Incorporate Sustainability in your Wedding Details
When a couple plans their day, vendors from near and far will come to coordinate as one bringing the wedding to life. However, have you ever thought about the amount of waste a wedding adds up to? According to The Green Bride Guide by Kate Harrison, the average wedding produces 400 pounds of waste and 63 tons of CO2. Each event brings forward a new opportunity to be innovative and scale down event waste.
Here are 5 tips to reduce your carbon footprint on your wedding:
It may be the last thing on your mind but designing an eco-friendly wedding begins from the start. Once you and your planner discuss the details of your entire day then you can implement ethical vendors and materials that match the vision.
01 Be Resourceful with Your Food
Food and beverage is not only your biggest factor for your budget but also the largest waste factor. As stated in The Event Waste Expose: The Dirty Dozen food waste contaminates 20-80% of your overall waste. Ask your planner to research caterers that enforce waste streams and use waste reduction strategies. In order to reduce transmission emissions, source from local organic farmers, breweries, and wineries. Southwest Florida is home to many venues and caterers that prioritize sustainability and source locally. Decide on dishes that include the local seasonal produce to reduce outsourcing.
02 Choose Your Paper Wisely
When announcing and inviting your loved ones to the big day choose the right medium for each occasion. Understand that not everyone is going to keep the paper invitations you send them, therefore you may want to opt-in for seed paper invites. When guests receive the seed paper, have them scan a QR code on the invite to download the event into their calendar and they can then plant it to enjoy the flowers bloom as a reminder! If you have a longer engagement period, consider sending digital interactive invites for the smaller events such as the engagement party, bachelorette, and day-after brunch.
03 Re-Purposed Wedding Attire
The bride’s wedding dress is often envisioned way before the groom enters the bride’s life. The dress is well thought of, worn on the big day, and then admired for years to come. If you were gifted a pre-worn gown from a family member there are ways to include or modernize it for your special day. Before you decide to buy look into renting or resale options. There are specialty boutiques and brand lines that offer sustainable gowns.
04 Rent Your Florals
Brides have choices when it comes to renting florals and yes the flowers can be real! For true florals, there are online services that match you with a local florist based on your design, budget, and other big day details. After the ceremony, you can sell back your florals to be repurposed or donate them to local organizations. For faux florals, search for silk ones online to rent, there are companies that offer a variety of predesigned florals with colors ranging from blushes to deeper tones. They have pieces for the entire bridal party, ceremony, reception, cake, and even pup floral collars! Whichever choice you choose, there are many sustainable and affordable options.
Sunset at Big Carlos Pass Estero, Florida on June 16, 2020
05 Certified Green LEED Venues
If your wedding location is surrounded by natural beauty splurge for the outdoor ceremony and save on the excessive florals. In Florida, being near the beach does not mean you have to host the wedding there, SWFL offers other breathtaking venues. Instead of having the ceremony in the sand, why not choose a shady Banyan tree? If you are worried about the weather, there are many outdoor venues that offer indoor sustainable spaces for a ceremony location backup and reception. Ask your planner for their venue directory to choose your perfect green location.
Remember to relax, only substitute sustainable solutions when you genuinely feel one choice reigns over the other. Prepare a balanced plan of mix and match options for sustainability and budget.
Contact your planner today to create your wedding sustainability plan.
