Here’s how your wedding day can celebrate love and the environment.
Celebrating your big day comes with a certain responsibility—avoiding wastage, something that weddings are known to create in abundance. By making certain changes, you can be a part of the movement towards sustainability and host a conscious wedding that will be appreciated by all. With so many people getting involved, you won’t even have to compromise on quality or intricate details—there’s a way to do it all. Here we have 8 ways to plan a conscious wedding.
Reusable Jewelry
One of the biggest parts of your wedding, your bridal jewelry can create waves in many ways. More and more people are moving towards pieces that, while being showstoppers on the big day, can also be used after the wedding. This can be in the form of detachable jewelry, or by simply opting for styles that easily translate between themes and won’t just gather dust.
Wedding Outfit
Have you started looking for your outfit for your big day? Look at designers that pride themselves on sustainability and respect and use the services of local artisans. A growing trend has been to use vintage outfits, repurposing those from one’s own family. If that sounds like something that could interest you, be sure to visit a designer who can reconstruct a piece that works for you, and that the person you are sourcing the outfit from is completely on board.
Sustainable Jewelry
Along with being able to reuse bridal jewelry, you also want to know that everything you do is ethically sourced. Especially if you’re buying bridal jewelry online, look for the brand’s certifications—they should be transparent about everything they are doing towards sourcing gems, and the efforts they are making to minimize pollution. Mining, in particular, is known for its adverse effects across spheres, which is why lab-grown stones are making great headway.
Venue
When planning a conscious wedding, your venue will play an important role. While you don’t want to compromise the look and feel of your big day, try and look into the steps the venue makes towards sustainability and the certifications they have. Places with the decor already built-in will avoid further wastage.
Invitations
We all love unique invitations, but there’s a massive scope to go green during this phase and still make a mark. A lot of invitations create excess waste, use plastic, are bulky in size, and add to our carbon footprint. So, keep it small. There are even biodegradable, plantable seed paper invitations that add a rustic feel, and can be used after to add to the green cover.
Keeping the guest list small is being increasingly favored by wedding parties. You can limit it to your loved ones, and celebrate with them. This will avoid unnecessary travel, which is a massive contributor to pollution.
Decor
With more people opting for conscious weddings, planners and vendors are coming up with innovative ways to create a dazzling atmosphere without compromising the environment. Speak to vendors and your wedding planner about using flowers that are in season and that are locally grown, if you want a floral display. You could even donate your flowers after, adding to a good cause. Potted plants are a great way to enhance the vibe, too, instead of cut flowers. For your other solid decor, see how they can be reused after.
Food
Along with celebrating love, food is one of the most important parts of any wedding. Go organic and allow your guests to sample the local cuisine of the area. Consult your caterer in advance and see how local farms can be used. Speak to them about leftovers as well, and places they can be donated to. For the cutlery, the cardinal rule is to stay away from single-serve options.
Gifting
If you’re attending a wedding, look for eco-friendly gifts for the couple. It’s a small gesture, but it’s these small moves that can make a difference. Couples can also discuss replacing gifts with donations to charities and organizations working towards making a difference in the environment.