Wedding days are a special day for couples. It could take as long as weeks and even months to plan. Since it is a once-in-a-lifetime event, it's understandable to see that you want to have a blast. Therefore, you are likely to pull both money and human resources together to make the memories worthwhile and impressive to your audience. Nonetheless, something else goes on during weddings that we almost do not seem to notice or pay attention to; this points to the materials used and eventually disposed of after the wedding. These things have drastic effects on our ecosystem. Talk about stationery, plastics, or any other non-recyclable stuff you can think of.
Over a million people wed every year in America. 400 to 600 pounds of garbage and 62 tons of carbon dioxide are produced yearly for every American wedding. These statistics are pretty frightening. Therefore, it is up to you to save our environment before we begin to reap the harvest of our "unfairness" to mother nature. It would be scary, you know!
The good news, however, is there's always a remedy for every problem. We have figured out a way to have a sustainable yet beautiful and blissful wedding. Here are a few tips you could use when planning your wedding (perhaps, you can suggest to someone else if you are wedded already).
Try Reusable Decoration.
Why not?! You can always make money from selling off wedding "stuff." There will always be someone to buy. Use decoration materials that can be reused or at least recycled. This way, you will not need to put anything in the trash. This is quite the first step to having a sustainable wedding. I know you love balloons and ribbons, but an umbrella can be an option. Don't worry about looking outlandish; you will discover how creative you can get with maintaining a friendly ecosystem!
Go for Sustainable Fashion.
Yes, it goes for the clothing as well. The men can wear Vintage shirts. They look nice. Look for fabrics that can be used next time. In other words, use wear-again dresses. You win both ways: save cost, sustain nature.
Do Not Waste Food!
Food waste is one of the common occurrences at weddings. You must pay explicit attention when planning the food for attendees to your ceremony. The amount of food must be directly proportional to the number of people you have sent invitations to. Here's one way to ensure that food is not wasted on your wedding day: let your invitees confirm whether or not they are coming for your wedding ahead of time. This way, you are confident of what you are planning.
Set a Boundary Around Stationery.
Anything is possible. You can go for online invitations as an alternative. Keep your wedding paper free and save the trees! Limit the use of Plastic bags for gifts. You can also use your wedding day as a means to give back to your friends and family.
There is much more you can do for your wedding while maintaining a friendly environment: choose plantable flowers, employ local vendors, use compostable dinnerware. This might be a bit restricting because you will have to be careful about everything. Yet, your wedding is also a good time to try new things and explore the provisions of nature!
These tips are for all those who care about our planet. Go on and go green with your wedding!