Sustainable Love

A wedding, above all else, is an opportunity to bring everyone you love in the world together and to bask in the beautiful community that you and your partner have created. But without effective oversight, it’s also an opportunity to disturb the environment in which all those precious connections were made. Here’s how to make something so blissful, less wasteful. Your love is built to last. Not your carbon footprint.

Sustainability actually doesn’t require as much of a sacrifice or as much effort as many are led to believe. You can still have the wedding of your dreams while being eco-friendly. In fact, going green can make your special day even more lush and magical. Your venue, for instance. Choosing one that’s relatively close to most of the guest list and has everything on site is a great start. This will significantly reduce the wedding’s carbon footprint. But that’s not all. Instead of shoehorning everyone into a synthetic-feeling banquet hall, you can celebrate your nuptials in the great outdoors! Opt for a national park and you’ll aid in its preservation. Opt for a beach and the fees will likely go toward tidying efforts. Either way you’ll curb your energy consumption enormously. You’ll also be able to cut back on decor because nature is a natural provider. At least as far as picturesque backdrops are concerned. When it comes to plates and cutlery and linen, thrifting or renting is the way to go. Glass stemware and china give elegance, while purchased plastic not properly disposed will inevitably end up in a landfill. 

While single-use dinnerware isn’t ideal, you can at least make sure they’re compostable. The idea is to create a closed-loop of sustainability. This means reusing and recycling objects used in one context for another. Candles are a great example. Go beeswax instead of paraffin! And if you haven’t burned them by night’s end, you can bring them home. A similar concept applies to flowers. Why not use potted plants or herbs instead of single-use floral arrangements? Dried flowers are also an excellent option. You can upcycle bottles and tin cans to turn into vases, and then send them off with your guests when the celebration is over. Alternatively, if you do decide to go fresh, choose seasonal blooms. Afterwards, you can donate them to a nursing home. Just make sure your florist goes foam-free!

Another way to go green is by using organic materials for furniture and decor. Think hay bales as seats and centerpieces made of greenery. Even your print programs and invitations can be made of seed paper. As far as food goes, try to find a caterer who’s seasonal and will haul the excess away for you in order to use it for their own sustainable purposes. But if your vendors aren’t as environmentally conscious as you would hope, or if you feel ill-equipped to oversee it all, hire an eco clean up service to put your mind at ease. It really is easy, and gratifying, to go green.