There are endless possibilities to make your wedding eco-friendly, and there’s no better time than Earth Day to highlight some sustainable ways to support the environment on your special day. More and more brides are focusing on incorporating eco-friendly décor, florals, and catering into their events, and exploring different ways to care for the environment. To celebrate Earth Day, here are a few sustainable ideas that are sure to make any wedding an event to remember while giving back to the environment in the process.
SIGNAGE AND INVITATIONS
Finding creative ways to encourage suitability through your save the dates, invitations, and signage is a simple and super effective way to give back to the environment. Companies like Botanical Paperworks are working to make this process effortless, offering wedding invitations made from seed paper that bloom into herbs or flowers when planted. With elegant layouts and customizable options, these darling designs are sure to set the perfect tone for your event and give guests a lasting memory they can continue to care for.
Another great way to minimize your environmental impact is to explore ways to repurpose your signage at your wedding. Multi-purpose signs can be reused after the event and utilizing materials like chalkboards and even glass that can be decorated using washable paint is a great way to pave the way for repurposing down the line while keeping the décor trendy.
CATERING AND BARTENDING
With growing amounts of catering focused on locally sourced, seasonal food, there’s lots of room to explore delicious creations that are also eco-friendly for your event. To reduce food waste, consulting with your caterers for ways to save leftovers if possible is an effective way to reduce your environmental footprint and might even give you some delicious food to commemorate the event later or even donate to a local shelter or nonprofit. Looking for a local caterer in your area will save environmental and monetary costs on shipping and is a great way to highlight local flavors surrounding your venue and its natural offerings.
And a surefire way to ensure any food waste does get repurposed is to work with your caterers to compost any remaining food after your wedding, some companies like re even offering to bring compost bins to events and work with caterers to streamline the composting process, making it effortless for any couple on their big day.
Another great opportunity to keep things sustainable is to feature a custom mixologist, many of who focus on maximizing all ingredients and minimizing environmental impact. For example, the Natural Mixologist operates with a farm-to-table mindset and uses nearly every part of the fruits and ingredients that make up these delicious cocktails.
FLORALS
When it comes to incorporating sustainable floral elements into your wedding, there are countless ways to prioritize the environment. Brides are incorporating sustainable florals into their events from centerpieces all the way down to small details. One of the easiest and impactful ways to support the environment is donating your florals after your event, florists like Lilla Bello are repurposing donated flowers into bouquets to donate to hospice care facilities and senior living facilities in Santa Monica and offer a great way to repurpose your beautiful blooms. Although Lilla Bello has temporarily suspended donation services due to the pandemic, they hope to get up and running as soon as possible and help brides repurpose wedding flowers again when it is safe to do so.
Another company exploring sustainability through floral creations is the Milwaukee Flower Co. Whether it is using locally sourced flowers or finding creative ways to repurpose extra materials, this team's focus is on bringing sustainability into your event through innovative designs and repurposing. Their creation of a dreamy “floralfetti" was crafted by owners from leftover blooms and is sure to add a special touch to any big day.
If you’re looking for a great way to be environmentally friendly while also cutting costs, renting flowers is also a fantastic option, and companies like Something Borrowed Blooms are offering stunning and eco-friendly floral arrangements to rent for your big day at reasonable prices. Another great option is to bring native, seasonal flowers into your wedding and utilize potted plants and succulents as centerpieces and décor, which is not only eco-friendly but a chic addition to any event.