10 Ideas For An Earth-Friendly Wedding
As much as I love weddings and all of the little details involved, I HATE how wasteful they are. Yes, the excessive, one-use decor is beautiful but at what cost? When planning these details, consider what will happen with the items after the wedding. Where will all of that signage go? Who will want to keep the invitations, regardless of how fancy they are? Almost no one. They will likely end up in the garbage which is insane because you wouldn’t just throw away money, right? The recipients aren’t thinking about it like that but, in reality, that’s what’s happening.
Another thing to consider when planning a wedding is how all of that fits into your budget. With an eco-friendly wedding, you’re cutting costs whether you know it or not. Using natural materials is usually more cost-efficient and will leave more room for the things that you really want like a videographer, dessert food truck, or a photo booth.
Let’s dive into my 10 ideas and alternatives for your green wedding!
1. BIODEGRADABLE SIGNAGE
This tip is exciting because there are some really fun ways to get creative with this. Instead of printing out signs for table numbers, seat assignments, welcome messages, directions, etc. use natural elements that can elevate your theme. In the example above they’ve used regular leaves which would give your tropical or Boho style wedding a pop of nature without much effort.
I’ve also seen people use rocks, sea glass, agate slices, oyster shells, and even dried colorful leaves for a fall theme. Plus, they’re easy, inexpensive to make, and don’t make your guests feel obligated to keep them.
I still have my wine cork place card from a winery wedding.. why? Because I feel bad throwing it away! The downside is that I can’t reuse it or decorate with it so it’s just in a bin somewhere. At least a pretty leaf could go in a book or frame if you really wanted to keep it.
2. ONLINE EVERYTHING
If you avoid printing ANYTHING on paper, do it. Not only will this save you a ton of money, but it will also make everything easier throughout the process. Your guests won’t be able to lose the information, they can easily refer back to it, and there’s no additional cost like handling and postage on top of printing, assembling, wax melts, etc. It looks great on Pinterest but in 2022 it’s almost pointless.
If you have to have an invitation to treasure forever, I would print a small amount and ask my closest friends and family if they would like one. Print them before asking who wants one because people will think more carefully if they know that they're limited.
With the available technology that we have today, everyone just makes a wedding website (unless your planner will make it for you) and the whole process is fairly streamlined. Announcements, invitations, RSVPs, entree selection, COVID updates, etc. can all go on your website, saving you oodles of time and money on paper goods.
3. DITCH THE GIFTS
Instead of creating a wedding registry filled with home items that you may or may not get, ask your guests to bring something to benefit the event like a side dish, dessert, or alcohol. If that’s too risky, they can simply contribute towards the honeymoon fund or recovering from wedding expenses.
If they really want to gift you something, ask them to make you something - it could be a card, a poem, a scarf, or even a candle. There probably won’t be many people who take you up on it and if they do, I bet those items would be worth treasuring. Anything made with love has a special place in my home.
4. SKIP THE BALLOONS
There’s nothing wrong with a grand exit or group celebration/release but there are more eco-friendly ways of doing so. Instead of sending 50-100+ balloons into the sky to later become litter and possible “food” for wildlife, opt for something easier and more affordable like sparklers.
While writing this I learned that releasing doves and other animals is actually considered abuse and doesn't usually end well for the animals. Apparently, most "wild" animals won't survive if they don't come back to their designated retrieval spot. Some butterflies will die in transport, doves/pigeons don't always come back, and dogs can have negative reactions to crowds.
Now, you could get creative and do a water exit with paper boats that your guests can release into the water to follow you out. Bonus points if the boats are made from recycled paper or something that will benefit the water. I would say bubbles but like I mentioned in Tip #10, the bottles could become their own form of waste but maybe there are cardboard bottles that could be composted/recycled.
5. GLASS > ACRYLIC
CREDIT: BAYLY & MOORE
Instead of paying for acrylic signs that don’t easily biodegrade and likely won’t be reused, find a glass frame and have a Calligraphy artist hand letter it or get removable decals printed - OR do a combination of both! Shoot, you don’t even need to buy the frame if your venue already has a glass window or panel located near the gathering areas.
You could also use a glass cabinet/case for a dual purpose like the image above (I love that so much). Not only is that a beautiful way to reimagine signage, but it’s also something you can later reuse in your home for decor or a little greenhouse like they did. Get creative but please, lose the acrylic.
