When you walk down the aisle, you want to surround your new union with positive vibes. Starting your lives together by acting sustainably cements your values and generates positivity. Plus, your friends and relatives will applaud your ingenuity. How can you make saying “I do” more eco-friendly? Discover the top seven sustainable wedding trends for 2020 and make your nuptials kind to the Earth.
Words: Mia Barnes
Image: Jeremy Wong Weddings
1. Send Online Invitations
Many couples opt for traditional invitations because they want themselves and their guests to have a memento of the occasion. While this practice works splendidly for the scrapbooking set, it leads to a ton of recycling — and before that, felled trees.
Image: Photos by Lanty
If you want to save considerable money on postage and help the planet, why not opt for electronic invitations? Many frequently used wedding websites let guests RSVP through a secure online portal that does the math for you. That way, you don’t have to calculate how many dishes of pasta primavera to order.
2. Use Edible Flowers
Have you ever munched on a marigold? While you don’t want your guests nibbling on the bouquet that you toss to them, you also don't need all the plastic waste and ribbons that go into traditional floral place settings.
Take a tip from the ancient Romans and many modern pan-Asian nations by decorating your guests’ plates with edible blooms. Edible flowers will get eaten instead of thrown out, and you’ll be able to inspire that floral aesthetic without all the waste that comes with the processing and packaging of typical wedding blooms. As an added environmental perk, most farmers who grow these products don’t use toxic pesticides.
3. Keep Things Intimate
Unless you’re a British royal family member, do you need the Cinderella experience? No matter how sustainable you try to be, the more crowded your event is, the more substantial its ecological footprint becomes. Opting for a smaller celebration saves you money. Plus, if you plan to rely on single-use plastics for a budget reception, you’ll decrease the number of red cups you toss.
4. Buy a Free-Trade Gown
Image: Adrianna Van Groningen
Do you want your special day marred by the knowledge that someone in a sweatshop stitched your dress? You can protect human rights by selecting free-trade attire. Do the planet and your wallet a further solid by seeking a free wedding gown. Scour sites like Craigslist for people who want the ghost of marriages past out of their closet. Alternatively, borrow one from a friend.
5. Take It Outdoors
Image: Jeremy Wong Weddings
If you have ever grown a plant from a seed, you know you feel invested in it. People who spend more time in nature tend to treat her with increased respect. If the weather permits, consider hosting all or a portion of your festivities outdoors. A change of location may prompt Uncle Joe to recycle his beer bottle instead of casually tossing it in the trash bin.
6. Employ Unique Transportation
Most wedding parties opt for the traditional limousine, and some provide shuttle service for their guests, too. While this practice does reduce DUI risk, it increases your carbon footprint.
If you and your spouse-to-be want to go as eco-friendly as possible, opt for electric bikes as alternative transportation. The motor power keeps you from getting all sweaty but produces a fraction of the carbon emissions.
7. Honeymoon Close to Home
ICYMI (in case you missed it), a pandemic makes travel plans problematic in 2020. While most of the world remains focused on health risks, jetting around the globe also produces a ton of emissions. Why not keep your honeymoon closer to home? Take a road trip to a nearby spa destination or explore a tourist attraction in your hometown that you eschew during busier periods. You'll be less likely to start your new life with a potentially severe infection.
Make Your I-Dos More Sustainable in 2020
Weddings create environmental damage, but you can minimize the impact by making wise choices. Employ these tips to make getting married more Earth-friendly.