Weddings are meant to be the most memorable days of your life. Unfortunately, they can also be the most wasteful due to the discarded paper products, extra food, and leftover flowers in the trash.

If you care about the environment, you should consider having a green wedding instead of a standard one.

Green weddings, also known as eco-friendly or sustainable weddings, are ceremonies where you, the happy couple, strive to reduce the event’s environmental impact.

The cool thing is that many eco-friendly wedding decoration alternatives are available. There are also many environmentally friendly cuisine options and invitations you can go for.

When going for these options, remember your budget because eco-friendly solutions often cost a little more than you planned. For example, the cost of an eco-friendly wedding card may be slightly higher than that of a traditional paper invitation.

If you are thinking about making your wedding as green as possible, here are some green ideas to get you started.

Rent most of the supplies.

Rather than purchasing new decor or supplies, look into what wedding items you can rent locally to avoid waste.

Thankfully, there are many party and event rentals that you can rent from. You only need to find providers who offer sustainable rentals for anything from chairs and tables to linens, glassware, and lighting.

When you rent most of the supplies, you reduce your environmental footprint while saving money.

Go with eco-friendly invitations.

Because of the expanding number of eco-friendly wedding enterprises, it’s not difficult to find invitation sets created from eco-friendly materials such as recycled paper or reused leather, fabric, or wood.

To stay on the safe side, buy your stationery from eco-friendly companies.

When it comes to invitations, programs, and menus, use seed paper. Seed paper develops flowers when placed in soil.

You can even skip the paper invitations and save trees by sending digital invites via email or your wedding website.

This reduces paper waste and allows visitors to RSVP quickly and easily online.

Choose an eco-friendly location.

Using a sustainable ceremony and reception site is the simplest approach to having an eco-friendly wedding and lowering your carbon footprint.

Look for eco-friendly hotels and event spaces. As mentioned, most people are going this way, so you won’t have a problem finding an ideal venue.

When finding the venues, look for the decorations because they can easily eat at your money and lead to a lot of waste.

Why spend money renting decorations when you already have them? Look for ceremony and reception locations with decorations that complement your wedding theme. 

This will not only help you save money but also help the planet conserve resources. Wineries, botanical gardens, and greenhouses are examples of lovely settings that do not require artificial flowers.

You can do the event outside if you struggle to find an ideal venue. Having your wedding in a natural setting is a lovely way to connect with nature while celebrating your union with your partner.

Minimize food wastage

Buffet lunches, like any other large gathering, always produce an abundance of leftovers. And what happens to all the leftover food? It is discarded following the service.

If you want to conserve money, serve plated meals rather than a buffet, and consult with the caterer about how to keep the excess food.

If you are allowed to do so legally, donating excess food to a charity or homeless shelter is a terrific idea; however, you must plan to ensure that everything is properly packaged and ready to leave.

Watch out for the floral displays.

Flowers are visually appealing, and botanical centerpieces are especially popular. However, freshly cut plants are not the most environmentally beneficial options you can go with.

Fortunately, there are other excellent eco-wedding solutions that do not involve flowers. You should find these and go with them.

If you have to use flowers, go with seasonal blossoms that are grown locally. Once the event is over, consider giving away potted plants, herbs, or trees that visitors can enjoy in their gardens or on their patios.

Choose eco-friendly wedding attire.

From the bridal gown to the tuxes, search for natural textiles that are sustainable. You can go with organic cotton, hemp, or recycled materials.

Another eco-friendly option is to shop at antique and resale stores for clothing. To save waste, consider renting formal attire such as suits and dresses.

You only need to ensure that you plan ahead of time for fittings and pick-ups.

Go with sustainable decorations.

Avoid using balloons and glitter, which are damaging to the environment. Instead, use LED lights, low-emission candles, and live or locally grown plants that may be composted after use.

Instead of purchasing new decorations for your wedding, rent or reuse decor. As a rule of thumb, choose eco-friendly decor that complements your overall green wedding idea.

Go with eco-friendly gift bags.

Although welcome bags are a gesture of hospitality, they frequently contain individually packaged food packs and single-use disposable water bottles, which aren’t environmentally friendly.

Instead of going this route, a more environmentally responsible approach would be to supply guests with reusable bottles, glass water bottles, or even boxes of water they can replenish at an on-site water station.

Pack homemade granola, sweets, and nuts in glass jars for snacks to reduce waste. Instead of a paper bag, place everything in a cloth tote for visitors to take home.

Parting shot

As you have seen, with careful planning, you can enjoy an attractive green wedding while also knowing that your special day is helping to safeguard the environment.

Reduce trash by supporting local companies and purchasing things that have been recycled or manufactured sustainably.

Your guests will appreciate your extra effort to make your wedding environmentally friendly.

When renting the supplies from party rentals Rockland, take your time and find a rental company that is environmentally conscious and not only rents environmentally safe supplies but also puts its foot forward to ensuring that all parts of the company are environmentally safe.