Eco-friendly wedding ideas – sustainable decoration for a big day

Eco-friendly wedding ideas – sustainable decoration for a big day

Weddings are exciting, but they can also be wasteful affairs. Right from the amount of fuel used to the food wastage, everything can take a toll on the environment. With the need to be more conscious about saving the environment, it would help to have an eco-friendly wedding.  

There’s a wide range of eco-friendly wedding ideas you can implement on your big day. Although some of them may feel small, their combined effort will produce a ripple effect. Here are some creative ideas you can implement without spending more than you intended. 

via: Unsplash

Choose a Venue in a Nature Preserve

When choosing a wedding venue, most people tend to go for hotel venues. Here, they don’t think much about the after-party cleanup, since the hotel staff will clean up after them.  If you want to be more responsible when it comes to littering, consider a different venue. 

A good choice would be a city or county park. It not only gives you a beautiful background for your ceremony but also provides exposure to environmental stewardship. Knowing that no one will come to pick up litter after you, will keep you and your team on your toes.

Besides, as you think of other eco-friendly ideas to match the venue, you’ll cut back on the litter produced. 

In such a setting, you can cut back on décor since the natural environment provides the best backdrop. Instead of ordering floral decorations, you can rely on the beauty of nature to improve the ambience of the venue. If you must have some flower arrangements, go for sustainably grown flowers. 

Buy Beverages in Bulk

Buying individual bottles of beer can be costly, as well as straining on the environment. The beer bottles or cans means there’ll be a lot of trash to deal with at the end of the party. One way to have a win-win situation is to buy beer in large quantities. The same thing applies to whiskey or bourbon.

Luckily, avoiding too much glass is easier now, because you can have whiskey delivered in barrels. Those bourbon barrels can be used as a great wedding decoration or a guest book which you can, later on, turn into the coffee table! 

Use Recyclable Dinnerware

 Instead of using cheap nice-looking plastic plates and cups for the reception, go for real dishware. If you’re working on a tight budget, buy the items from a thrift store. With proper research, you’ll get enough items to place at the reception at a throwaway price. 

The items you get can become part of your kitchen items after the wedding. Alternatively, instead of buying, you can hire the items, which will be way cheaper at the end of the day. If you prefer to buy, you can resell and recoup some of the costs. 

Eco-Friendly Menu

Via: Unsplash

Whether you choose a venue that provides a meal for your guests or not, strive for an eco-friendly menu. The catering team you work with should be able to source for local, organic, and ethically-produced ingredients. Instead of using imported food items, they should strive to use those in season and which can freshly be picked. 

 A vegetarian meal would go a long way in reducing the environmental impact. If the idea is too outstretched, aim to have a menu that encompasses both sides in a balanced ratio. 

Limit the Use of Electricity

Cutting down on the amount of electricity you use on your wedding day is an eco-friendly idea you should consider. One way to limit its use is to have the wedding ceremony over and done with, way before dusk. Alternatively, if you wish to have the party run late into the night, consider celebrating by candlelight.

A candlelit dinner will create a romantic ambience, not just or you but also or the guest in attendance. If necessary, use LED light bulbs. They can save up to 75% energy of regular light bulbs.

Take Away

Going green to save the environment doesn’t have to be limited to only certain aspects of life. If you’re planning a wedding, you can help in reducing the carbon emissions by utilizing eco-friendly ideas. Right from the venue to the food you serve your guests, environment-friendly ideas are in plenty.  

The best way to pull off a green wedding is to have a team that agrees with your ideas. They’ll come in handy in suggesting even better ideas where you fall short of resourcefulness. 

Featured image via Unsplash