The Conscious Guide to Planning an Eco-Friendly Wedding

The biggest party you’ll ever throw will typically be everything but gentle to our planet. Brand new and abnormally expensive attires, excessive food waste, throwaway decor, and plenty of other environmental repercussions. Yes, weddings are not usually eco-friendly events, but it doesn’t mean that you cannot reflect your sustainable values in your wedding details.

You may think “green wedding” is too much legwork, but it doesn’t have to be. Take note of the eco-wedding ideas and tips below and spend the most special day of your life without a pinch of guilt!

Choose eco-friendly invitations
There are so many ways to invite people other than killing dozens of trees and polluting the planet, particularly now when wedding vendors are becoming more environmentally conscious. There are companies printing invitations on recycled paper, and there are those taking it one step farther when it comes to sustainability efforts, planting one tree for every received order. You can also add a cute green note on the bottom or back of the invitation, like “save me, frame me or recycle me”, raising awareness and sharing your sustainable values with your friends and family. And finally, if you want to go completely green, go paperless. Email invites and online save-the-dates where guests can RSVP on your wedding website don’t only save on paper and postage, but are very practical as well.

Pick an eco-friendly venue
Whether the wedding is green or not highly depends on the venue. One of the best ways to cut down on energy is to get married outdoors, like on a farm, vineyard or beach, with plenty of natural lighting. However, an outdoor event isn’t for everybody and in some cases it’s not an option due to weather. There are tons of ways to go green with indoors venues as well. Start with having both the ceremony and the reception in one place and thus cut back on fuel emissions. Look for sustainable hotels and eco-friendly restaurants, such as a magical Vaucluse restaurant, with picturesque natural surroundings and deliciously prepared meals from ethically and sustainably sourced ingredients. Moreover, the Botanica Vaucluse is committed to local growers and suppliers, offering freshly picked and prepared fruits and veggies, as well as a range of house-made and organic drinks from various Australian regions.

Go green with wedding attires
Yes, of course that the wedding dress is the center piece of the event, and most often the most expensive one. It’s natural and understandable to have been dreaming of a perfect wedding gown since you were a little girl, and to not settle for less when the day finally comes. The average wedding dress costs a fortune, and is also very often made overseas with questionable labor practices. But there are ways to have both, a gorgeous look and a clear conscience. Reusing a dress by going vintage or pre-loved is the best eco option, but not the only one. If you wish to have your very own dress, seek out designers committed to environmentally friendly fabrics and ethical production.

Cut down on waste
The most challenging part of hosting an eco-friendly wedding is handling all the waste. Starting with unavoidable non-reusable decor, through plastic packaging, to fireworks, events like weddings hardly keep up with sustainability and ethics. Nevertheless, don’t stress out, there’s a lot you can do to make sure your wedding euphoria affects the environment as little as possible. Instead of littering your exit toss, go for the alternative of paper confetti and bags of biodegradable, water-soluble substitutes.Or even greener, take a plant-based approach and have your guests throw rose petals, fresh herbs and micro flowers, creating stunning, photogenic, yet eco-friendly scenery for the exit toss.

Although it may sound like mission impossible, it’s more than possible to stay loyal to your conscious lifestyle, sustainable values and eco-friendliness while walking down the aisle. Follow the guide above, and have a dream wedding feeling totally guilt-free when it comes to the environment!