5 Ways to Make Your Wedding More Eco-Friendly
November 8, 2023
There are few days as special in a person’s life as their wedding day. It’s easy to want to go all out with every detail—with no expense or extra detail left out. In many cases, this happens without a thought to the footprint it leaves on our planet. If you’re engaged, it’s more important than ever to learn about eco-friendly weddings (and how to plan one you’ll love).
That’s what we’ll cover in this article. We’ll go over why having an eco-friendly wedding is worthwhile, and 5 doable (yet impactful) tips for planning a sustainable wedding that’s unique to you as a couple.
Quick Takeaways
- Eco-friendly weddings can make a difference with collective effort from engaged couples.
- They set a positive example, add personal touches, and can be extremely budget-friendly.
- It’s important to start with a plan and by setting your own personal eco-friendly priorities.
- Impactful ways to plan an eco-friendly wedding include: reducing the use of paper, choosing an eco-friendly venue, using recycled/upcycled decor, and giving out sustainable favors.
Why Have an Eco-Friendly Wedding, Anyway?
Most wedding days are large-scale and public celebrations. Naturally, this comes with a significant amount of resource consumption. Without the right attention to detail, it can inadvertently contribute to harming the environment.
The Green Bride Guide reports that the average wedding produces 400 pounds of garbage and emits 63 tons of CO2. With more than two million weddings happening each year, this amounts to more than a billion pounds of trash and an equivalent amount of emissions to what 4 people produce in a year, all for single-day events.
We’ll be honest—With these kinds of numbers in mind, we understand why many couples feel like trying to be eco-friendly for their one wedding day might have a minimal impact. And it’s true that to make real change, a collective effort is needed.
But there are some really great reasons why you should consider pioneering the effort:
It’s Kind to Our Planet
A traditional wedding can have a substantial ecological footprint. Opting for an eco-friendly wedding instead reduces waste and minimizes environmental harm, reflecting your commitment to a greener, more sustainable future.
It Can Make Your Day More Meaningful
An eco-friendly wedding encourages you to connect with nature, loved ones, and each other on a deeper level. By simplifying and focusing on the things that truly matter, you create a more intimate, meaningful celebration that resonates with your love story.
It Sets a Positive Example
Your wedding can inspire others to make eco-conscious choices. By demonstrating that sustainability and elegance can coexist, you can become a catalyst for friends and family to adopt greener practices in their own lives.
It Can Add a Personal Touch
Eco-friendly weddings often emphasize personalized and handmade details. From DIY decor to locally sourced favors, you’ll have the freedom to infuse your personality into every aspect. This ensures your wedding truly represents who you are as a couple.
It’s Budget-Friendly
Contrary to common perception, eco-friendly choices can be budget-friendly too. By eliminating unnecessary waste and focusing on essential elements, you not only reduce your environmental impact but also save money for what truly matters on your special day.
By choosing to have an eco-friendly wedding, you can align your wedding plans with your values and commitment to creating a better future for the Earth and the people who live here. Let’s look at 7 of the most impactful (yet very doable) ways to make your eco-friendly wedding vision a reality.
5 Doable Ways to Have an Eco-Friendly Wedding
Create a Plan and Set Your Priorities
Before you start acting on your eco-friendly wedding plans, remember this one important thing: It’s hard to do it all. Being sustainable isn’t about being perfect—it’s about making responsible and intentional choices whenever you can. With this in mind, begin by researching eco-friendly wedding ideas (like the ones we’ll cover next), then set priorities unique to your event.
This will help you move in the right direction as you hire vendors, choose a venue, and make decisions about details like invitations, transportation, decorations, catering menus, and more.
Be Sustainable about Paper
Paper is one of the most-used resources for weddings, and there are a lot of ways to make eco-friendly decisions about it. An easy one is to avoid printing out unnecessary documents. Most contracts can be shared and signed digitally, and sample invitation designs can be reviewed the same way. Try to do this as much as possible vs. printing several versions of a document in hard-copy format.
When it comes to guest communication, technology makes it easier than ever to reduce paper usage. Understandably, many couples still want to send out a traditional paper invitation, but can choose to be more eco-friendly by using QR codes and wedding websites to manage RSVPs, registries, and the like directly online.
Here’s an example of a paper invitation that mixes the best aspects of traditional invites with the convenience and sustainability of modern technology:
Choose an Eco-Friendly Wedding Venue
Choosing an eco-friendly wedding venue enables you to be more sustainable in many ways with a single decision. For example: eco-friendly venues often use renewable energy sources, take advantage of natural lighting and decor, prioritize local sourcing and waste reduction, and adopt generally sustainable operating procedures.
As you research venues, you can look for ones with green certifications from trusted regulators like LEED, Energy State, and Green Globe. Don’t hesitate to ask venue managers and sales reps about sustainable practices, either, as you research and vet your top choices.
Go with Natural and Upcycled/Recycled Decor
Anything that’s single-use is generally not great for the environment. You can be more sustainable by using recycled and upcycled decorations for your wedding.
There are a few ways to do it. If you’re looking for ready-made decor, try secondhand marketplaces both online (like Wedzee or Facebook Marketplace), or offline at local thrift shops and flea markets. If you’re crafty and open to DIY projects, you can buy items that need a little TLC before they’ll be ready for your wedding, like old planters, vases, lights, mason jars, and more.
For inspo and an idea of what we mean, check out these old tin-can centerpieces and wine-bottle table numbers. Both are super budget-friendly, eco-friendly, and have a high-quality vintage look.
Give Sustainable Gifts and Wedding Favors
Giving sustainable wedding favors is not only a way to make your wedding more eco-friendly. But it also gives your favors a personal and unique twist that your guests will love. Some ideas to consider: natural beeswax candles, mini potted plants, homemade jams or honies, or even a charitable donation.
The cool thing about sustainable favors is that they’re almost always custom-made for your event, so they’ll be very personal to you and your guests.
Over to You
The biggest myth around eco-friendly wedding ideas is that they come at the price of quality or even customizability, but we hope these ideas have helped you to see the opposite is true. Making sustainable choices for your wedding almost always means more customization, higher quality, and the ability to personalize your wedding event just for you.
And if you’re looking for a wedding photographer to capture every detail exactly as you envision them, Perennial’s got your back. Contact us today to learn more about our documentary-style photography.
