How to Plan an Eco-friendly Wedding – 7 ways to be Sustainable

Knowing how to plan an eco-friendly wedding is more than just a trend—it’s a meaningful way to infuse your special day with purpose and values. With a focus on sustainability, you not only contribute positively to the environment but also craft a memorable celebration that reflects your love story authentically. Your wedding marks the beginning of your Legacy, a beautiful journey filled with love, commitment, and cherished memories.

In this blog post, we’ll delve into three additional ways you can incorporate sustainability into your wedding planning process. From eco-friendly décor and flower design to mindful vendor choices, discover how to make your wedding day both unforgettable and environmentally conscious. Let’s embark on this journey together, where each decision contributes to a more sustainable and meaningful celebration of your love. 

You can read the first four ways of sustainable wedding planning here, including how The Legacy at Willow Pond is embracing sustainable practices in the new venue! 

Sustainable Décor and Floral Arrangements

Incorporate sustainable décor and floral arrangements into your wedding design. Choose reusable or rented décor items and repurpose them creatively. (Ask us about our Décor Boutique for borrowed items to use)  For floral arrangements, opt for locally sourced, organic flowers or even consider using potted plants that can be given as favors or donated after the event. Avoid single-use plastics, such as balloons and confetti, and opt for biodegradable alternatives like rice or dried flower petals.

Ashbury Blooms is a sustainable flower farmer and florist in Hampton Roads. She is making a positive impact in our local community.

Ways Ashbury Blooms incorporates sustainable floral practices:

• Compost all remaining stems after events ensuring all natural stems do not go into landfills & create more waste.
• Using said compost to create & grow more flowers for my community with no use of pesticides, herbicides, or insecticides in the garden.
• There is no use of any flowers that are unnaturally colored or sprayed. Once a flower is sprayed with spray paint or dye it is no longer compostable. 
• Sustainable practices- no floral foam, concentrating on all water-holding vessels for maximum life for the event & the days following & reusing all floral mechanics. The old-school green floral foam blocks are known to have carcinogens. 
• Providing habitat protection for local honeybees, birds, butterflies & toads. Her garden was barren & dry when she first moved to her home & her mission was to bring life back into the yard. She has supported & planted locally grown shrubs from Coastal Landscapes in Pungo, Anderson’s & McDonald’s Garden Center. After creating a pollinator garden last season, the wildlife has tripled since then.
• Garden beds are created from scratch using cardboard flower boxes & wood chips with a free service named Chip Drop. They work with local arborists & landscaping businesses to schedule drop-offs with customers. This eliminates any additional costs to dump & cuts out long distances to get rid of excess wood material.
• Reduce, reuse & recycle all items. Working 5+ years in the floral industry- there is so much waste. Every bunch you buy comes in a plastic wrap- it is a priority to recycle & reuse every bit possible – even the rubber bands & twist ties- & take the remaining amount of plastics to save for packing material for events.
• Sourcing locally from farmers in the Hampton Roads, Richmond & Currituck area.
• Energy-saving delivery from local floral wholesalers to save costs on overnight shipping & reduce flight emissions.
• She offers bouquet preservation to create lasting memories for clients. Any unusable stems left from the drying process are also broken down & composted.

Opt for Responsible Transportation

Encourage your guests to carpool, private bus transportation or use public transportation to reduce carbon emissions. If possible, host the ceremony and reception at the same location to minimize travel. For the bride and groom, consider eco-friendly transportation options like electric or hybrid vehicles, bicycles, or even horse-drawn carriages. These choices not only reduce environmental impact but also add unique charm to your wedding day.

How to Plan an Eco-friendly Wedding – Ethical and Eco-friendly Vendors

Choose vendors who align with your sustainability goals. Seek out photographers, planners, florists, and other service providers who have environmentally friendly practices. Research their commitment to sustainability, such as using eco-friendly packaging, recycling, or offsetting their carbon footprint. By supporting ethical and eco-friendly businesses, you contribute to a greener wedding industry.

Compass Rose Coordination is a local wedding planner encouraging and implementing 🌿 sustainable wedding planning ♻️ while bringing your unique wedding vision to reality. Here are some of the ways she and her team can assist you in your planning:

CRC are experts in creating meaningful, sustainable weddings that are as unique as you are. They prioritize…

• creative ways to reduce waste
• minimize our carbon footprint
• partner with eco-friendly vendors
  

Their team is all about green: making your wedding day greener, and saving you green along the way. That’s because they believe that creating a sustainable marriage and a sustainable world go hand-in-hand.

Sustainability is at the core of their approach, making it easy for you to host an eco-friendly event that’s both stylish and responsible.

In conclusion, using eco-friendly wedding planning can be an example of how love and care for the environment can go hand in hand, creating a beautiful and memorable occasion that leaves a positive impact. Certainly, you do not have to implement all these steps to have an impact. By taking small, conscientious steps, your event can be good for the planet and good for your event and its guests.

We’d love to work with you to utilize any of these sustainable practices in crafting your perfect – and perfectly green – wedding.  Review our inclusions for our beautiful French country-inspired wedding venue in Suffolk, VA. Ready to get more information or schedule a site visit…inquire to share your extraordinary eco-friendly wedding vision with us!