40 Ideas For An Eco-Friendly Wedding

Having an eco-friendly wedding is a personal choice. 

The thing is, weddings (and parties in general) can really create a lot of waste. Besides the normal trash that comes from events, there is the transportation of goods and people, improper disposal of items, and excess of what is actually needed, which can all add up to a non eco-friendly wedding.

You may be interested in a eco-friendly wedding because this is already part of how you live your life, and you understand that your wedding will make an impact, positive or negative. Maybe you’ve heard of the statistics like the average wedding with 130 guests can produce 400 pounds of trash. Perhaps you believe that a sustainable mindset can actually make your wedding planning choices easier to make, or could save you money.

You absolutely do not have to sacrifice style or experience if you have an eco-friendly wedding. In fact, with proper planning you may even enhance the day or it could become something in the background that guests barely notice and are certainly not inconvenienced by. 

Some of the suggestions on how to have an eco-friendly wedding are simple modifications, which some are just common sense.  Some ideas are easy and cheap (or free), and others take coordination and may cost money.

My suggestion is to choose to do what you can, understanding that you really can’t have a totally waste-free wedding.  However, you can try your best with modifications and intent.

REDUCE FOR AN ECO-FRIENDLY WEDDING

There are many, many items that you can skip or remove from your wedding that will help reduce the amount of waste produced.

To make the biggest impact, reduce your guest count (easy to do while in a pandemic). This will make a reduction on so many things, from the transportation of everyone coming to your wedding, to any food waste. If you have less guests, you will naturally have less need for paper items like invitations, thank you cards, and programs. Every little part of it adds up.

Another way to reduce is to not have straws at all for your wedding, or only by request. Many guests don’t need or want them in their drinks anyway. Additionally, having one menu per table instead of per guest will help. Little modifications like these surmount, and the inconvenience is rarely noted.

If you are able to have a big wedding, or don’t want to reduce your headcount, you can choose to skip other items.  Perhaps you have less signage, or use evites. You could have everyone RSVP online or by phone instead of a response card. A seated dinner usually has less food waste than a buffet. Additionally, you could omit favors and do a group donation to a sustainable cause instead.

Major Take-Aways:

1. Reduce guest count
2. Use electronic invitations, thank you cards, and/or RSVP’s
3. Omit programs
4. Don’t use single-use straws
5. Limit the number of menus
6. Limit signage
7. Have a seated dinner over a buffet
8. Omit favors

REUSE FOR AN ECO-FRIENDLY WEDDING

Second hand is in right now.

For your wedding, try to find clever ways to reuse or repurpose items. If you’re looking for something, perhaps you can borrow it from a friend or find it in your own home. Check out second-hand social media groups, or browse your local second-hand stores.  If you do these suggestions, not only do you get items at a discount (or free), but it’s so good for the environment. An added bonus is less stuff to deal with after the wedding as well.

Another example of reusing items is to utilize the right glassware, plates, and flatware. Single use plasticware ends up in landfills. Forgo any paper napkins for cloth ones that can be washed. Instead of looking for ways that you can make the day “easier” by tossing what is not needed anymore, try to be creative about finding items that can have more life in them.

A big way to reuse is to look at clothing options. From shoes, to a veil, jewelry, and even a dress, it is possible to find almost anything for your use. Because many of these items are only used once, lots of people try to sell or give them away after their weddings because they just don’t have the space to keep them.

Before you go out and buy something new, see what is out there. You may find items you love and save lots of money at the same time.

Major Take-Aways

9. Borrow items from a friend or community
10. Use items from your own home for décor
11. Go online for second-hand
12. Look at second-hand stores before buying new
13. Use washable glassware, plates, flatware
14. Use linen napkins
15. Look for second-hand clothes (shoes, veil, jewelry, dress)

RECYLE FOR AN ECO-FRIENDLY WEDDING

This last one does take some coordination.

When it comes to recycling, not all items are created equal. With proper planning and research, you can do it right, though. Depending on where you are located, you may have local compostable companies who will pick up and properly dispose of single use items.  These companies will help you with all the logistics and walk you through their process. 

While you may have to pay a small fee to a company who picks up compostable items, these fees are usually pretty affordable compared to the overall cost of a wedding. Plus, these companies can help you determine if the “recyclable” items you want to use are actually eligible to recycle. If you’re trying to have a eco-friendly wedding, it’s crucial that you do it right. You may have the best intentions when you purchase compostable single use materials, but a little guidance from an expert will ensure your efforts do not go to waste. 

