Eco-Conscious Wedding Planning
Seek vendors that share your values
This is first on the list for a reason! The easiest way to make sure your event is eco-friendly is to make sure everyone you hire is of the same mindset. The wedding industry is overwhelming with options! When you first get engaged, you will be swarmed with advertisements, advice on how to have your “dream wedding”, and pressure from your family or cultural traditions to do things the way they have always been done. Lean on the experts and seek help navigating what YOU want out of your wedding day. Check out your local vendors and don’t forget to ask LOTS of questions!
Buy your Wedding attire Secondhand
We’re talking about jewelry, your wedding dress, suits, and more! Yes, I just said your wedding dress. There are SO many recourses out there for buying secondhand wedding dresses (and they are less expensive!). You can even take the dress to a dress maker and have them rework it to fit your style. No matter how you choose to purchase your wedding attire, consider donating what you can once the wedding is over.
Look for Venues with Built-In Decor
When you’re venue hunting look for spaces that aesthetically match your wedding vibe and offer natural photo backdrops. One of my absolute favorite venues in Washington is Chateau Lil in Woodinville, WA. Not only are you getting an incredible chateau to host your wedding, but the grounds also have beautiful landscaping, a pond, the cutest white barn, and ALPACAS! Talk about photo options!
Not only will this save money, but you’ll also lessen the carbon footprint of bringing in other rentals (draping, photo backdrops, lighting) to make the space what you want. Choose a space that you want to enhance, not cover up.
Avoid single-use Products
This one should be a given, but comes up it ways you don’t always think about. What I would consider a “single-use product” in the wedding industry is anything that you, your guests, or your wedding party won’t likely be using again. Examples of these are, anything that says “Bride”, “Bridesmaid”, etc., wedding favors that are etched with your names and/or wedding date, and any décor items that can’t be resold or repurposed.
Think about clean up
The event doesn’t end when you and your partner jump into your getaway car; don’t forget about clean up. Talk to your clean up crew (catering staff, friends/family, etc.) about how you want everything disposed of at the end of the night. Some caterers offer donation services for leftover food and assisted living homes will often take your leftover floral centerpieces. If neither of those options are available, composting is your best option and of course recycle applicable items! (Make sure to research what can be recycled in your area).
Reduce your Guest Count
It is nearly impossible for most people to host a ZERO waste wedding. When it comes to weddings, not only do you have to consider your personal values but also those of your family and culture. The quickest and easiest way to reduce your footprint is to have a smaller wedding! You’ll need significantly less products (food, drinks, gas, invites, etc.) and it has the added benefit of being less expensive as well.
Do the best you can
The MOST important advice I can give is, just do the best you can with the information you have available to you. While I adore weddings and the wedding industry, not everyone (or every location) makes it easy to have a eco-conscious event. Try to give yourself a break when things get overwhelming and rest assured that making the effort is so important to push our industry towards sustainable practices. You’re doing great!
