10 Tips To Reduce Waste At Your Wedding
As a wedding photographer, I have first hand witnessed the leftover remnants of weddings scattered in the trash. Used once and tossed. Here’s some tips you can implement when planning your wedding to reduce waste and source more ethical wedding vendors.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. I bet you’ve heard that before. When wedding planning, these principles can come in handy in a multitude of ways. Reduce the amount of paper you’re using for your wedding and consider ditching traditional invites for electronic invites. Reuse decorations or tablescape items to save money and be a more ethical consumer. Recycle your own wedding decor after the wedding is over! Sell your decor on marketplace, pass it along to another lucky bride, or consider donating to a charity in your local area.
Hire Wedding Vendors that practice ethical consumption principles! Don’t be afraid to ask your vendors questions. Does your vendor support the same principles? Are they actively trying to make a difference on the environment and consumer behaviors within the industry? Do they use recycled materials?
Ditch the plastic confetti for biodegradable confetti made of plant material and other natural materials.
If tossing flower petals, use real biodegradable petals instead of plastic petals and toxic materials.
If having an outdoor wedding, be conscious of local environmental efforts and abide by Leave No Trace Principles.
Source your decor secondhand when you can. Often times wedding materials are used once for a short amount of time and are left in pristine condition. Purchase secondhand when you can and consider renting or donating your leftover decor to continue your efforts of reducing unnecessary consumption.
Incorporate fun memories with your guests and loved ones by having a tree plantine ceremony or having guests toss native wildflower seeds if having an outdoor wedding in an area that allows.
I never knew straws could be controversial, but turns out…they can be. Aunt Debra clutches pearls as I utter the words ………..long dramatic pause………. But consider skipping the straws. It’s one small effort that makes a lasting change over time.
Consider having a Honeymoon Fund or Marriage Fund option instead of a gift registry. This isn’t the right choice for everyone and I understand that, but if you have everything you need to begin your lives together, consider eliminating the likelihood of receiving a large number of gifts that don’t bring value to your life.
Lastly, consider posting a Thank You video message or Social Media posting to thank your guests for being part of your memories instead of sending paper thank you letters to each individual guest. If you have 100-200+ guests in attendance, it really can reduce a huge amount of waste.
