Wedding season is year-round these days! If you are planning a wedding and want to be eco-friendly and save a little green, why not throw a sustainable wedding? The following guide can help you host a sustainable party.
BENEFITS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT: As discussed in the carbon dioxide (CO2) and 500 lbs of waste!1 By making more environmentally friendly choices, you can keep items from needlessly filling up landfills and help to conserve our Earth’s natural resources.
Cost: The average wedding in the United States costs $30,000… not cheap! By creating some elements of your wedding on your own, you can cut down on the cost of your wedding substantially.
Time and Effort: Varies from low to high, depending on the chosen project. You can start by greening a few aspects of your wedding, or if you are more ambitious, you can aim for a completely eco-friendly gala.
Step 1: The Ring
2,000 tons of gold are mined each year to be turned into jewelry.2 That’s 80% of the gold mined around the world! Just imagine how much mining we could spare ourselves if we reused the gold sitting in vaults and in old, unused jewelry.3 If melting down old jewelry to create new one-of-a-kind rings is not an option available to you, there are plenty of other environmentally friendly things you can do. Above all, make sure that your diamonds or other stones were not mined in war zones to fund conflicts (these diamonds are commonly known as “blood diamonds.”4 For alternatives, find diamonds mined under the supervision of Amnesty International5 or stones mined from Australia or Canada.6 Even better, try to find vintage rings, lab-created diamonds,7 or wooden bands.8
Step 2: The Invitations
E-mailing invitations saves paper and air-based mail carpool or use public transit. You can use groupcarpool.com to organize carpools to your wedding. It’s made for private events and is much easier to use than spreadsheets. You can also include public transportation routes.
In addition, you might consider choosing a spot where you can host both your ceremony and reception. According to eco event planner Sadie Waddington, “this will cut down on your CO2 emissions and budget expenses, with the added benefit of making sure your guests don’t get lost between venues, which can eat into precious cocktail reception time!”9
If you are planning a destination-type wedding , consider offsetting the air travel emissions . You could even encourage guests to purchase carbon offsets in lieu of buying a wedding gift.
Step 4: The Attire
Although the bride’s gown is the centerpiece of many weddings, most brides wear their wedding gowns exactly once. There are many ways to make the wedding outfits greener,10 including:
- Purchasing vintage or used clothes, purses, and accessories;
- Choosing clothes made from organic materials such as hemp, bamboo, cotton or silk, with all-natural dyes if you want pops of color;
- Buying a dress or suit that you will actually wear again;
- Using all-natural makeup; and
- Donating dresses to charity after the event.11
Step 5: The Food and Flowers
12In addition to servingvegetarian dishes or just cutting back on animal products—it’s good for the planet and your body.
Although flowers help to bring the natural beauty of the world into your wedding, that does not necessarily mean that blooms are eco-friendly. Many flowers are treated with pesticides and are grown abroad. To help green your wedding bouquet and centerpieces, choose local, seasonal flowers. Veriflora® certified flowers are easily found online, or if you are feeling crafty, create your own arrangements. 14
Step 6: The Décor and Party Favors
Hiring a decorator for your wedding can be an expensive undertaking. In order to save money and reduce the environmental impact of your décor, consider doing things yourself. Several websites and stores specialize in sustainable party supplies that are reusable or made out of recycled materials. For example, check out wbla.eventbrite.com. You can also turn to the online handmade marketplace Etsy.com for locally created decorations, or find inspiration to make things yourself on your own, through books, magazines, and idea sites like Pinterest©.
You can also save on party favors. No matter how practical a couple thinks their parting gifts are, many guests throw them away or forget entirely to take them at the end of the night. You can donate to a charity instead,15 or give edible favors such as local jam or honey. For a more lasting favor, give out something guests can grow, like seeds in pretty packets.
You will remember your wedding for the rest of your life. What better day to make a statement of your commitment to making the planet a greener place?
