Why are couples passing on the perfect Pinterest wedding and saying ‘I do’ to zero-waste ceremonies?
Bridal couples are carefully planning their special day with everything from borrowed furniture to rented gowns, all in an effort to recycle, reuse and compost
To protect the environment, many bridal couples are embracing zero-waste weddings, focusing on sustainability for everything from floral design and dresses to invitations and food.
The goal is to “recycle, reuse and compost” and otherwise keep anything from becoming trash in a landfill. Whether they succeed in reaching the zero-waste goal, “they’re certainly more conscious of the ecological impact of what they do, and are aiming for something as close to that as possible”, says Rachel Sylvester, lifestyle editor at Real Simple magazine.
The key to success, experts say, is letting wedding planners, vendors and your reception venue know from the start that you’re serious about going zero waste. Then be flexible enough to facilitate that.
“Flexibility and creativity are essential,” Sylvester says.
Bea Johnson, one of the pioneers of the zero-waste movement, says, “You’d be amazed at what you can find second-hand if you’re open-minded and really look around.” Her Zero Waste Home blog features a “bulk finder” tab that helps locate businesses selling food, drinks and other items free of plastic packaging.
Focusing on quality instead of quantity also helps, Johnson says: “The smaller the party, the easier it is to make it truly zero waste.”
Her own zero-waste wedding was on a yacht, so space constraints limited the guest list to 40.