Environmentally Friendly Wedding Ideas

The Green Bride Guide says that “the average wedding produces 400 lbs of garbage and 63 tons of CO2. With an estimated 2.5 million weddings per year, that is about 1 billion lbs of trash and as many emissions as approximately 4 people would produce in a year, in just one single day.” Jaws on the floor. Isn’t that insane? We think it’s important to do your part to incorporate green alternatives into your wedding day, so we’ve compiled a list of a few ways you can do this!

Environmentally Friendly Wedding Ideas

Opt For Vintage Rings / Wedding Bands

So, diamonds aren’t the most eco friendly. The Ring Austin says “The biggest environmental issues associated with diamond mining are soil erosion, deforestation, loss of habitat for wildlife and in extreme cases has been known to cause entire ecosystems to collapse.” How important is it to you and your partner to have new diamonds? If the answer is not that important, consider opting for vintage rings and wedding bands! If you have time, scour estate sales as well as vintage shops for some rare finds! Or, if you have one, propose with a family heirloom!

 

Use Recycled Paper for Your Invitations

This option is becoming very popular, so finding a vendor that offers recycled paper shouldn’t be hard! One of the cutest ideas we’ve seen, is using seed paper like in the photo above! Seed paper is biodegradable material and can be planted in soil to sprout flowers! The wedding invitation that keeps on giving! Check out Botanical Paperworks for more info on seed paper!

 

Book Your Wedding at a National Park

Outdoor weddings will never go out of style, so why not book your wedding in a beautiful location like a national park? The great outdoors provides all the light you need, so no need for any artificial lights! As a bonus if you’re on a budget, parks usually offer special permits for a reduced price! This is also a great options because your money will be going towards conserving the national park, or to projects like beach cleanups!

 

Keep an Eye out for Built in Decor in Venues

Finding a venue that’s rich in beautiful built in architecture/landscaping is a major score, and can save you so much money! The less decor you have to buy for your wedding the better, financially and environmentally. Try finding a venue that already has character, either inside or outside; think botanical gardens (like the photo above) or wineries!

 

Donate Your Decor

Good news! Humanity is moving in the right direction, because most people these days don’t trash their wedding decor! The bar is so low, we know! There are a few ways you can go about donating yours. For example, with flowers, there are organizations that will pick them up and bring them to hospitals, retirement homes, homeless shelters, etc. For other decor, think ahead when buying and ask yourself which pieces you would like to incorporate into your home. You can bring what you don’t use to your local donation center, or sell items on facebook marketplace or sites like Mercari or Etsy!

 

Look for Caterers Who Focus on Sustainable, Local, and Seasonal Cuisine

When speaking with caterers, be prepared to ask them a few questions. Ask them if they’re sustainable, and follow up with asking which farmers they work with and where they source their meat and/or seafood from. The more local, the smaller your carbon footprint! Locally sourced food always tastes the best anyways, so it’s definitely worth it to spend a little more. As a bonus, you’re helping out local farmers! If you want to take it a step further, consider having a vegetarian meal! It takes fewer resources, and you aren’t harming any animals. And don’t worry, with the right catering company, you won’t have to sacrifice taste at all!

 

Have a Biodegradable Exit Toss

Instead of throwing confetti, consider something biodegradable! For example, pass out small recyclable paper bags of lavender, rose petals, fresh herbs, or micro flowers to give to the guests! Some couples also fill buckets instead of individual bags for guests to grab a handful of! This way, there’s no littering, and let’s be real, any of these environmentally friendly options are going to be a lot prettier in pictures! It’s a win-win!

These are just a few, of many, ways that you can make your wedding more environmentally friendly! With the amount of waste that the average wedding produces, changing just one thing could really help out the planet!