Your wedding is going to be one of the happiest days of your life, but sadly, often that comes at the expense of the environment. Weddings produce a huge amount of waste in all areas, so we should all be responsible for making choices that are more considerate of the planet. Here we have 8 simple ways that you can make your wedding more eco-friendly!
1) Ask The Venue About Their Commitments To The Environment
The first thing you can do to make your wedding more eco-friendly is to ask the venue about their environmental commitment. If a venue isn’t happy to answer any questions about this, then it might not be the right place for you!
You should ask things like:
a) Do you use renewable energy sources?
b) What are you doing to get closer to being carbon neutral?
c) What recycling practices do you have in place?
d) Do you offer plant-based food?
There are plenty of other things that you can ask to do with a venue’s sustainability efforts, but these are definitely a good place to start! You can focus on the smaller eco-friendly details later down the line.
Also Read: How to Plan Destination Wedding on Budget
2) Have Eco-Friendly Invitations
The next thing you can do to make your wedding more eco-friendly (before it’s even begun) is to choose eco-friendly invitations. There are a few different routes you can go down with this!
The first one is to order invitations that are made out of eco-friendly, non-resource intensive materials. This would mean non-plastic packaging, no ribbons or plastic seals. Instead, it would be recycled paper, responsible printing, recycled envelopes, and natural decorations like dried flowers and leaves. You can then include instructions on how your loved ones can recycle your invitations after the wedding. They could even be biodegradable!
Another option is to have virtual invitations. This completely removes the need for any materials at all! You will save money, time and you can track RSVPs so much easier by setting up a virtual responder. You can personalize your invitations completely and have them sent out in minutes without the worry of some invite getting lost or damaged along the way! This is such a great alternative that so many people choose for their own wedding.
Image Credit: Pinterest
3) Rent Your Decorations
Now that you have your venue secured and your invitations have been sent out, it’s time to start thinking about your wedding decorations. If you buy all new decorations for tables and the venue, it’s going to cause so much waste. So, there are so many different companies that rent out amazing, high-end decorations that will make your wedding look flawless and personalized. This is a much cheaper option and it also means that you will be able to access beautiful decorations that you might not have otherwise been able to afford!
When it comes to seat covers, candle holders, flower stands, fairy lights, and everything else for your wedding, make sure to rent not buy!
4) Rent Your Wedding Dress
Whilst we are on the topic of renting, let’s talk wedding dresses! Wedding dresses are extremely resource-intensive to make, as are the materials needed to create them. Not to mention the endless amounts of waste caused by cut-offs. So, renting your wedding dress is the best option for the environment!
Not only this but there are endless amounts of other benefits that aren’t linked to the environment at all! You can save money, wear a dress that you might not have been able to afford, the company will tailor it to fit you perfectly and you can enjoy your dress without feeling any kind of guilt about the implications that a single-wear dress might cause. If you do choose to buy your own dress, then selling or donating it to a company that rents out wedding dresses is a wonderful thing to do!
Image Credit: Pinterest
5) Or Choose Vintage...
If you can’t find a rented wedding dress that you love, then choosing a vintage dress is the perfect alternative. You can buy pieces that were created in a far less industrial time, using less damaging processes and less processed materials. Also, there are so many amazing dresses out there that are just waiting for the perfect home! Across the world, there are vintage wedding dress shops just waiting to be appreciated. If you have a vintage engagement ring, then this is a perfect choice, in terms of both beauty and environmental benefits.
Plus, there are so many breathtaking eras that you can take advantage of. Choose a 1920’s dress for a beautiful and timeless piece inspired by the roaring Art Deco period. The 1940s offered rule-breaking knee-length wedding dresses with stunning and timeless a-line skirts. The beautiful silk and lace that featured in the ’70s are understated and simply charming.
6) Let Bridesmaids Choose Their Own Dresses
Next up, let your bridesmaids choose their own dresses. Choosing the dresses that your bridesmaids wear means that it might not necessarily be the shape, color, or style that they would choose, so they might not wear it again. This brings us back to the issue of single-wear dresses! All of the same issues with single-wear wedding dresses arise with single-wear bridesmaids dresses. So, let your bridesmaids choose their own dresses.
Of course, this is your wedding, so you deserve to have some control over it. Perhaps you could ask all of your bridesmaids to wear a particular color, like green, pink, or orange. Then, you could give them more control over the shade of that color they want and the style, so they wear it again. Before they buy it, perhaps ask them to just check in and you can see how the dress would fit in with the other choices. This is an eco-friendly choice, but it will also help your bridesmaids to feel as comfortable as possible throughout the day!
Image Credit: Pinterest
7) Have Local and Seasonal Flowers
Now, moving on to flowers! Something that many people aren’t aware of when they show their florist the flowers they want is that the majority of them are likely to have been imported from abroad. This has clear implications, as the transportation process is entirely unavoidable. Instead, speak with your florist about the local and seasonal flowers that are available close to home. Autumn and winter seasons have divine flowers that you will fall in love with at first sight.
You will be supporting the local economy, your seasonal flowers will look stunning and they will be the perfect fit for your wedding. You’d be surprised at just how many options you have when it comes to local and seasonal flowers!
Image Credit: Pinterest
8) Consider A Vegan Menu
Time to move on to the food! We all know the environmental benefits of a plant-based diet, so why not incorporate that into your wedding day? Many people are afraid of plant-based food as they don’t know how to prepare it correctly, so this is the perfect opportunity to look after the environment and also introduce some delicious vegan food to your loved ones.
A vegan wedding menu certainly doesn’t have to be boring. Think roasted autumn salad with chilli croutons and a mustard agave dressing as a starter. For the main, you could have a beetroot and mushroom wellington with vegan dauphinoise potatoes and greens. For dessert, you can’t beat a vegan chocolate torte! Your wedding party will love this food and you will certainly be doing your bit for the environment.
Final Thoughts
Trying to be more sustainable in all areas of our life is more important than ever and that includes our wedding day. With these simple changes, you won’t have to compromise on anything when it comes to your big day and you will save money in most cases, whilst also helping the environment. We hope you have a wonderful wedding and see just how beautiful an eco-friendly day can be. Sustainability never looked so good!
Infographic provided by Grown Brilliance
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