While staying under budget and creating a memorable wedding is generally top priority for all brides and grooms, the toll an average wedding takes on the environment can be considerable. When someone thinks of their Carbon Footprint they might just be envisioning the car they drive, the food they buy and recycling the products they use at home. Why not take it one step further and plan an eco-friendly wedding? I know that weddings already have a lot of planning to begin with, but all this takes is a little out-of-the-box thinking.
The first item most brides and grooms tackle are engagement announcements and, sometimes, invitations to an engagement party. This can be the beginning of the end when it comes to paper use. Save the dates soon follow, along with bridal shower invitations, bachelor/bachelorette party invitations, the formal invitations equipped with RSVP cards, menus, programs and then thank you cards to top everything off. Now that is a lot of paper!
I recently read an article that said over 500,000 trees are destroyed each year for wedding paper products. This got me thinking about alternatives. While the internet can help in some ways, such as a personalized website to keep guests up-to-date and Evite options, it’s not enough. First of all, Evites might be an option when it comes to showers and parties, however, it isn’t a formal enough platform for the actual wedding invitations and it isn’t personal enough for a thank you card. When you have to use paper, you can cut back by size and by not doing double envelopes. You can also purchase 100% recycled paper products from twistedlimbpaper.com. Their website boasts: “Where Eco-Friendly is Eco-Chic and Sustainable is Original”. Now that’s what I’m talking about!
Other options can be found at Crane & Co. who sells paper made of 100% cotton fiber which “requires fewer chemicals and produces far less waste than papers made from trees”. Check their selection out at Crane.com. Smock sells bamboo paper which is a sustainable and renewable resource that grows without pesticides or fertilizers and requires very little water, only good things! Now, don’t you worry about sacrificing quality or esthetics with these options because they create amazing products, go ahead and see for yourself at SmockPaper.com. An even more interesting up-and-coming trend is plantable invites, yes you read that correctly, plantable! Botanical Paperworks puts seeds in their products. You just choose flowers, plants or herbs! Even confetti can be eco-friendly! Check it out eco-friendly confetti at Save On Crafts.
Below is the Rustic Lace collection from Botanical Paperworks and here is its description:
The Rustic Lace wedding collection gives you a charming country feel with its beautiful lace detailing, wood grain pattern and adorable graphics. From the Seal and Send Wedding Invitation that combines an invitation and reply card into one, to the favor tag and menus, every piece in this collection grows wildflowers when planted. And the menus grow yummy carrots! So pick your favorite color and get growing.
Another important piece are the rings! I recently found a company that has beautiful rings, an amazing story and an even better mission. This company is called Brilliant Earth. They are focused on being socially and environmentally responsible when it comes to their production. They use recycled gold and platinum which reduces the demand for additional dirty gold mining. The following is a segment off of their website; “As part of our mission to transform the jewelry industry, we work in partnership with advocacy groups to promote awareness about conflict diamonds, dirty gold, labor and mining uses, and environmental concerns. We also donate 5% of our profits to directly benefit communities harmed by the jewelry industry”. Learn more about the company and their beautiful product at Brilliant Earth.
When it comes to wedding favors for guests, really try and think of something useful yet memorable. I have seen so many trinkets get left behind at weddings because people forget them. What happens then? Also, what ends up happening to items that guests do take, do they sit in a box or get thrown out after a while? Why add to our landfills when you can be more creative in selecting your favors? One of my favorite options is potted herbs that can work as décor during the wedding and then taken home for your guests to plant or keep in their kitchen window. It is a useful gift that keeps on giving and it isn’t bad for the environment! Soy or beeswax candles work too! Did you know they burn cleaner and longer? Another option can be quite tasty; we have jarred our homemade apple butter for takeaway gifts and guests rave about it. It is something they can truly enjoy and trust me it won’t go to waste. Plus the glass jar can be reused or recycled! You could even find local honey or jam from a Farmers Market to use. What about personalized seed packets or flower bombs as favors? Check out My Wedding Favors.
Now on to a very important topic for everyone involved which is food. Here at Fresh Air Farm we pride ourselves on our farm fresh fare, therefore we have got it covered when it comes to environmental impact. We use local, seasonal and preservative-free products. Doing so helps boost the local economy and it requires less packaging, transportation and energy to keep the products fresh. Using organic products also cuts back on the use of pesticides. One item that is usually not thought about, is what happens to the leftover food? We, of course, can box it up for guests to take home. But another option is donating it to a place like Harvesters, our area’s only food bank. They will come to our venue and pick up any unopened food.
Here at Fresh Air Farm we know that each one of us can make a difference when it comes to our environment. Let’s keep that air as fresh as it can be! Reuse, renew, recycle.
– Jen Day, Designer