6. FLORAL TIPS
Instead of paying so much money for exotic flowers, find florists who use local suppliers and seasonal options. Not only is this more sustainable, but it is also more cost-efficient and could prevent your flowers from dying too soon. Foraging wildflowers is also a great way to incorporate the effortless beauty of the surrounding nature, just don’t pull from the root.
The use of dried flowers has been incredibly popular in recent years and is another excellent alternative to fresh flowers. They can be a more sustainable practice because dried flowers can be reused or repurposed after the event. Shoot, you could use the same dried flowers throughout your events/shoots if you love the consistency and savings.
7. BUY SECOND-HAND
I wish this topic was more popular! Buying preowned and second-hand items is such a brilliant idea and will save you TONS of money. I started doing this when my niece was born and found some serious gems at the local second-hand baby store; most things were lightly used and the bargains were incredible.
Once I got into the wedding industry I discovered their second-hand market and realized how much of that stuff you don’t end up keeping. If you’re in the early phases of planning, I would look at what’s available second-hand and see how you can incorporate those elements and plan around them. This is especially great if you don’t have an established theme or direction for your decor.
There are several websites dedicated to selling previously used wedding supplies such as decor, cutlery, signs, dresses, aisle runners, cake toppers, and more! Back in 2015 there was a site called Recycle My Wedding but I don’t see it anymore, I assume Wedding Recycle is supposed to be the follow-up? I’ve seen mixed reviews so I’d recommend checking out WedZee and Bravo Bride for other sites dedicated to wedding supplies.
You can also check Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace for wedding-specific items. Your local thrift shops are great options for finding miscellaneous decor like flower jars and vases, table knick-knacks, candle holders, and things to amplify your theme like a typewriter or old umbrellas.
8. LESS PAPER
I know it looks fancy on Pinterest but every single seat at the dinner table does NOT need an individual menu. If you must have a menu posted for each table, just make one for the center so everyone can view it at their convenience instead of crowding the table with more stuff. Your guests probably won't have a place to put their menus once they’ve read them so unless it comes with origami instructions or can be repurposed as a fan, I would pass on that expense.
Also, guests are likely to select their entree when submitting their RSVP so I would include the rest of the menu items on the card or website. Alternatively, you could also use a chalkboard or a recyclable sign to post your menu and drinks options.
Here are some other paper items you simply don’t need: individual itineraries & programs, gift tags, seat assignments, and place settings.
Going the Extra Mile: To make sure your paper products aren’t being sent a landfill, setup a compost bin for the cleanup crew to use and/or have a centralized place where guests can leave their menus, programs, etc.
9. SKIP THE PARTY FAVORS
In reality, your intoxicated guests will forget to grab them on their way out, the favor will get crushed/ruined by the time they get home (especially if they’re flying), or they will never actually eat/use/enjoy said favor.
Even when stored as a keepsake, eventually it will become one of the things that “no longer brings you joy” when you decide to Marie Kondo your home. Instead, if you want to leave your guests to take with them let it be leftover desserts or food so those don’t go to waste.
Flowers that can’t be donated are another great sendoff without creating an additional expense. I guarantee your guests will be much happier to leave with a box of wedding cake or a bag of roses over a sack of Jordan almonds.
10. CONFETTI ALTERNATIVES
I love a good confetti toss but not only is it wasteful, but it could also cost you. Most venues don’t allow it because of the cleanup that follows especially when the same event space is reused days in a row. If there is someone in your wedding planning party or team who is willing to clean it up for you, I would help them out by choosing something that’s bigger in size and/or easy to clean. If you can vacuum the surface, go with something that isn’t too small in size. If vacuuming isn’t an option, choose something bigger in size like flower petals so you can pick or sweep them up. To get around buying more flowers, you can use silk/fake petals or ask your florist for any rejected flowers.
If your venue doesn’t care and you just want something that won’t be considered littering, try dried flowers or leaves like eucalyptus. They will blow away easily if you have an outdoor wedding plus they can be used to further your design theme (ex. black petals or lavender). I would say bubbles but if the plastic bottles aren’t recycled then that’s just more plastic waste.
What do you think? Did I miss anything? Are the more resources my readers should know about?
Comment below with your suggestions, recommendations, and personal anecdotes if you’ve had success or failure with these ideas.