The Sustainable Wedding Guide
Weddings are exciting and beautiful way to celebrate with your nearest and dearest. Planning and designing your day is such a special way to express your style and thoughtfulness into each aspect from the food to the invites to music to your shoes. So many resources go into a wedding day to make it happen and each detail is carefully thought through, so why not take the additional step to think through the impact each element has on the earth? We know that overconsumption and unsustainable cycles of consuming negatively impact our earth. Here’s some ideas of how to incorporate sustainable concepts into your wedding planning.
There’s so many different things to pick out as you put together your wedding day. Every purchase or decision can be filtered through these quick Q’s to put you on the right track to sustainability.
Is this something I can buy secondhand?
Is this something I can rent?
Is this something I really need to include?
If I’m buying new, what’s the most thoughtful and sustainable way I can purchase this?
The Big Stuff
Rings & Gowns can often times be the some of the bigger material purchases of the day, there’s many ways your can put your money towards a more earth-friendly option.
The diamond industry has a bad reputation and when purchasing rings you can look for ethically sourced gems. Consider the option of buying vintage rings or from a company that uses recycled gold and gems.
Buying a wedding dress secondhand is an amazing way to not only save your dollars, but also put the earth first. The garment industry is one of the leading pollutants (it makes up 10% of all the worlds carbon emissions) and by shopping second-hand, we can cut back on the need for overproduction. If you can’t find your dream gown previously worn, consider buying from a designer that puts ethics first. How much waste do they create? Are their workers payed fairly? Below is a resource with some awesome ethical wedding dresses.
Same thing goes for bridesmaids dresses. Can they search second hand for a dress on poshmark or depop? Is there a dress they already own that could be worn? If not, there’s a ton of great sustainable places to purchase dresses. Skip fast fashion and choose to put your money into something that can be worn again and again.
Dress Resources
https://www.thereformation.com
https://indiebridelondon.co.uk
https://www.katherinefeiel.com
The Details
Decorating and designing the space and vibe can be a big investment but this can also come hand in hand with producing a lot of waste.
First off, talk to your wedding planner about any decor they already have. Are there things you can borrow, rent or purchase second hand? FB marketplace is a great resource for sourcing previously used decor. Consider incorporating natural or biodegradable elements in. Maybe tree branches, natural fabrics like linen or houseplants. Thrift for candles or burn soy or beeswax. The more natural, biodegradable materials you can include to swap out for synthetics, the better.
Flowers are beautiful but another way to cut down your footprint is sourcing local florals or growing them yourself. Ask your florist if they work with any local flower farms.
Invites are a tangible and personal touch to give to your guests. You can opt in to send email invites to save on the impact of shipping and paper. If you’re in love with paper goods, consider investing in handmade invites with recyclable materials and order a keepsake set for yourself and sets for your family and wedding party.
Things to Maybe Reconsider
Wedding Favours
Nine times out of ten I see these left on the tables at weddings only to be forgotten and thrown out. If you decide to give out favours, what’s something that will really be used and valued by each guest and unique to you as a couple.
Single Use Items
Cute matching cotton PJs are a great swap for the “bridesmaid” robes that often are only worn once.
Decor you’re going to throw out after.
Setting the table and decorating the space is such a fun part of having the vision come together, but if it involves single use items and plastics, I think it’s worth skipping or finding a more earth friendly solution. Did you know that there are companies that make compostable balloons? Natural confetti is another great swap for plastics.
As you spend time dreaming and planning your wedding, why not take a few extra moments to consider options that support eco friendly efforts. We can make simple, conscious choices as we all journey together to more sustainable living.
xx
nicole