Your Guide to Incorporating Sustainable Wedding Practices
Alison Phillips Photography
Weddings aren’t typically synonymous with “sustainability,” but we can help change that by incorporating sustainable practices into weddings. Whether that’s during wedding planning, your ceremony, reception, or the entire process, here are several ways you can incorporate sustainable practices into your wedding.
Choose an eco-friendly wedding venue, such as one that can host a ceremony and a reception to minimize travel and carbon emissions.
Consider reusable signage options - such as chalkboard, acrylic, or glass pieces that can be reused or recycled.
Hit the thrift store or score online marketplaces for decor pieces such as wine bottles, glass jars, or bowls.
Speaking of marketplaces, consider searching for second hand accessories from a former bride. Many bride accessories are easily reusable!
For typical disposable pieces (like cocktail hour plates), you can easily find cute tableware from thrift stores that can either be reused or resold in the future!
Resell any non-custom or personalized wedding decor. Not only are you recouping some of the expenses but you’re also helping out another bride.
For lighting, consider using candles or LED lighting, which typically uses only 25% energy than regular light bulbs.
Post wedding, rather than toss your flowers and arrangements, consider donating them to a local business that can repurpose them into arrangements for hospitals, nursing homes and shelters.
Pre-wedding, we all know digital invitations are much more economical than paper invitations!
For your wedding dress, consider purchasing a pre-owned wedding gown. Whether that’s from a consignment store or online, you can easily get it altered or alter it yourself to fit your style!
Incorporating one or even a few of these ideas may not seem like much, but it all adds up! Plus, you never know if you’ll inspire a future bride to consider more sustainable options for their wedding day.