The Easy Guide to Green Ideas for an Eco-Friendly Wedding

Anyone who's planned a wedding or is currently planning one knows that they're expensive.  According to The Knot Real Wedding Study couples spent an average of $34,000 on their wedding in 2021.  The hefty price tag of these fête's also create massive amounts of waste.

Did you know the average wedding produces 400 pounds of garbage and 63 tons of carbon dioxide, according to "The Green Bride Guide," by Kate Harrison?  A wedding doesn't just have an impact on your wallet, it also has a lasting impact on our environmental preservation.

With more couples seeking to incorporate eco-friendly elements into their wedding and becoming more intentional about sustainability we're laying out an easy guide to planning a green wedding.

Sustainable Wedding Dresses

Since the wedding dress is typically the first big purchase in the planning process we want to provide a few options on how to snag yourself an eco-friendly wedding dress.

• Purchase from a sustainable wedding dress brand.  These designers use recycled or eco-friendly materials and typically work in small studio spaces that emit fewer carbon emissions.  Green Wedding Shoes provides a thorough list of designers to choose from.

• Purchase vintage, pre-owned or refashioned wedding looks.  This is a time to tap into your creativity.  Perhaps you can use family gowns and heirlooms and redesign them to a look that best captures your style. 

• Shop designer samples.  This is where EWedded comes in.  We work with independent retailers and brands to sell their discontinued and stagnant inventory.  Once you learn what happens to unsold wedding gowns this may be the perfect way for you to help lighten the global carbon footprint by purchasing a sample dress.

Eco Friendly Wedding Invitations

One of the first things to hit the trash are the paper goods used in your wedding design, and that starts with your invitation suite.

• One of the easiest ways to be sustainably conscious with your invitations is to go digital and leverage technology.  Aside from your formal invitation the rest of your suite could be digital and managed through a wedding website.

• Print your invite and other announcements on recycled paper or made of sustainably sourced materials.

• Use plantable seed paper for the most eco-friendly wedding invites.

Eco Friendly Wedding Rings

There are a number of ways to ensure sustainable wedding ring choices that are environmentally conscious and even celebrate nature.

• If you want to stay with a classic diamond in your engagement ring and band then be sure to purchase either conflict-free or lab-created diamonds.

• Consider rings made of recycled or repurposed materials for your sustainable wedding bands.

• Frequent estate sales and antique shops to find the perfect vintage bling for your ring finger.

Eco Friendly Wedding Decorations

When it comes to decor your options are endless and the process of picking the right decorations can be an overwhelming process. 

• One way to make it easy is to choose a venue with built-in decor or an aesthetic that requires few add-ons.  Consider an outdoor setting like botanical gardens, a winery, or an elegantly appointed Estate.  You may want to think about choosing a date close to a holiday.  From Thanksgiving to the New Year you can bet most venues will be decked out in seasonal decor.

• Purchase used decorations.  Facebook Marketplaces is a great place to start if you're looking to purchased pre-loved items.

• Seek out items that can be reused in your home decor like chalk boards, glass signage, lanterns, string lights and chandeliers, and vases.

Conscious Floral Arrangements

Fresh flowers tend to be the most popular option and they're truly eye-catching and transformational, but those freshly cut beauties are not the best eco-friendly wedding flowers if going green is top priority for you.

• Choose dried flowers or wild flowers.

• Capture the botanical look you want with fabric or wood flowers.  Some sites to check out include Sola Wood Flowers and Forbes list of the best places to purchase artificial flowers.

• Literally, go green.  Instead of flowers achieve your desired style with locally grown greenery, like herbs, succulents, evergreens and other plants that catch your eye.

There are a number of ways to pull off a green wedding.  Some other ideas to reduce wedding waste include:

• Look for caterers who focus on local, sustainable, and seasonal cuisine.

• Donate what you can - food, flowers, decor and more.

• Rent when you can.  Read our blog on what to rent vs. buy for inspiration.