Sustainable Wedding Planning – 7 Ways You Can Use Sustainable Practices

(One of a Two-Part Series)

By knowing how to plan a sustainable wedding, you can make a positive difference and create a memorable day that aligns with your values, enhancing the overall experience.  Your wedding day is a joyous occasion that celebrates love, commitment, and the beginning of a new chapter in your life, starting your own Legacy. However, it’s essential to consider the environmental impact of your celebrations. In this blog post, we’ll explore the first four ways you can embrace sustainability while planning your wedding. But first…

What is a Sustainable Event?

In today’s world, sustainability is more than just a trend—it’s a fundamental aspect of event planning. As hosts, it’s essential to embrace eco-friendly practices to meet the expectations of attendees or guests who prioritize environmental responsibility. But what does it mean to host a sustainable wedding or event, and how can you effortlessly plan one with authenticity?

A sustainable event goes beyond the ordinary, taking into account environmental, economic, and social considerations. Often referred to as “green events” or “event greening,” this concept gained prominence after the 1992 Winter Olympics and has continued to evolve.

In a sustainable, green, or eco-friendly event, we integrate values like recycling, reducing plastic usage, serving plant-based or ethically sourced meals, and mindfully minimizing the event’s carbon footprint. While planning such events requires additional effort, the benefits are abundant. Beyond contributing to the well-being of our planet, hosting sustainable events showcases our genuine commitment to addressing crucial issues. It communicates to clients and guests that we not only understand these challenges but are actively dedicated to making a positive impact.

When planning, consider incorporating these eco-friendly ideas to elevate the experience for everyone involved. Additionally, knowing how to plan a sustainable wedding doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Choosing even just a few of these practices can have a substantial impact:

Sustainable Wedding Planning: Choose an Eco-friendly Venue

When selecting a wedding venue, consider eco-friendly options that prioritize sustainability. Outdoor venues, such as gardens, parks, or even private properties, can provide a stunning backdrop while reducing the environmental footprint.

The Legacy at Willow Pond, a venue in Suffolk, VA, understands that events can have a large impact on the environment and is making it a priority to implement multiple eco-friendly wedding practices throughout our event venue and the property.  Here is a list of ways we are making a more positive impact on our plant and events, which significantly sets us apart from other wedding and event venues in Hampton Roads:

• Veronica, one of the venue owners, has earned her Sustainable Event Strategist Certification. She has worked on implementing these ideas into the building process and is continuing to learn more about how we can take steps to reduce our impact on events and our planet.
• Options for your wedding include an outdoor ceremony and indoor reception or you can have your ceremony and reception outdoors –  al fresco style!

Lighting practices

• Solar-powered lighting will be used in areas on the exterior of the building and in the parking lot to use natural energy vs. electricity. This reduces carbon emissions. The lights will dim when there is no activity, reducing the light put out into the night sky. This reduces light pollution and has less impact on wildlife and their habitats, minimizing wildlife disruption.
• All outdoor lighting will be used only in areas as needed for safety and wayfinding. It will be shielded and pointed downward only in the areas where it is needed. Any lighting not necessary after hours will be turned off completely. *With reduced light pollution, you will be able to see the gorgeous sky and bright stars in our rural area of Suffolk, Virginia!

Building practices

• Inside the building, we are using motion-sensor lighting in the office, dressing lounge, all ADA restrooms, prep kitchen, and storage area. This reduces unnecessary use of electricity. Using LED lighting throughout the venue will also reduce electrical use by 85% from a regular bulb. This reduces greenhouse emissions from power plants and results in lower carbon dioxide emissions. Roughly, one LED bulb will minimize greenhouse gas emissions by almost half a ton. 
• We will have a “reusable water bottle filler” for use at appropriate events vs. using one-use plastic water bottles. Saving plastics from going to the landfills.
• Water-efficient appliances and fixtures will be installed.
• Implementation of composting and recycling during and after events.
• We offer a great eco-friendly wedding practice. The “borrowed boutique” will be offered to our clients. Event décor will be available to reserve (based on availability) for their wedding day. This is a sustainable wedding practice of reusing one-time purchases for events from votive candle holders to farm tables, easels, and more.

Landscaping practices

• Our landscaping sustainable practices will include drought-tolerant and native plants, to save on water usage. Other sustainable landscaping practices will include soil erosion practices, and designing gardens with water-saving features like rain gardens, bioswales, wildflower and grass fields and permeable elements. Mulching, composting, and creating habitats for wildlife will also be used.

Opt for Eco-friendly Invitations

When using sustainable wedding planning, Instead of traditional paper invitations, choose digital alternatives to minimize waste. Electronic invitations are not only eco-friendly but also cost-effective and convenient. If you prefer physical invitations, select recycled or plantable options made from sustainable materials. How you plan a sustainable wedding, regarding your invitation suite, ensures that your wedding stationery leaves a minimal ecological impact.

Embrace Local, Organic, and Seasonal Food

One of the highlights of any wedding is the food. Opt for caterers who prioritize local, organic, and seasonal ingredients. By supporting local farmers and reducing the carbon footprint associated with long-distance transportation, you’ll contribute to a more sustainable food system. Additionally, discuss with your caterer about minimizing food waste and donating leftovers to local charities.

Sustainable Catering Offerings

• Our exclusive caterer, Chef by Design (CBD), implements all these sustainable practices! Chef by Design is called upon by many clients and vendors to support green initiatives. For example, as a caterer for one location, they use no plastic in any capacity. Everything that is used is bio-degradable, and environment friendly.  They do the same with events at publicly funded schools and colleges. There is a vast list of all green and eco-friendly items they offer to all clients in terms of disposables and other items when requested.
•  CBD feels very strongly about supporting our communities with food, as well. CBD literally has no food wasted. It is all re-purposed through several avenues.
• Chef by Design has partnered with Meals on Wheels in Virginia Beach to provide two meals daily for homebound residents.  This partnership has created a renewed sense of purpose between Chef by Design and the surrounding community as well as provided a source for repurposing and eliminating waste from our catering operations. Menus are designed for our Meals on Wheels clients, directly from our catered events. Thus, no food is wasted, but instead is utilized to serve and feed 1000’s of meals each week. Additionally, when able, they support local food drives or shelters when they have any food they would like to donate.

Farm to Table Sustainable Catering Practices

• Whenever possible, Chef by Design will always use fresh, regional ingredients for their menus. Chef John has incredible relationships with local farms, where they source eggs, dairy, proteins, and vegetables/herbs used weekly. Those items are delivered to them by the farm owners on their daily and weekly routes. CBD never uses boxed items. Everything is made from scratch – the sauces, dressings, breads – all are made in-house. They source organic, pesticide-free meats, and make it a practice to serve the highest quality ingredients for clients. They have relationships with local businesses that provide only fresh (never frozen) proteins daily to the business location. Chef by Design’s standard of excellence in using the highest quality and local (always first preference) is what sets them apart from their competition.

Eco-friendly Wedding Attire

When it comes to wedding attire, consider sustainable options. Choose wedding gowns and suits made from eco-friendly fabrics like organic cotton, hemp, or bamboo. If you prefer a pre-owned dress, explore vintage or consignment boutiques. For bridesmaids and groomsmen, encourage them to rent or select clothing they can wear again. (As a client, ask us about our vendor relationship for suits/tuxes.) Don’t forget to donate or recycle your attire after the wedding.

In conclusion, knowing how to plan a sustainable wedding 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 will give you 3 more ways to use Sustainable Wedding Planning in Part Two soon!  Follow us on Instagram or Facebook to see when we post Part Two of “How to Plan a Sustainable Wedding“.

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!