We live in a very important period of human history. Human activity has pushed our planet towards a tipping point. Unless we change the way we interact with the world soon, the planet is headed towards a time of devastation. This issue might not be the type of thing you want to think about when planning your wedding day. The truth is, though, that we must start considering the environmental impact of everything we do.
Your wedding day is about the moment itself, but it is also about the future. Having a hospitable world is an important element for a happy future with your spouse, especially if you are planning on starting a family together.
Environmentally friendly wedding planning doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. You also don’t have to sacrifice anything. You simply need to look at things from a different perspective and keep the planet in mind with the decisions you make.
Wedding Invitations
Some people need to have a printed wedding invitation that they send out. However, if you don’t find physical wedding invitations to be quite so essential, you might want to consider going completely digital. There are plenty of options for creating beautiful digital wedding invitations that don’t create waste. Most of your guests are not going to keep their invitation after the fact anyway. Going digital can makes a lot of sense.
You also have to option to have a single hard copy printed for yourself as a memento of the occasion, while everyone else receives a digital copy.
If your desire for paper invitations is too high, consider environmentally friendly options. Using recycled paper or the plantable paper is a good way to reduce waste. and make your wedding greener.
Choose Your Vendors Carefully
When choosing your caterer, florist, and any other vendor for your big day, do your research. There are plenty of vendors out there who incorporate environmentally conscious practices into everything they do.
You can find caterers who get their food from local farmers, compost all their waste and avoid plastic. On the other hand, if you’ve decided to use plants as wedding decorations, work with vendors who provide real potted plants, succulents and several other greeneries that certainly make your wedding extra special. Due to fake plants’ cheaper costs, some vendors tend to use fake plants to generate more profit.
Unfortunately, fake plants and other greeneries don’t have value for the environment. That said, you should look for a reliable event plant for hire vendor in your area to ensure you only use real greeneries for your eco-friendly wedding. Florists and other similar vendors who work with sustainably grown flowers or are interested in creating centerpieces from potted plants can really help reduce your environmental impact while still providing you with the beautiful look you want.
These vendors also offer assistance to customers in creating a greenery filled space with the utmost care and attention to detail.
Hence, to help you find the right vendor, conduct thorough research online to find out more information about your prospects. With the right vendor by your side, your wedding will be both aesthetically appealing and environmentally-friendly.
Avoid Plastics and Other Disposables
While renting dishes and linens can be a bit more expensive than disposable options, if you can afford it, the reduction in environmental impact can be huge. If you can’t afford to skip the disposables, at least avoid using plastic. Use paper plates and napkins made from recycled material, and one of a variety of plastic alternatives for cups and cutlery.
Choose Your Venue Carefully
The location of your wedding is often one of the most important decisions you will make regarding your big day. Choosing a venue committed to eco-friendly practices can help to greatly reduce the environmental impact of your wedding day. Venues that use solar power are a great way to ensure a lower carbon footprint. A good option will also have things like low-flow toilets, energy-efficient lighting, and recycling and compost.
However, the practices of the venue aren’t the only thing you need to take into consideration when trying to choose an option that is not going to have a harmful impact on the planet. You must also consider transportation. If all of your guests have to travel to a remote location for your wedding, the transportation impact is going to be significant. Consider having your wedding in an easily accessible area.
Also, have the wedding and reception at the same location. Not making your guests travel to two separate locations is both environmentally friendly and courteous to those who have come out for the occasion. It is much easier on everyone involved if they can stay put once they arrive.
You might also want to consider arranging for carpools or a shuttle to reduce the number of vehicles and give more guests an opportunity to enjoy a drink.
When booking any location, remember to ask about their policy regarding insurance. While the venue likely carries its own insurance, most still require you to purchase insurance as well. Visit https://www.eventsured.com/ to view options for wedding insurance.
Wear a Secondhand Wedding Dress
For those who love thrift-shopping, the idea of getting a secondhand wedding dress is likely right up your alley. However, even those who normally do not go in for used clothing should consider a secondhand wedding dress. After all, unlike other secondhand clothing, a secondhand wedding dress is not likely to have been worn very much. When it was worn, it was most likely treated with the utmost care.
Wedding dresses are often one of the most wasteful items at a wedding. Most wedding dresses only get worn once. Even if you choose a dress from a shop that specializes in secondhand wedding dresses and the dress has been worn by a few brides and re-donated afterward, you can feel pretty confident that it has only been worn a handful of times. Another great reason for going secondhand is that they tend to have much lower price tags.
Of course, there are even cheaper options out there. If a friend or relative has a good taste and similar measurements, you can use their dress as well. Borrowing a dress can really cut down on cost, and you can feel very confident in where your dress has been.
After your wedding is over, consider continuing the cycle. Donate your dress to a secondhand wedding dres’s shop and let the item that was so special to you on your big day be special for someone else as well. It is a much better fate for your dress than simply hanging in the back of your closet forever.
There Are Plenty of Other Little Ways to Reduce Your Impact
From ethical wedding rings to decorations that you’ll keep for your home or give to guests for theirs, there are plenty of other small little ways in which you can minimize the carbon footprint of your wedding day.
Aside from those things mentioned earlier, you can also consider eco-friendly ideas for your wedding send-off. For example, instead of using fireworks that can cause air pollution, you can give your guests candles that they can take home. You can also give them little bells that they can bring home or drop off in a box for recycling purposes.
With a bit of consideration of all these little ways, you can easily have the day of your dreams without harming the planet in the process.