6 Easy Ways To Have a Green Eco-Friendly Wedding
Now, i’m sure all of us know that weddings aren’t exactly “green.” Things often go to waste, and end up in landfills. Protecting the environment is becoming more important in our day to day lives, and luckily, it's also becoming increasingly easy. If you and your partner plan to host an earth-loving celebration, or just want to implement a few eco-friendly options, you'll be pleased to know that there are plenty of ways to do so.
1. Elope or have a smaller wedding
This one is kinda a given. Less people attending your wedding will lead to less waste! You won’t need as much food to serve, less table settings, less decorations, LESS EVERYTHING!
2. Sustainable Invitations
Millions of trees are knocked down each year to make paper products, and the production process for these items pollutes the environment. Now more and more couples are trying to help by making eco-friendly invitation choices. You can also reduce the insertions in your invitations by directing people to your wedding website for more details. For your invitation, keep an eye on the stationers that offer recycled paper products and vegetable-based inks.
Some paper products can even be planted - yes, plantable! Paper encrusted with seeds, so people can plant them in their backyards and the paper turns into flowers, plants or herbs instead of ending up in a landfill. Or you can opt for sustainable resources, like cotton items!
You can even ditch paper invitations entirely and just email them! You can find a lot of great templates online. I personally love using Canva!
3. Provide Guests With a Single Glass for Beverages
Giving guests a new glass every time they come up to the bar is a good practice to keep things sanitary, but it does lead to a whole lot more dishes to wash. Plastic cups are even worse! That’s why I suggest providing each guest with a glass that they have to keep track of throughout the wedding reception.
Tip: You can also customize the glass and it can become a favor for your guests!
4. Sustainable confetti
There are a lot of great options nowadays for confetti that won’t harm the environment- yay! If you want to use this tradition at your wedding, pick a biodegradable option. You can even make your own confetti out of leaves and a hole-punch! Don’t forget about flower petals!
6. Reuse Decor Elements Throughout the Wedding Day
This is probably my favorite tip! It's time to stop thinking that every piece of your wedding decor only has one use. Remember, you can always reuse decor items during the event to reduce waste and to also save you money! Your ceremony backdrop? Turn it into a photo booth backdrop. Wedding party bouquets? Turn them into centerpieces! Try to find a second use for every decor item you add to your wedding decor list.
Now keep in mind, you don’t have to do ALL these things to have a positive impact on the environment. Even just implementing one of these tips will help! Don’t be afraid to get creative, and remember to have fun!