Yep, weed weddings are a thing – but they mostly happen in states where cannabis is legal. While Wisconsin has yet legalize marijuana for full recreational use of THC, hemp and CBD are legal nationwide and can add to the awesomeness of your wedding.
So for all of the 420-friendly #MKECouples out there, we brought together an amazing group of wedding vendors (see list at bottom of article) and did a cannabis wedding photo shoot!
All CBD and hemp items appearing in this shoot were legally obtained in the state of Wisconsin from CBD Therapeutics of Wisconsin. Read on for ways to incorporate the cannabis plant into your wedding!
Please Note: Cannabis and its legality is constantly evolving. We encourage couples incorporating cannabis into their wedding to check with their local authorities and vendors to determine legal status.
1. Buy a Commemorative Piece
Expand your inventory of accessories and splurge on a nice piece to commemorate your wedding day. We highly recommend these pieces from Wisconsin native Jane West – they look spectacular and work very well. Instead of stale cake on your one year anniversary, take a celebratory toke! Amazing photos by Twin Lens Weddings and styling by Blue Fancy Events.
2. CBD Cocktails and Mocktails
These CBD Mocktails are not only delicious, but beautiful when garnished and styled with hemp leaves. CBD can be infused with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages — we recommend both for all your guests! These beauties were dreamed up by The Cooperage.
3. Cannabis Hemp Wedding Bouquet
Incorporating cannabis leaves and buds into your wedding bouquet is a beautiful and inconspicuous way to incorporate weed into your wedding. This beauty was designed by the talented and creative Avant Garden Florist. We also love the bride’s hair and makeup done by The Hitching Post.
4. Containers Up Smoke Lounge
Similar to a cigar lounge, designating an area for smoking is ideal for weddings and events to ensure both your non-smoking and smoking guests feel welcome.
We recommend leveraging local company Containers Up for their Mobile Party Bar rentals. Containers Up specializes transforming up-cycled shipping containers into beautiful portable bars and lounges. We used their Green Irish Pub for this photo shoot, but they have more.
Be sure to ask your venue if they can accommodate a portable bar. The Cooperage has a parking lot and ample space for them and it worked out perfect.
5. A Badass Hemp Boutonniere
Ohh, you’ll look so dashing in your suit and that badass cannabis boutonniere! This one was put together by the amazing Avant Garden.
6. A CBD Infused Dinner
If you are really going all out for your weed wedding, consider infusing your dinner with CBD. You’ll need to partner with an expert chef who is skilled with CBD infusions like Chef Mitch at The Cooperage, and this option would be best if you are only inviting 420-friendly friends and family. Styling by Blue Fancy Events.
7. Do a Unity Dab/Toke
We’ve seen a unity beer… we’ve seen a unity cocktail… hell, we’ve even seen unity bacon… so it’s only natural to suggest a unity toke! Whether a unity dab, unity joint or unity bong, what an absolutely uplifting idea.
8. CBD Candies & Gummies
Consider having CBD gummies and candies at your wedding. It can be a great, chill way to end the night or calm your nerves. We highly suggest having clear signage designating your treats as CBD (and/or THC in legal states), along with the serving milligram amount per piece.
9. Hemp Styled and Infused Desserts
While the particular desserts featured in this photo were simply styled with hemp, many couples planning a weed wedding are opting to infuse desserts with CBD (and THC in legal states). As with the CBD candies & gummies, we recommend clear signage, CBD milligram amount per piece, and designated spaces for your CBD infused treats.
10. A CBD Coffee Bar
CBD coffee (and tea) is definitely a thing and some folks say it helps to wake you up, but chills you out at the same time.
We recommend this CBD Coffee from Jane West. With born-and-raised ties to Milwaukee, Jane is a huge activist and business owner in the global cannabis space, and while she now resides in the legal state of Colorado, we just had to feature her coffee!
11. Centerpieces with Weed
One of our absolute favorite ways to incorporate weed into your wedding is using the cannabis hemp plant in your floral centerpieces. It is sure to be the talk of the table once people realize it! Great job by Avant Garden
12. Joints and Accessories as Wedding Favors
Opting to give hemp Joints (or THC Joints in legal states) and accessories from CBD lotions to smoke accessories, would be a fun favor for fellow cannabis enthusiasts at your wedding. If you are having a mixed company party, you may want to save these favors as after party gifts.
