Five tips to throw a sustainable wedding.
Will & Sanaya had a fabulous DIY wedding at a school camp.
Weddings are huge days, quite often built up as the most important day of our lives. There's so many people, a tonne going on and so many things that need planning and arranging. As a society we are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious and the impacts of climate change are becoming far more widespread and well known, hosting a sustainable celebration is often at the forefront of your mind when it comes to planning your day.
Fortunately it's becoming easier than ever to throw a sustainable and environmentally friendly wedding.
With many vendors specialising in sustainability and having eco-conscious products available, its easier than ever to throw a low impact event. Personally to ensure my business has the smallest environmental impact it can I try to usually buy second hand camera gear (all professional grade and extremely high quality of course!) minimize and packaging involved (online gallery delivery is way more convenient than outdated USB's as well) and I keep all products I offer (prints, albums etc) produced in Australia to minimize the traveling miles. I also work with print labs that hold the same beliefs as me and minimise any unnecessary waste.
Working with business and vendors that hold the same values as you always makes the day feel even more special and like a true reflection of yourselves. Below are a 5 excellent tips to minimise the waste produced environmental impact of your day.
Dried Rose petals: an eco friendly alternative to confetti
CONFETTI
Have your heart set on being pelted with confetti on the way back down the aisle? Do it. It’s so fun and a fantastic way to feel the outpouring of love and support from all of your nearest and dearest. Plus; who doesn’t love colourful and bright confetti? Sadly traditional confetti can be coated in plastic; meaning that it can take a lifetime to degrade as end up washed into our oceans.Thankfully there are alternatives so you can have fun photos of that moment forever without the guilt. Firstly; there’s nothing more eco conscious than using natural materials themselves! Feel free to get a bit creative with what you’re planning to use.
Dried rose petals always have a fantastic effect (and tend to get more air time than their fresh counterparts.) I’ve had couples in the past simply collecting and home drying petals for the year leading up to their wedding, which works really well and helps to save on costs in the long run too.
For the non traditional approach to the confetti consider leaves. I’ve seen some fantastic weddings end with gum-leaves being thrown on the couple; either in their full form or hole punched for the super dedicated who have an army of helpers. And best of all; this is completely free, with this quantity is key; make sure you have enough for each of your guests to have a decent cone or handful. Will and Sanaya (pictured getting smashed with rose petals above) dried petals from their parents backyard throughout the lead up to their big day.
Eco confetti If you’re heat is set on confetti in its more traditional form; consider purchasing eco/biodegradable confetti. Typically made out of rice paper or gluten and corn starch it’s dissolvable and can help abate to cleanup concerns your venue may have. There’s a huge range of colours, shapes and sizes around so take your pick!'
FOOD
When you’re feeding 100 or so people, considering the food you serve on your day can be a really good way to cut down on the impact. It can be worth considering a vegan/vegetarian wedding, which can also sometimes save on costs a little bit. Fat and Skinny catering do phenomenal vegan catering which I’ve been lucky enough to eat a few times myself. Ask your venue if this is something you’re considering. With the ever increasing amount of incredible vegan food available I promise your guests won’t go hungry or feel hard done by. Food waste can often be a large part of any wedding. Consider encouraging your guests to bring Tupperware to make the most of any leftovers; after all it’s going to be so delicious that it would be a shame to waste it! If it’s up your alley you could even consider having some high quality glass Tupperware as part of the bonbonarie!
Also; wherever possible try to consider using reusable plates and cutlery; even with a festival style wedding there are some fantastic options for going waste free.
STYLING
Environmentally conscious doesn’t have to mean boring or plain. There’s a proverbial tonne of vendors who offer fabulous stying within an eco conscious framework. One of my personal favourites (as a HUGE fan of colour and fun) is Banging Hangings. They have incredible and reusable pieces for hire; plus they’re absolute legends to work with. Hire instead of buy; not only will it often end up more cost effective; you’ll also end up with higher quality items. And you won’t have to wonder what to do with 120+ umbrellas after the day is finished.
FLOWERS
We are really lucky in Melbourne as there are hundreds of florist to choose from and so many that produce absolutely mind blowing work. It’s always nicer to go for real flowers over plastic; although they won’t last forever I promise they will look much better and they’re compostable at the end of the day too. Consider working within what your florist has in season rather than getting off season flowers flown in from overseas. The quality will be better and it’s just one more way to make your day a little bit more ecoconscious
Of course it’s not always possible to minimise our impact; but if it is a priority to you guys it is absolutely possible to have a waste free eco conscious wedding. If you need any assistance planning at all please feel free to get in touch.
