Money Monday: Planning A Sustainable Wedding On A Budget
Even though Earth Day was back in April, it’s always a good time to help save the planet! It’s no secret that weddings tend to create a lot of waste. The average wedding can produce an estimated 400 to 600 pounds of waste, now multiply that by the number of weddings that happen in a year, and you have a huge amount of waste. Unless you go completely eco-friendly on every element of your wedding, there will be some form of waste that is produced on your wedding day. But, you don’t have to transform your whole wedding vision to help reduce waste. There are plenty of ways to be eco-friendly, maintain your vision, and save a little money!
Double Duty Decor
Don’t waste any decor that can be used for multiple purposes at your wedding to save yourself some money during the planning process. If you are able, recycle any ceremony floral decorations for your reception. You can use them as your centerpieces or table accents for your cake or gift tables. You can also create place cards, centerpieces, or even drinking glasses that double as favors for your guests, to help reduce waste and get the most out of your decor!
Photography by Esther Rohr
Use Wood Elements
Florals are a huge part of wedding decor, but if you are going for a more rustic, boho wedding theme consider using more wood elements. This could be as simple as using log slices as a part of your centerpieces or incorporating wood flowers into your decor. They are more affordable and can be made in a variation of colors to match your wedding color palette. You can also use a combo of wood and local flowers to still create sustainable arrangements with real florals. If you do go with wood flowers, we recommend Sola Wood flowers. They offer bouquet and centerpiece kits, as well as filler flowers!
Photography by Chrissy Kites Photography
Keep It Local
Hiring local vendors will not only reduce your carbon footprint but will also save you a significant amount of money. By choosing a local venue for you and your guests, you will reduce carbon emissions and give your guests a shorter commute time. You would also be supporting local floral and catering businesses, which will save you money on transportation fees, as well as overall floral and food costs. Hiring local vendors tends to be cheaper than having items driven or flown in from other locations.
Photography by All The Little Stories Photography
Share this with an eco-friendly bride who is planning a sustainable wedding. Looking to buy your wedding gown from an eco-friendly company? Shop our collection of made-to-measure gowns that allow us to reduce waste by skipping out on mass production, eliminating excess inventory, and using unneeded fabrics.
*We make a small amount of commission if you purchase from one of our affiliate links, but rest assured that we don’t recommend any products or services we don’t personally stand behind.
Other Topics You May Be Interested In