13. Use Live Hemp Plants as Decor
Live hemp plants are a great, non-assuming way to showcase your love of the cannabis plant and add luscious greenery to your wedding aesthetic. Hemp plants provided by CBD Theraputics of WI.
14. Hemp Inspired Plates and Glasses
This option may require some thrifting or internet-scouring, but how cute are these “Hemp-Inspired” coffee mugs and plates from Jack & Joie?! Amazing styling by Blue Fancy Events.
15. Have a Weed Bar & Budtender
In the same way you hire bartenders for weddings and events, many couples hire budtenders to serve the cannabis in a fun, approachable and even educational way.
Have questions about indicas and sativas? Ask your budtender. Wondering the difference between CBD and THC? Yup, ask your budtender.
We worked with CBD Therapeutics of WI to provide the CBD, smoking accessories, and joint rolling expertise for this shoot, as well as Containers Up for the lounge.
16. 420-Friendly Invites and Stationery
Leverage your invitations designer to create paper goods that compliment your cannabis wedding theme. From discrete (or bold) invites to CBD signage, get them printed on hemp paper for an even deeper nod to the cannabis plant. Loving these beauties from Bay View Printing Co.
17. Add Some Local Flair
The “unofficial” People’s Flag of Milwaukee is an open source design that is continuously being adopted by various brands across the city. We love this one paying homage to the cannabis plant. You can purchase one here.
18. Couples Tattoos
The models for this shoot were recently married and got a couples tattoo, featuring cheersing beer with their wedding date of 4/20/19 (yes, a 420 wedding!). And the bride just happens to have a super cute and discrete cannabis leaf tattoo — how lucky were we to secure them for our photo shoot!
19. A Weed-Friendly Wedding Venue
This is a big one. If you plan to incorporate cannabis in your wedding, in particular ingesting or smoking it, you should definitely reach out and check with your venue first.
We approached The Cooperage to do this photo shoot and they were all in. (Which was awesome because we just adore not only this venue, but the business owners and management).
How To Have a Cannabis Wedding
Currently it’s illegal to use cannabis with THC (the stuff that gets you high) in Wisconsin. So to have a weed wedding you’ll need to do it with CBD derived from the hemp plant. And if you decide to have a weed wedding, first follow these steps, have an amazing party then send us photos!
- Consider your Guest List — Will you offend people at your wedding? Do you care? If you will have a lot of conservative family members, children or a large guest list, you may want to save your weed wedding celebration as a more intimate post-party or hey, even another wedding celebration with just your 420-friendly friends & family!
- Consider your Location & Designate an Area — Similar to a cigar bar, portable bar, or food trucks that many couples opt to have at their wedding, venues may have no smoking rules or limited outdoor spaces so just be sure to ask! Using Containers Up as a mobile smoke lounge was the perfect solution to keeping it discrete, while also designating a specific area for smoking.
- Communication with Your Guests — If you plan to offer smoking or ingesting of cannabis, you should let your guests know ahead of time. This will allow guests to decide whether they want to come, while also alert your 420-friendly friends they are in for a good time.
- Keep Your Guests Fed & Hydrated — This is advice that really is for any wedding, but particularly important for a cannabis friendly wedding. Consider offering snacks, treats and water throughout the night to keep your guests happy and balanced.
Married In Milwaukee Photo Shoot — Vendor Shout Out
We were super excited to curate this cannabis weed wedding photo shoot at The Cooperage with so many amazing Milwaukee wedding companies, the majority being part of the Married In Milwaukee Family. And HUGE shout out to our models and newlyweds Ashley & Wolfegang! They just got married this past April 20th and we loved working with them on the shoot!
- Venue: The Cooperage
- Styling & Coordination: Blue Fancy Events
- Photography: Twin Lens Weddings
- Floral Design: Avant Garden Florist
- CBD / Budtender: CBD Therapeutics of WI
- Smoke Lounge: Containers Up
- Rentals: Jack & Joie
- High End Smoking Pieces: Jane West
- Invitation & Signage: Bay View Printing Co.
- Hair & Makeup: The Hitching Post
- Cocktails & Catering: The Cooperage
- Flag: SE Wisconsin NORML via United States of Cannabis
- Models: Ashley & Wolfegang
