Tips for a greener wedding
I recently spent an afternoon organizing my kitchen. As I sorted my drawer of various cling wraps and foils, I fumbled around with commemorative wedding beer cozies and realized I did not have room for another little foamy sleeve, and I don’t think I am alone.
While it may be practically impossible to keep a wedding carbon neutral, there are many little things you can do to make your wedding or event’s environmental impact a little lighter. Our whole team brainstormed some ideas that we are excited to share with you!
Venue & Vendors
Ask your venue if it recycles.
When you meet with vendors, ask them what they plan to do in 2020 to make their business and events greener.
Streamline the number of vendors you use for your event: This will not only make your life easier and reduce the delivery costs you pay, it will minimize the amount of vehicles on the road for your event!
Food & Food service
Use reusable serving items when possible. Plates and flatware can be a pricey item to add, but if food is your focus, these items up the experience and reduce your throw-aways.
Be educated about compostables. If you go the extra mile and pay the extra dollars for compostable disposable items, make sure they are diverted to a facility that can actually compost them. Compostables are not recyclable.
Avoid individual serving, pre-packaged foods that have throw-away wrappers, such as individual bags of potato chips and water bottles. Ask your caterer to help you weigh the options of things like serving potato chips in bulk and having a water station.
Don’t over-buy food. Taking home leftovers from your event can actually be pretty tricky if not downright laborious.
Decor & Floral (We naturally have a lot to say about this category, so buckle in)
Rent, borrow, or thrift as much as you can. Thrifted items bring more personality, and renting ensures that perfectly good items don’t get discarded because it is inconvenient to pack them up.
Beware of the environmental impact of things like spray painting glass bottles. Spray paint isn’t good for the environment, and now the bottles aren’t recyclable.
Be conscious at the craft store. Are there hidden or passed-off costs of this decor your are buying? Can you trust that the supply chain was ethical?
Go for big signage over little pieces of paper. Want to print a menu for each place-setting or make big posters of the featured beverages? Consider getting reusable chalkboards or signage that can be hand-written.
Make signage that becomes a keepsake for your home.
Find a sustainable florist. From sourcing locally to reducing waste such as foam and wire, this can make a huge impact. Do you know how far some flowers travel to attend weddings?
Donate flowers to women’s shelters or nursing homes after the event. Some florists offer this service at an add-on, but you might also be able to delegate this task to a friend or family member, or even make delivering the flowers a part of your wedding festivities. We’ve seen so much excitement over flowers at nursing homes that it can get spicy.
Guests & Gifts
Go digital! Utilize online services to offset print materials. We are not saying you need to skip all the printed goods. If you are excited about working with a talented calligrapher, go for it! But if sending the invitation feels like a chore, consider online invitations, or hand-select who gets a mailed invitation.
Encourage the use of public transit and rideshare to get your guests to and fro!
Make your ceremony and reception close together, so guests don’t have to drive to a second location.
In lieu of guest favors, donate to an environmentally friendly organization.
Add experiences to your registry. Everyone has plenty of stuff, whether you have already set up a home together, or will be merging your homes after the wedding, you likely don’t need all new flatware or bath towels.
Overwhelmed by it all? Throw a smaller event!
Of course, you can’t do all the things, so don’t let this list overwhelm you. Instead, let it inspire you to set some intentions and be deliberate. Setting boundaries for your event planning will help you keep things in check as you explore the overwhelming sea of possibilities that is planning a party.
Does this whole article sound a little biased toward renting beautiful things? Well, we might be guilty of that. As a rental company whose core collection is locally made or vintage, we build green thinking into the way we do just about everything. Want to make your wedding greener by re-using and streamlining your vendors? Submit your wishlist today!