7 Ways to Keep Your Wedding Sustainable and Eco-Friendly

Wedding is one of the most important days in our lives. And we always want to make it as perfect as we’ve always imagined and pictured in our heads. But there are some things about wedding which can be unsustainable. So here are some ways to make your wedding beautiful as well as eco-friendly!

1. Use recycled paper

Paper producing takes energy and emits much carbon. And wedding invitations use a lot of paper and those paper products are mostly going to be discarded once the wedding is over. Not to mention that invitations consist of other small papers for RSVP cards, music request sheets, location guides, seat numbers, etc. Also, save-the-date mails are now almost compulsory.

In order to reduce unnecessary paper products, you can use recycled paper. Recycled paper definitely adds certain uniqueness and character to your invitations. It’s even better to print your invitations with vegetable-based inks. Or, you can hire calligraphers, because printing takes energy too.

Other alternative is to get plantable paper. It’s paper with embedded seeds, so your guests can turn that paper into something beautiful for their garden or backyard. If you just want to keep things simple, then you simply need to go total paperless and direct your guests to your wedding website. It’s easier and doesn’t take much energy.

2. Upcycle the attire

Unlike wedding suits, bridal gowns are mostly useless after wedding. Let’s face it, people wear wedding dress for once, don’t they? So, spending all that money and wasting a lot of energy just for a one-night event dress and then ditch it for life is not the best idea. So, why not use somebody else’s dress and turn it into your own dream wedding dress?

You can even keep some part the old wedding dress to give your current dress a little vintage or timeless vibe. If you upcycle your mother/grandmother’s dress, it will definitely add some sentimentality to your big day.

If you must wear your own dress, consider sustainable wedding dress. It’s typically made from fair-trade fabrics or recycled materials. You can also get a dress from sustainable and eco-friendly labels or designers. Renting a dress is also an alternative, because you can have a lot of options for your own and it doesn’t cost as much as making your own.

But don’t stop for your wedding dress only! Encourage your bridesmaids and groomsmen to not make something that they will only wear once. It’ll be more unique if you ask them to wear attire from their own wardrobe which have the same color scheme as your wedding. Different styles of clothings can make your big day less formal and a lot more fun!

3. Get sustainable jewelry

Did you know that jewelry has been a subject of debates and controversy? It’s because the industry is often linked with ecologically disastrous mining as well as conflicts around the world. So, it’s best to keep your jewelry ethical and sustainable.

Jewelers such as Tiffany & Co., Ash Hilton, Brilliant Earth, Cred Jewellery, Dogeared, Leber Jeweler, and Ingle & Rhode ensure that their materials are ethically sourced and recycled. The mining process is not as disastrous as the mainstream ones.

You can buy some from an antique shop. And if your family hand you down some jewelry, don’t think twice and use it. It’s much cheaper than buying something new. If you don’t like the style, you can always hand it to some jewelers and ask them to rework it.

4. Go for eco-friendly decoration

Wedding decoration also last for one night, and you won’t use it again. You may think you can keep decoration items for next events, but stacking them all in your attic or closet isn’t going to help. Renting decor is cheaper and it saves you from trouble of keeping the items.

There are rentable decoration vendors that you can choose. They will decorate your venue with the kind of decor you want. You’ll get non-disposable cutlery, linens, plates, utensils, and more. Moreover, laundering and washing services are usually included in the rental price.

If you must decorate your own wedding by buying new stuff, consider going to flea markets and thrift stores. Those places are like hidden treasures that you can reuse and upcycle into unique and one-of-a-kind wedding decor. You can make them for a part of your centerpiece, a part of your guests’ seating, and many more. When you’re done and don’t want anything to do with it, you can always resell them!

5. Light your venue with candles

Candles are romantic, no denying that. Any kind of evening event with candles around makes the atmosphere more intimate and warm. You want your wedding to be like that, don’t you? So minimize or completely cut down your electricity and get those candles out.

For weddings, you don’t want to get cheap candles which are made from artificial waxes and burn so quickly. Choose soy candles because they’re made from a renewable source. They burn longer and are cleaner than regular candles. Don’t worry about the size, because this type of candles have every size, shape, color and scent. Plus, the candle spills are easy to clean too!

6. Give green wedding favors

You should also consider about your wedding favors. Make sure that you give your guests something that can be used and not left alone. First of all, you can give them plantable favors like plants in pots. But if your wedding guests can’t take soil, consider biodegradable seed packets.

You can also give them something edible, which will not go to waste. Giving your guests a bag of candy, chocolate bars is perfect. You can also give them your favorite hot chocolate mix, coffee beans, or jams in reusable glass jars.

For something different, you can also try charity donation. A couple in Martha Stewart Weddings gave notes explaining that a tree had been planted in the guests’ honor through the American Forests Global ReLeaf program. Another couple gave a note on the favors, telling guests that they had donated an acre of rainforest on behalf of attendees.

7. Choose local vendors

When you choose vendors from other cities or even countries, you contribute to more unnecessary energy-wasting and carbon-emitting things. So, it’s better if you opt for local vendors, because you’re saving some energy for a greater cause.

Besides, you’re going to support local economy in this way. You might never know that you can actually find your favorite flowers in your city. You can also serve local food to your guests, adding more authenticity and unique experience in your big day.

Hope you enjoyed the article! If you’re currently planning for a wedding, then I sure hope this article can help you decide what’s best for you and for the environment. Don’t forget to give a like if you liked the article and give us comments about your own version of sustainable/eco-friendly wedding!

Source(s):

https://www.marthastewartweddings.com/388261/ways-plan-eco-friendly-wedding?slide=763852
https://www.smallfootprintfamily.com/sustainable-wedding