Sustainable Wedding Décor Trends
Weddings have an expensive and wasteful reputation. The average wedding produces about 400 lbs of garbage. Luckily, with the rising trend of sustainable living, there are ways to cut down on waste production at your wedding without sacrificing its beauty! Knowles Hospitality curated the latest sustainable wedding décor trends to help you keep your ceremony environmentally friendly.
Sustainability Starts with the Invitations
Weddings produce so much paper waste. With so many events before the big day, all those invitations and thank-you cards begin to quickly stack up. Obviously, the most sustainable option is to go virtual. Sending out invitations online makes keeping track of RSVPs simple. It also cuts down on the time spent filling out and addressing envelopes. But if you still want to send out physical cards, you’ll want to explore the many eco-friendly options available.
It is easier than ever to find cards and invitations made from recycled materials. Recycled paper, fabric, leather, and wood are all great options. Some couples even make invitations with plantable paper. When the invitation is no longer needed, plant it in soil, and the embedded seeds will grow into a beautiful flower or herb. What a way to save the date!
Choose the Right Plants
A beautiful flower centerpiece makes guest tables shine, but fresh-cut flowers will start wilting within a week. Incorporating hardier plants into your wedding décor will cut down on trash and make for excellent wedding favors. Succulents, potted plants like orchids, or dried flower arrangements will last for much longer and still give your wedding an elegant vibe.
Picking flowers from local growers also helps the environment by reducing your carbon footprint. Supporting smaller flower farmers, in turn, invigorates the local economy and wildlife. Plus, locally sourced flowers last longer and forge a personal connection to the location and time of year you get married.
Reutilize Your Décor
There are plenty of ways to cut down on single-use items at your wedding. For starters, look around your home for anything you can possibly reuse. Wine bottles, mason jars, and other glassware, for instance, can hold small flower arrangements.
Shop at local thrift stores to find décor pieces that fit your wedding aesthetic. If you must buy some items and do not have any use for them afterward, try selling or donating them to other brides-to-be. Furthermore, you can also brighten up some days by donating leftover flower arrangements to hospitals and nursing homes. Guests can also take other decorations like pillows, mirrors, candles, and more if they can use them.
When in Doubt, Rent!
Plenty of companies offer rental services for wedding decorations and furniture. Renting allows you to incorporate luxury furniture and decor into your wedding without breaking the bank. Renting items for your wedding is fundamentally eco-friendly. With all the items returned and reused, nothing gets thrown in the garbage.
Opt for an Eco-Friendly Exit Toss
Tossing plastic confetti in the air during your celebration might feel glamorous but it destroys the environment. Rice is no better, potentially harming any birds searching for a meal. But if you want to show your love for Mother Earth, consider some plant-based alternatives. Throwing dried flower petals, leaves, sprigs of lavender or other aromatic herbs will still make for awesome photos, not to mention it will smell great!
Plan Your Sustainable Wedding Today!
These are just some of the fun and innovative environmentally-friendly ideas you can incorporate into your ceremony. Any effort you can make towards helping the planet counts! Unsure of where to host your eco-friendly wedding? Knowles Hospitality has been a premier event venue for over 60 years. Our team of expert wedding planners will bring your vision to life. Contact us directly at (973) 731-2360 to start planning the wedding of your dreams.
