Goldberg, CEO of marijuana event company WeedBar L.A. “We work with the couple to match their specific needs. Like different strains of cannabis, no two weddings are alike.”
Whether a couple wants to offer guests an alternative to alcohol or simply celebrate their nuptials with some nugs, the modern marijuana marriage has an abundance of options.
Here's how you can make your weed wedding a reality.
Bud and Breakfast is a cannabis-friendly getaway that could make for a good place for the ceremony or perhaps a nice honeymoon retreat.; Credit: Courtesy Instant Media Press
Tokin' locations
The first order of business of any cannabis-centric wedding is to find a venue that appreciates weed as much as the happy couple. For a destination wedding, Colorado's ganja getaway Bud and Breakfast functions like Airbnb, providing ample opportunities to hit the bong with, say, the bride's grandmother. It also has plans to open retreats in Venice and San Diego. And it's never too early to plan for the honeymoon; Bud and Breakfast could make for a nice comedown after the main event. Closer to home, there's also the Feeling Groovy at Eagle Creek Ranch, a cannabis-friendly luxury resort in Northern California’s Trinity Alps. The ranch features a pond, a private stretch of river and several picturesque buildings located in remote Trinity County, which borders Humboldt County to the east. The Emerald Triangle is a perfect place to celebrate wedding canna-bliss.
WeedBar L.A. plans all the cannabis cooking for the big day.; Credit: Courtesy WeedBar L.A.
Pot planners
Cannabis events company WeedBar L.A. can help plan your weed offerings and coordinate logistics that may be unfamiliar to more traditional party companies. Their services include everything from finding budtenders to selecting customized gifts and goody bags, so guests can maybe remember your special day. “We curate the perfect strains and modes of consumption to serve to match the mood of the event, whether that be vaping some up sativa or eating an indica-infused slice of wedding cake,” says WeedBar L.A. CEO Cat Goldberg.
A bushel of bud; Credit: Courtesy Lowell Farms
Cannabis bouquet and hemp wedding dress
What better way to celebrate marijuana matrimony than with a big bushel of weed? For last Valentine's Day, Lowell Farms created a bong-worthy bouquet, which became one of its most requested products. Although it mainly sells these cannabis creations for Valentine's Day, Lowell's spokesperson says wedding bouquets could be in its future, too. For chronic-conscious women, High Vibe Bride makes custom wedding dresses from eco-friendly fabrics such as organic cotton and a silk/hemp blend. Based in the Midwest, the company works with brides nationwide. High Vibe Bride recommends beginning the “intensive” process of buying a custom-made hemp gown at least six months before the event.
Definitely choose the dude in the weed suit.; Credit: Courtesy Weed Vows
420-friendly officiants
Based in Long Beach, Joint Vows offers an array of wedding officiants who won’t be judgmental about that skunky odor in the air. The network includes “Ministers, Clergy, Reverends, Pastors, Rabbis, Priests, Pundits, Justice of the Peace and Civil Officiants,” amenable to a variety of wedding themes.
A spread of To Whom It May cannabis-infused chocolates; Credit: Courtesy of To Whom It May
Sweet treats
Marijuana-infused chocolates can help create a festive mood without making the wedding photos look as if they were taken at the Cannabis Cup. Los Angeles–based chocolatier To Whom It May makes high-end truffles and chocolates in flavors such as smoked almond butter, cherry cayenne and hazelnut brandy. They come in sumptuous packaging in varying levels of potency.
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