Sustainability. It’s the thing on nearly everyone’s mind in one form or another. So why shouldn’t we have sustainability at the front of our minds when planning a wedding? Well the answer is. We should. And we can. You don’t have to compromise on any part of your wedding to be sustainable. And every couple can contribute to a healthier planet even if it’s only in a small way. Here your comprehensive guide filled with sustainable wedding ideas.
And yes, you can throw a sustainable wedding that still has the wow factor.
Wedding flowers have power
When you think about beautiful weddings you think about flowers right. There is no doubt that flowers at a wedding have the power to transform your guest’s moods in an instant.
But epic wedding floral installations sometimes come at a cost. The way that flower installations are constructed bares thinking about a little.
That’s because some florists use foam to form their floral structures of beauty. Foam is not a sustainable material and should be avoided where possible.
Obviously the same goes for plastic.
Source a florist mindful of their plastic consumption and probe a little. You will notice that many florists consciously reject plastic in their workplaces and from their wholesalers.
This is great news for our planet. Florists who genuinely care about our planet should be immediately added to your wedding florals supplier shortlist.
Wedding Food Waste
Ever wondered what happens to the food that you and your guests don’t eat at your wedding reception? Of course some waste goes in the bin. It is not hygienic or feasible for your guest’s food waste to be given to charities. But what about the foods that don’t get served at all to your guests?
Many venues and caterers are developing a social conscious which permeates many aspects of their work place. That might include sharing partnerships with food charity services which distribute food to food shelters.
Alternatively, many commercial kitchens that service weddings now source their food from their own biodynamic gardens or from local providers, reducing their carbon footprint.
So, if sustainability is important to you, consider asking your venue or caterer a little more about their behind the scenes sustainability processes and practices.
Sustainable gifting of flowers
I have been to many weddings where, at the end of the night, the florals remain in reception spaces, only to be thrown out the next day!
What a waste of natural beauty and human effort. If you are working with a wedding planner (yep, someone like me!), ask them to explore ways in which your flowers can be re-purposed after your wedding day.
That might mean having them delivered to your local hospital, aged care residence, hostel or refuge. Of course covid restrictions have changed some rules so have your wedding planner check this out on your behalf. Giving your florals a second life beyond your nuptials will bring a smile to many more faces and lengthen your flowers’ shelf (and enjoyment) life.
Alternatively, consider donating your centrepieces and other arrangements from around your reception venue to your guests when they leave on the night.
Guests kicking on? Why not have flowers delivered to each special guest the following day with a gorgeous hand written note thanking them for their love and support during your wedding planning process.
Consider fresh flower alternatives
Fallen in love with a flower that will need to be shipped in for your wedding day? That creates one large carbon footprint my friend.
Consider alternatives to fresh flowers, such as dried or preserved flowers. These arrangements live well beyond your wedding day which make them a really sustainable option to consider.
Wedding Food Sources – Where did it come from?
Planning a feast for your guests can be one of the nourishing parts of your wedding planning. See what I did there?
But, to feel extra great about the deliciousness you serve your guests, take some time to understand where the food ingredients come from.
Does the venue, caterer or food truck source their ingredients locally? Are those ingredients sustainably farmed? Are the fruit and vegetables served free of pesticides and fresh? Are proteins free range and hormone free?
You are going to feel ten billion times better (that’s an estimate only) about food that is sourced sustainably and locally. Locally sourced wedding food will also taste super fresh and is likely to be supporting farmers and food businesses in your local community.
Wedding venue recycling and composting commitments
Let’s face it. Weddings create waste.
Serviettes (if you are using paper based rather than linen or fabric napery), glasses and bottles, signage, confetti holders, confetti, orders of service. You name it, most weddings produce waste in some shape or form. How that waste is disposed of is important.
Ask your venue or celebration space owners how waste they dispose of waste. Do they recycle? Are staff trained in what is disposable and what is not? Do they commit to composting food waste or is that thrown into land fill bins?
Finding wedding vendors that value sustainability as much as you do, will make you feel much better about any extravagances you plan to incorporate into your wedding day.
Wedding vendors that support sustainability and the community
When you’re planning your wedding, you’ll notice that more and more wedding vendors are supporting their local communities in various ways. It might be that they donate some of their proceeds to specific environmental and sustainability causes. Maybe they reject the use of single use plastics in their workplace and packaging. Or perhaps they commit to using sustainable sources of energy (such as solar) to power their workplaces.
Take the time to review websites and chat with your wedding day vendors about what they are doing to help this planet of ours survive.
Sustainable Wedding Ideas in a nutshell
Here are some ways you can be more sustainable in the key areas of your wedding day
Flowers
- Choose locally grown or dried flowers
- Work with creatives who are working to reduce their reliance on foam and plastic
Stationery and Wedding Day printing
- Instead of printing Orders of Service for every guest, have one large sign so everyone can follow along without killing trees
- Use one menu at the centre of the table rather than a menu for each guest
- Get creative with your signage – write on mirrors or timber
Attire
- Consider buying second hand
- Hire attire
- If you buy new, could consider selling or hiring your attire to others
- Borrow wedding accessories
Wedding Day Transport
- Rather than having multiple cars to transport the two of you and your I Do crew, consider hiring a combi bus or van
- Do away with the need for transport altogether by getting married and celebrating your reception at the same location
Make up, Hair and Grooming
- Have hair, grooming and make up artists come to you. That means you can all get ready in on place and also minimises the need for your crew to drive separately to hair, grooming and make up appointments
Lighting
- Celebrate your ceremony outdoors, choose a venue filled with natural light for your reception
- Party during the day instead of at night
- Decorate your venue with natural beeswax or soy candles
Food and Drinks
- Choose a venue, caterer or food truck that uses locally sourced and grown foods
- Sign on the dotted line with companies that value sustainable food growing habits, dispose of their waste responsibly and rely on sustainable power sources to run their businesses
- Source local wines, craft beers and spirits from local vineyards and distilleries. That way you are likely supporting local business and ensuring that your drinks don’t have to travel half way around the country or the world to get to you.
Wedding Photography
- You shouldn’t compromise on getting a wedding album made up if its something you think you’ll look at a lot. However, if you are the type of couple that are more likely to relive all the feels of your wedding day digitally, then get a virtual album created instead
- Consider reviewing all of your images online before you decide which ones you want in an album. This means your photographer want have to print out every single shot they took on your day (which can be hundreds of shots!)
Wedding vendors sustainability measures
- Where possible, source vendors who live locally. This reduces their need to travel long distances to get to you on your wedding day and for any meetings leading up to your big day and reduces their carbon footprint
- Where possible, sign contracts virtually rather than printing reams of paper
- Meet virtually with your wedding vendors, rather than in person, when it makes sense to do so
Sustainable wedding ideas – something for everyone
So, there you have it lovers. Weaving some level of sustainability into your wedding is not at all difficult. Even if you use just some of the wedding sustainability tips and ideas above, you will be contributing to a healthier planet for not just us, but generations to come.
Need a hand pulling together your dream wedding? I’m here to help. Get in touch to hear how I can help you with full and partial wedding planning services, on the day coordination or single wedding task completion. Just think of Hey Lovers as your wedding genie in a bottle!