Millions of weddings take place around the world every year, and while they're a joyful and loving occasion, they usually come with a huge ecological footprint. From food and flowers to invitations and party favors, weddings have the potential to produce a lot of waste.
Fortunately, there are several ways to make your wedding more environmentally friendly. From choosing local suppliers to using recycled paper products, there are actually some pretty simple solutions to helping reduce waste and keep our planet clean.
However, it's important to remember that there's no single solution for sustainability. What may work for one couple may not work for another. With this in mind, here are 8 tips that'll help you have a greener wedding.
Image: Kape Photography
#1 Say Goodbye to Printed Invitations
We know that printed wedding invitations can be beautiful and very exciting to hold in your hands, but let's face it, it's something you really don't absolutely need to have, considering that at the end of the day, they just accumulate waste.
It's not required that you have printed invitations, in the modern age, you can create digital invitations that are just as cute and even interactive!
However, if you don't like the idea of having digital invitations and would prefer to go the traditional route, then look for them to be made on recycled paper to reduce your environmental impact. This also applies to your wedding menu, cards, and any other type of stationery you have for your big day.
#2 Incorporate Nature in Your Decoration
One of the best ways to make your wedding more sustainable is to incorporate nature into your décor! This can be anything from using fresh flowers and plants to using wood and still life.
The idea with this is to reduce the garbage generated with the decoration, and rather look for options that are easier to reintegrate into nature or to compost.
Image: MemoryBox
#3 Get Rid of the Balloons
Balloons are widely used in all kinds of celebrations, including weddings, but they're quite harmful to the environment. Once released, they often end up in the sea where they can become toxic and even kill marine life.
Instead of using balloons to decorate, look into using recycled paper lanterns. They're much more eco-friendly and look super cute!
#4 Buy Local
One of the best ways to reduce your wedding's carbon footprint is by buying local. This means that you should try to purchase all of your wedding supplies from local businesses. This'll help support the local economy, and will also reduce the amount of pollution that is generated from transportation.
Image: Jules Marie Events
#5 Select Sustainable Food Choices
Food can be a hotly debated topic in the green wedding realm. Look for suppliers that focus on local, sustainable and seasonal cuisine. Don't be afraid to ask about the farms they work with, and how they source the meat and seafood they use in their dishes.
For example, if you're going to get married in Mexico, don't look to have a menu prepared with ingredients from Europe or Asia. Take advantage of the delicacies that come from the land where your wedding will take place.
The more local all the inputs are, the lower the carbon footprint and the fresher everything will be!
#6 Use Beeswax Candles
If you want to use candles at your wedding, make sure you use beeswax candles. They're much more environmentally friendly than traditional paraffin candles as they're made from a renewable, chemical-free resource.
Also, beeswax candles produce very little smoke, are non-toxic when lit, and are biodegradable!
Image: The Wedding Avenue
#7 Don't Use Confetti
Of course, forget about using confetti. Most confetti is made from paper or plastic, which means it'll take a long time to decompose.
Instead of using confetti, use rice, birdseed or flowers. They're ecological alternatives that can have the same use as confetti, but without the environmental impact.
#8 Give Eco-friendly Favors
If you want to give a little gift of thanks to your guests, choose an ecological option.
For example, you can give them seeds to plant a tree when they return home, or a decorative object made from recycled paper. Also, if you like DIY projects, you can make eco-friendly products at home like soaps or candles.
As you can see there are several ways that your wedding can be more environmentally friendly while still being fun and beautiful. Incorporate some of these eco-friendly tips and you'll find that you'll have an even more special wedding than you had imagined.
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