Green Weddings | Sustainable & Eco-Friendly Options for Your Wedding with Green House Project
Happy Earth Day friends & clients! Today I'm so excited to be collaborating with my best friend Mary Green of Green House Project to talk about ways to incorporate sustainable & eco-friendly options into your wedding.
Although weddings are just one day, they can create so much waste! From decor, single use plastic, food, florals and more, we're going to touch upon ways you can be mindful of your options during wedding planning.
Remember, none of us are perfect but I hope you use this as a tool and inspiration for options to consider when planning your wedding day.
Rings
Starting with your ring. Consider responsibly sourced diamonds or alternatives like moissanite, sapphires, and emeralds. GHP also suggests to look into lab grown diamonds like Canadian Diamonds, Recycled diamonds through the Gemological Institute of America, or through Kalahari Dream (a company that prides themselves on giving back to the communities in South Africa through job training, education, and community outreach).
Another option is to think about a vintage ring or a family heirloom as your wedding ring. There are so many ways to think outside of the box and be responsible when choosing your wedding ring.
Invites & Paper Goods
I'm a sucker for pretty paper along with so many others, but there are still ways to incorporate paper stationary in a 'greener' way. Look into recycled paper from companies like Artifact Uprising or Minted. There are even companies out there like Botanical Paperworks that offer paper that contains seeds that can be planted. If you're working with a local printing services like Gus & Ruby, ask about your options!
Think about your paper use beyond just your invitations - consider opting out of using paper programs or paper signage. Look at using materials like driftwood, rented glass signage, and more.
Rent Tabletop Items & More
Renting tabletop items like plates, forks, glasses, etc. is an easy way to reduce your single use plastic. But renting goes beyond just the essentials, consider renting some of your decor vs. purchasing something you will use once. Some of our favorite rental companies to work with A Family Affair, Heartwood Essentials & One Stop Event Rentals.
If you do opt to buy some of your own decor items consider buying items that you'll use again. For our wedding we had some custom signs made and now we use it for home decor. We also used lots of dried pampas grass, driftwood, and barnacles knowing we could reuse them in our home in the future.
Food & Florals When it comes to food & florals talk to your vendors about using local, sustainable, and seasonal items. Also make plans for what to do with what's left over. Can you pack up your food? Compost it? Can you donate floral arrangements to guests or drop off at a local hospital? There are so many ways to get creative to reduce waste.
Other ideas:
1. Incorporate potted plants.
2. Double Duty Decor
ex: move ceremony piece into reception
ex: bridesmaids bouquets into reception
Favors:
Favors are a great way to get creative with eco-friendly options. Consider donating to a charity, edible items, or seeds or plants that guests can take home. If you're deciding to include favors be thoughtful in your choices, don't just include items that your guests are going to chuck in the trash when they get home. Gift them something useful & meaningful that they can cherish.
Attire:
Have you ever considered a pre-owned wedding dress? Sites like Rent the Runway, Once Wed, and Poshmark all have great options. Even consider items like wedding shoes, veils, rehearsal dinner dress, or bridesmaid dresses!
Are you going green for your wedding? Share your ideas with us and we will keep this blog post updated for our future clients.
Also be sure to check out Green House Project as a resource for attainable sustainability! She has a wealth of knowledge for home & beauty options and so much more.
