Unexpected Ways to Be More Sustainable in Your Wedding

Planning a wedding is an exciting journey filled with countless decisions, and increasingly, couples are looking for ways to make their special day more environmentally friendly. Beyond the obvious choices like eco-friendly invitations, there are numerous unexpected ways to incorporate sustainability into your wedding. From selecting florals to choosing eco-conscious attire options and even rethinking traditional wedding practices, embracing these innovative strategies can help reduce your event's environmental impact while adding a unique and meaningful touch to your celebration.

"An easy way to reduce your carbon footprint is to rent where you can for your wedding. This includes things like decor and signage, but it can also apply to your attire. Rental companies are becoming increasingly popular, and you can't go wrong with renting a tux. Menswear rentals have seriously upgraded from the past, including newer styles, high-quality fabrics, and enhanced services like easy return options and a more accurate fit. It's a great way to prioritize sustainability without compromising on your vision for your big day!” - Jason Jackson, President & COO, Generation Tux

“Use farm-to-table caterers, serve organic wines, avoid using disposables, or if needed, use biodegradable disposables.” - Ariel Becker, Executive Planner, Becker & The Co

“There are a few different options a bride has to make a sustainable choice when it comes to your wedding gown or even wedding event looks. The first and easiest way to make a sustainable choice is to buy a second-hand wedding gown. Brides might not realize the carbon footprint of a brand-new wedding gown. On average, it requires a minimum of 2,500 gallons of water just to make one wedding gown. By choosing a once-loved gown, not only have you saved on water, but you’ve also saved 50-100 hours of labor and electricity to produce the gown. Better yet, gowns sold in consignment stores often have never walked down an aisle. At Loved Twice Bridal, about 50% of our product has never walked down an aisle, meaning they are brand new or even like new samples, but still let you make a sustainable choice.” - Sarah Ghabbour, Loved Twice Bridal

“Although sustainability is not a new concept, it is becoming more and more important to our couples. Couples are conscious about the footprint they are making both during their wedding and beyond. How exactly this plays out might differ from couple to couple, but the intent is what matters. We have couples opting to stay local, which means less travel for themselves and their guests.” - Nora Sheils, Founder, Bridal Bliss, Co-Founder Rock Paper Coin

“Poémia gowns are designed with sustainability in mind. We use natural and biodegradable materials such as organic cotton and cupro. Our Ever After package is included with the purchase of every Poémia bridal dress. With the Ever After package a bride can send back her dress to us to be shortened, then dyed one of the three natural color offerings - madder pink, indigo blue, or bundled dyed with a mix of pink and golden tones, giving life to your dress well after the wedding day!” - Katie Rieben, Co-Founder & Head of Product, Poémia

“Streamline the number of components in your invitation suite. Rather than creating separate cards for each event, consider a well-designed schedule of events and use a wedding website for detailed information and RSVPs. While a physical, tactile invitation is essential, it's perfectly acceptable to modernize certain aspects to be more eco-friendly and efficient. This approach ensures that the tradition of physical invitations can continue to hold its special meaning while embracing sustainability in the process.” - Andaleeb Firdosy, Founder, Atelier Azure Invitations & Design

“Shopping secondhand isn’t limited to just the bride either. Ask your guests to make sustainable choices in what they wear as well, and encourage your most important guests to find their wedding day looks at second-hand shops that specialize in evening wear. Not only does Loved Twice Bridal cater to the bride, but we also cater to mothers and black-tie guests with our second-hand evening wear collection.” - Sarah Ghabbour, Loved Twice Bridal

“You would likely be surprised to know and understand the intricacies of wedding florals - they can be dyed, bleached, or sourced from heavy pesticide-use farms. If sustainability is a focus, partner with a florist who shares the same mindset. There are florists who will primarily work with local growers, who use organic sprays, and even better, sometimes these very special florists will actually forage themselves, picking what's fresh and naturally grown in your area.” - Elizabeth Lutz, Elizabeth Lutz Events & Design

“Elevate your wedding by supporting local artisans and vendors. Choose flowers, food, and decor from your region. Not only does this reduce the carbon footprint, but it also adds a unique local touch to your special day!” - Alexandra Denniston, Owner & Lead Planner, Eventlightenment Planning

“There have been major positive steps in creating eco-friendly experiences that you can adopt for your own wedding. Start with your vendors and ask them how they combat creating waste. Florists have adopted incredible low-waste protocols such as using chicken wire for installations instead of foam or using live plants instead of cut florals. You can ask your caterer if recyclable/compostable options are available for utensils. Decor-wise, start with thrift stores or Facebook Marketplace. You'd be amazed at the gems you can find! There are also so many small things you can change; for my own wedding, we placed small bells on each guest's chairs to ring during recessional in lieu of throwing confetti.” - Kari Dirksen-Smith, CEO + Lead Planner, Feathered Arrow Studio

“The second way to make a sustainable choice with your wedding gown would be to prioritize how a designer makes their wedding gown. While production models are often not common or public knowledge, simply ask your stylist to show you gowns made by designers doing their part in sustainability by not mass-producing gowns. The gowns at Loved Twice Bridal are curated to ensure that the gowns sold with us are not mass-produced and truly made to order per bride. A slightly more invested option would be to remake/redesign a vintage/heirloom gown. Perhaps your mother or MIL has a preserved gown that she was hoping to pass along. Finding a tailor who specializes in repatterning gowns could be a bit more to take on than buying an off-the-rack gown, but would be offset with a one-of-a-kind unique gown.” - Sarah Ghabbour, Loved Twice Bridal

“Opt for renting houseplants as your ceremony and reception decor in place of traditional floral installations. It's an emerging trend we love because it not only adds a unique, personal, and stunning touch to your wedding but also contributes to a more sustainable celebration. Let your love bloom, along with your commitment to the environment.” - Becca Davis, Adam and Becca Photo & Video

“Try to find a catering company or venue that focuses on sourcing local and seasonal meats and produce! Local wineries, breweries, and distilleries are also a great choice, as the shipping and packaging of these items often can put a huge dent in the carbon footprint!” - Lisa Nightingale, Infinite Events

“Instead of traditional wedding favors that might end up as waste, consider giving guests something sustainable and useful. Ideas include potted plants, reusable tote bags, or locally sourced, package-free goodies. Make sure to package them in compostable or reusable materials.” - Misty Damico, CEO & Founder, Luxe Productions

“Wedding planning comes with many expenses, but one expense couples often under budget for is decor: card boxes, candles, votives, runners, you name it. One way to be more sustainable is by reusing decor items from other couples. Whether that's borrowing, renting, thrifting or buying used, this ensures that the items are being used and not thrown away.” - Melanie Levin, Owner, LuckEleven Events

“Consider eco-friendly exit options like dried flowers, birdseed, or bubbles for a sustainable and picturesque send-off." - Anastasia Shevchenko, Sheff Production