Cannabis-Friendly Weddings Are Becoming All the Rage

Need more evidence to suggest that the stigma attached to cannabis is changing? Well, look no further than the fact that cannabis weddings are trending. People are no longer sneaking off to dark corners for a quick toke at weddings, but are rather attending weddings that consciously planned to incorporate cannabis into the celebration, according to Aspen Times. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to attend my first cannabis-friendly wedding.

The term ‘cannabis wedding’ gained traction after legalization and with the launch of the Cannabis Wedding Expo (CWE) in 2015. Philip Wolf co-founder of CWE, began showcasing in Denver but has since expanded to include several annual events in locations such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Boston, Toronto, and San Francisco.

The CWE is the first of its kind to showcase cannabis products dedicated to weddings as well as offering cannabis lovers the chance to meet wedding industry professionals who can advise them on elegant weddings that include cannabis.

Canna-Weddings Are Becoming More Popular 

CWE made headlines in commercial and popular platforms including the likes of Brides, The Guardian, Fortune, The New York Times, and even Vogue. If this does not show you that the negative stigma of cannabis has been significantly withdrawn, then I don’t know what will. Vogue explains that the fact that cannabis is making an appearance at even the “most traditionally conservative events” proves that “the stigma around its use continues to diminish.”

A Bloomberg Report on the cannabis-wedding industry explained that cannabis has become the new moneymaker in the wedding industry and that couples are increasingly incorporating cannabis into their nuptials, especially in places such as Colorado and California. Bloomberg goes on to explain that the legalization of cannabis led to the opening of “the doors to all sorts of cannabis-laden commerce, from dinner service to vacation packages.”

Bec Koop, from Irie Wedding & Events and co-founder of CWE, explained to Bloomberg that she had booked nearly two dozen canna-weddings by the end of 2017 for that year alone. Koop went on to explain that the early days of cannabis legalization were challenging as only 10% of venues would accommodate for cannabis, but now she is regularly contacted by venues to be placed on her preferred vendor’s list.

Serving Cannabis in Lieu of Alcohol

Adrian Sedlin, chief executive officer at Canndescent, explained that serving cannabis at a wedding reception is not much different than offering alcohol. Except for the fact that “it’s actually cheaper than liquor” and that “there’s a lot more buzz for the buck in cannabis than in alcohol.” However, Bloomberg explains that when serving cannabis at weddings as though you would alcohol, there are a few legal twists. This includes the fact that the state will most likely forbid you from tipping the budtenders and that the host of the wedding should technically supply the weed to the server by means of “donation.”

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Wolf went on to state that “a lot of people feel like alcohol can take away from events because people can overconsume, it might not be as enjoyable or someone might cause an issue, or god forbid something worse” and that “with cannabis, you really don’t have that threat.”

How Cannabis Can be Incorporated in Weddings

From invitations to decor and wedding favors…attendees of cannabis weddings can expect to see cannabis incorporated in more elegant ways than one might expect as a result of the stoner stereotypes. Guests shouldn’t be surprised if they see the bride and groom celebrating the day they commit themselves to each other with a bong or even a blunt. These bongs are typically beautiful glass bongs with elegant designs and make for epic photos. There is also likely to be a separate table or bar with various pre-rolls and flowers on display and in glass jars. Some even provide the pre-rolls as wedding favors to their guests.

Guests may also see the infamous cannabis leaf in bouquets, on walls, or even in the water of a glass jar with a floating candle. Beautiful glass bongs of varying heights have even been used as flower vases for centerpieces. Other wedding favors include potted baby cannabis plants, edibles, and D-I-Y cannabis growing kits. Honestly, the possibilities of incorporating cannabis are endless and are quite easy to do while maintaining elegance.

Things to Consider:

The Location

• Be honest with the venue on your plans and be specific.
• Consider offering vape instead of joints as venues may be more open to this less-conspicuous consumption method.
• Get your agreement with the venue in writing once both parties have agreed to terms.

The Consumption

• Consider whether the location and proximity of your location would be better suited to different methods of consumption. For example, a wedding on a large outdoor plane would be well-suited for all kinds of smoking and consumption, but one in a barn may not be ventilated enough to avoid hot-boxing or affecting others who may not want to be inundated with second-hand smoke.
• Offer varying portions and low potency products to ensure that there are products available for those who do not usually consume or who do not wish to risk consuming too much.
• Provide a variety of options for consumption like edibles (cakes, lollipops, bonbons, etc), smoking (blunts, bongs, vapes, etc), and even perhaps a novelty such as cannabis-infused wine.

The Presentation 

• Perhaps placing the cannabis bar away from other festivities in order to ensure any underaged guests don’t consume anything by accident as well as to ensure that uninterested guests are less affected.
• Consider clear and simple packing so avoid any confusion or misconceptions.

Aspen Times concluded with a quote from Wolf, which was well-said. The quote stated that “one of the biggest evolutions I’ve seen over the past six years is the beautification of the plant and consumption methods” and that “the rise of beverages and devices have given people more options that are approachable for new consumers.” When Wolf said “the beautification of the plant,” I felt that this was an excellent way to describe what’s happening with cannabis at weddings and I can’t wait to see more beautification of my favorite plant.