Weddings can be notoriously wasteful but they don’t have to be. If you are currently planning your big day and are concerned about the impact on the planet, take heart—making socially conscious and responsible choices have never been easier.
Thankfully, there are many ways couples can host a more sustainable event. We spoke to Blue Nile, the world’s leading online retailer of diamond engagement rings (including lab-grown diamonds), to share our best advice for hosting a more sustainable wedding
Fashion: The ugly truth
Fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world. To plan for a more eco-friendly wedding, couples should be thoughtful about choosing products that can be used for as long as possible and among multiple users.
Buying a sustainable, pre-loved wedding dress is one of the best ways a bride can host a more eco-friendly wedding.
Style & sustainability
Planning an eco-friendly wedding does not mean trading style and quality for sustainability. Stillwhite.com, whilst serving as a marketplace for women to buy and sell wedding dresses, feels more like an online community rather than a shop. You can view the dresses on real brides and take inspiration from their weddings.
The dresses available may only have been worn for a few hours and dry cleaned. Or in many cases, the dresses may not have been worn at all, but are available to buy due to a change of mind in venue or style by the original owner. These dresses are current in style and come in an endless variety of on-trend designs.
Ways to reduce the impact of your wedding
Aside from choosing a pre-loved wedding dress, there are so many other smart and stylish ways to make your wedding more sustainable. Here are just a few:
- Choose digital or 100% post-consumer recycled wedding invitations
- Opt for locally sourced food and flowers, and if possible, offer a vegetarian menu
- Host your wedding locally so guests don’t have to travel too far or choose an eco venue that is carbon neutral
- Choose eco-conscious suppliers who each do their bit to reduce the impact on the environment
- Forget party favors that are destined for the dump and choose something like local jam or honey, potted plants, or make a donation on your guest’s behalf to your chosen charity.
Your wedding is likely to be one of the most memorable and cherished days of your life. Hosting this special event without doing unnecessary damage to the environment has got to feel good for everyone involved!
By Ingrid Szajer
Lindsey