Sustainable & Cost-Effective Weddings
We didn’t know it then but we were incredibly fortunate to have our wedding in the summer of 2019. We have beautiful photos and memories with our families on what is one of the most celebrated days of our life. But before the big day actually arrived, my husband and I had a lot of decisions to make, and something we kept in mind throughout the planning process was sustainability.
Here are some easy ways to incorporate sustainability into your wedding day.
Consider Size
Wedding size may be the biggest contributing factor to cost and sustainability. Now with COVID-19, gatherings may be limited or postponed but couples who opt for an intimate wedding can now do so completely family-guilt-free! My husband and I were fortunate enough to choose a large-ish wedding and with a larger gathering comes higher expenses and additional waste so we did our best to combat this in other ways.
Wedding Attire
There are a number of ways you and your bridal party can look your best without breaking the bank or buying new.
Shop consignment or second hand bridal wear. If you’re looking to give consignment a try check out this amazing Edmonton boutique.
Upcycle mom’s dress. If the dress isn’t quite your taste (or size) you can find a talented seamstress to help make any alterations.
Skip a veil, try using natural headpieces with florals instead.
Buy items you’ll reuse. My wedding shoes are ones I wear at work now all the time. Or you can use a go-to favourite shoe (as a bonus they’ll already be broken in!)
Second hand accessories (think something old or something borrowed).
Rent a tux or purchase a suit that you’ll wear again. We opted to buy a quality suit from a local business for my husband so he can use it for years to come. But, if you’re worried about cost (or fitting it in a couple years) renting is a great sustainable option.
Décor
Wedding décor adds up fast in cost and waste. How can you reduce this excess?
Buy second-hand – think Kijiji, Facebook buy and sells, and trading sites. They’re FULL of wedding décor.
Rent your décor. You can save a bit of money (and time) by renting your décor instead of shopping around online and having to potentially resell décor later.
Avoid glitter! It’s a microplastic that’s detrimental to animal life.
Say no to single-use paper and plastics. Opt for reusable items like vases and lights. For our wedding we wanted soft seating so we incorporated chairs we already owned.
Grow your own florals. If you don’t have a green thumb, or an eye for flower arrangements you can support a local florist instead.
Wedding Invitations and Thank-You’s
Skip the paper for these where you can. We used electronic e-vites and save the dates. Keep in mind some people may still need a physical invite. My stepmom handmade 12 cards for our parents, grandparents and folks who didn't have email addresses.
As for thank you’s we stuck with paper because many folks want a physical photo of the couple. I know I keep all of my thank you’s from the years. To help with this or any paper products you use opt for recycled paper or plantable seed paper.
Wedding Favours
Many people don’t even take favours at the end of the night! Or if they do, it often ends up in the trash. You could always forgo the favour, or you could give away something useful and delicious like jam or salsa in a reusable mason jar.
Decide What’s Worth the Splurge
Weddings are expensive, but there are a number of ways you can reduce cost. The best way is to prioritize. Sit down with your partner and decide what you’re willing to pay a little extra for.
For us, the big priorities were photography and a day-of coordinator. A coordinator allowed us to enjoy our wedding day while someone else focused on the details. Photos are extremely important to me and so our biggest splurge was on an amazing photographer. Both of these were definitely worth the extra cost for us.
By prioritizing what’s important you can cut down on waste while still getting the wedding of your dreams.