You may also look into buying recycled items for your wedding use, especially when it comes to paper goods. For invitations, check out Paper Culture, which is all recycled paper and plants trees with every order. Now that is something to feel good about.

Major Take-Aways:

16. Hire a compost company to help recycle items properly
17. Look into food donations for any excess food
18. Use recyclable cups or flatware (if you can’t use multi-use)
19. Donate leftover flowers
20. Use invitations that are made from recycled paper

ECO-FRIENDLY WEDDING VENDORS

The best way to tell if a vendor is eco-friendly is to just ask them about their practices.

When you meet with vendors, find out about their environmentally friendly methods. For example, ask them if they have a special way of disposing of items.  Check out their social media and website and see if it mentions being eco-friendly.  If they describe themselves as sustainable, they should be able to talk about it. Who you decide to work with, and how they practice business, will add up big time to your day’s impact. 

ECO-FRIENDLY WEDDING CATERING

Smart food choices can definitely help your eco-friendly wedding.

When you compare certain foods to others, you can see how this is true. For example, beef has a larger carbon footprint than poultry does and not all fish is sustainably raised.  Veggies are usually your best bet for eco-friendly.  You may want to consider a vegetarian dinner option, or a vegetarian or vegan cocktail hour. Perhaps you can also have a vegan dessert option. Work with your caterer to make the wisest choices for your wedding. 

When you interview caterers, find out if they are able to donate the leftovers, or know of any charities that would want to pick up food that isn’t needed (this may be limited by your local ordinances).  Work with them to use ingredients that are locally sourced. Explore caterers who have organic food options. When in doubt, choose to serve what is in season to reduce the need for food transport. 

Major Take-Aways:

21. Go heavy on the vegetarian and vegan options
22. Consider a vegan cocktail hour
23. Consider a vegan dessert
24. Look for vendors who exploit options for leftover donations
25. Look for caterers who source their ingredients locally
26. Hire caterers who use organic ingredients
27. Have a menu that uses seasonal ingredients

ECO-FRIENDLY WEDDING FLORAL CHOICES

Before I looked into this, I thought flowers were just flowers. Turns out there is way more that goes into it. Harsh chemicals and dyes, floral foam, single use containers, and obtaining flowers that are not locally found are all ways that flowers can have a negative impact on the environment. 

When you work with a florist, see if they are conscious of their own impact, or avoid any of the items mentioned above. Find out if they are set up to repurpose flowers for local hospitals or hospice centers, or if you are able to help them coordinate that. This may mean a little extra work or cost, but it may be worth it to you.

Major Take-Aways:

28. Look for vendors who use sustainable materials
29. Ask your florist if they can avoid floral foam
30. Avoid single-use containers
31. Use locally sourced flowers
32. Donate leftover flowers

ECO-FRIENDLY WEDDING VENUE

Lots of things can impact how sustainable a venue is.

Perhaps your venue is literally outside, in a garden or in the woods, and you’re able to reduce or avoid any energy usage. Maybe it’s inside but they have LEED certified buildings. Perhaps the venue has a focus on energy conservation. They may have composting on site, or smart temperature settings. How they dispose of items and if they have catering on site also makes an impact.

Major Take-Aways:

33. Get married at a location that supports a garden or forest
34. Get married outside (to avoid excess energy usage)
35. Hold your reception in a LEED certified building
36. Ask your vendor if they have composting on site
37. Ask your venue if they have smart temperature settings
38. Find out how your venue disposes of items
39. Hire a venue that has on site catering

Carbon Footprint

For #40 – if you want, you can look into offsetting your wedding’s carbon footprint by using a company that plants trees based on your calculation of your impact. Look up Carbon Fund or this article from the NY Times for more information.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Well, there you have it. When it comes to having an eco-friendly wedding, please just try to do the best you can. Small modifications can add up to reduction of impact, and when in doubt, work with your vendors on the best path forward for you and the Earth.

More From Hummingbird Wedding Advice: 

Wedding Menu Tips For Feeding Guests With Dietary Restrictions

7 Wedding Expectations You Can Skip

Late Night Snack Ideas For Your Wedding

Did you find this post useful, inspiring?  Save THIS PIN to your Wedding Planning Board on Pinterest!

More On Sustainable Weddings From 77 Diamonds

25 Amazing Ways To Support Charities On Your Wedding Day

Guide To Sustainable, Zero-Waste, Ethical Weddings