If you're the type of person who thinks sustainability is crucial, then your wedding planning journey would have had you trying to uncover creative eco-friendly ways to having a “greener” wedding.
We’ve been lucky to have had a diverse clientele over the years. These unique experiences have helped us shape our own 7 simple yet effective eco-friendly ways to have a sustainable wedding in the 21st century.
BUY less
CHOOSE well
MAKE IT last
If there's one thing we love to see at a wedding it's beautiful fresh flowers, and stunning floral arrangements! When your wedding florals are made by seasoned florists their talents and experience, along with your creative brief, really adds personality and finesse to the space.
When it comes to simple yet effective sustainable solutions around your wedding flowers, select flowers that'll stay in a good condition, whether in the scorching hot sun or during the cold evenings. This way you can repurpose them however you want for the next day, and beyond!
You might want to reduce your spend, reuse and recycle your ceremony florals for your wedding reception or use your bridesmaids bouquets at the reception too, in places like your head table, cake table, gift table, or your guest tables too. Saving money and the planet!
Another way to recycle your wedding florals is with a bouquet toss, or gift an arrangement to the Aunt's at your wedding who really want a take-home souvenir from your special day; giving your wedding florals another lease on life to adorn someone else's space.
Arrange for the rest to be donated and delivered to a local rest home, hospice or visit your loved ones who could not be there in person with some of your wedding flowers. Either of these sustainable options will work nicely and give your beautiful floral arrangements the opportunity to make someone else's day special too!
It is good to repurpose wedding floral arrangements, where logistically possible, as sometimes they’re just too beautiful to discard, besides, since they cost a small fortune… Let's not be wasteful!
The wedding industry is an economic powerhouse that has grown dramatically in the past few years, irrespective of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result, we are seeing a growing number of people who want to have their wedding as environmentally friendly as possible. They want to reduce their carbon footprint and promote sustainability. We dig this!
Some couples are doing this by opting for locally sourced material for their weddings instead of booking suppliers from other cities. This not only boosts local business but also creates jobs for locals and reduces transportation costs.
Use local vendors for catering and other services, such as sourcing your wedding cake, hair and makeup artists, wedding flowers, event furniture and decorations. This will not only promote sustainability, and support your (or the) local economy, but it will ensure your suppliers or supplies arrive on time, and safely.
As an example, you don’t want your delicate, multiple tiered wedding cake traveling too far, especially if you’ve planned a destination wedding and there are steep winding roads involved… Or if you’ve a large bridal party you might need your hair and makeup artists to start at early hours of the morning. Working with locally sourced suppliers can pay off in more ways than one. Support your local!
In the past, soon-to-be brides had to buy a dress that they would only wear once. Nowadays, renting a wedding dress is more popular than ever before! Renting is not just about saving money and reducing your carbon footprint, it’s also about promoting sustainability and being environmentally conscious.
Some of the benefits of renting your wedding dress can include:
Could 'Circular Fashion' be your thing? We've weaved greener options and alternatives into our style of wedding planning because we are the change we wish to see in the world!
Wedding She Wrote is your one-stop shop when it comes to planning your unique wedding experience across New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. Not only can you access wedding design and planning expertise, you can purchase beautiful products and wedding services from our online store too, including, one of our newest services from our unique offering: Dream Wedding Dress Rental.
If you're looking for a drop-dead gorgeous wedding dress that will wow the pants off your wedding guests, then you've just found the perfect place to rent your dream dress. We have the hottest Bridal Gown Collection that's available to rent, in New Zealand!
Sustainability is SEXY, and the future of fashion is here. This wedding service was designed to keep you within budget, yet still looking and feeling like the deserving Queen you are with our glamorous selection of Bridal Gowns. Get in touch if you would like to check out our rental collection!
Email: shop@weddingshewrote.co.nz
Being eco-friendly can be wallet-friendly too! Helping you save money and improve your carbon footprint by hiring instead of buying (in this instance!)
In an effort to promote sustainability, some people are now choosing to hire groomsmen and bridesmaid clothes instead of buying them. The process is simple. All you need is a list of the sizes and colors that everyone needs. You then send this list to a company that specializes in renting clothing for weddings and other formal occasions. They will then send you a quote with all the details about what they can offer you, including pricing, discounts, and any additional services they might provide.
PRO TIPS:
Let the Groom look the best. It’s his day after all! It’s ok to buy his suit having it tailored perfectly to his frame.
Navy Blue is the most complimentary color to every other color and will look good on almost anyone.
Groomsmen aren’t fussed about what they’re going to wear, and are more than happy to hire a suit for the Grooms’ wedding day.
Since the Groom strives to look his very best for his Bride on their special day, purchasing one tailored suit can still be a sustainable option! It would not only be an investment for his wedding day by ensuring the perfect look and fit but an overall investment and staple to his wardrobe. As every man needs a handsome well-fitting suit for all sorts of occasions and life celebrations. One’s wedding is the perfect time to make this investment.
DON’T FORGET TO: Find a new cologne that you love and wear this on your special day. Studies show that when you smell this scent again, no matter the space of time, it will bring you back to the special moment of your wedding day!
In many cases it’s very eco-friendly to hire items such as the basics like glassware, plates, platters, cutlery, tables and chairs. They’re already in the country, you can locally source, and they’re a hassle to clean and store. Let’s be real. But if you’re going for more of a casual, less traditional style event, where formalities are faint, and you’re not too keen on a clean-up… Lol. An alternative option to hiring or buying tableware and glassware is to use trendy disposable andbiodegradable products for your special event!
Disposable and biodegradable party product that's not only awesome and practical. But it is typically made out of something eco-friendly and sustainable, like bamboo or hemp or wood or leaves! It’s usually something of that Nature, pun intended. Lol.
This option is a good way to use biodegradable products in your event without breaking the bank, AND still saving the planet as an eco-friendly alternative. The added bonus to this is you can eat, drink, spray and throw away! No dishes or stocktake. #WINNING.
This kind of product will break down nicely and efficiently over time, instead of filling up our landfills like plastics and other waste does.
Wedding photography and video documentation are OF COURSE some of the best ways to reminisce about your special day once this milestone is accomplished! A guest book is awesome too! Being able to look back and see real, funny, cute and joyful messages from your friends and family is always a meaningful treat!
But do you know what’s better than all the above and is probably the most simple yet effective eco-friendly way to have a sustainable wedding in the 21st century? Planting a tree in commemoration of your beautiful marriage!
A symbolic and simple act of love documenting your new beginnings as Husband & Wife, and the new chapter you’re about to enter together as a marriage couple. That’s pretty cool to be honest, and ultra, eco-friendly! Over time, its growth and resilience will be an inspiring symbol of your relationship. #Goals
If you plan to have a family together, you might plan cute photos where your children take a photo in the same spot every birthday, or special occasion, and you’ll be able to see how much they’ve grown! The growth in these memories and photos will be overwhelmingly beautiful, and all from wanting to plan a sustainable wedding and doing things in a greener way. Neat alright!
Tell us in the comments below about what tree would you plant to commemorate your special day and why?!
To our fellow Kiwi’s, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are definitely eco-friendlier ways to honeymoon at the moment. It can be just as awesome maybe even better to go on a honeymoon nationally! It’s an eco-friendly option for sure, you can reduce your carbon footprint and it 100% supports sustainability. The bonus is if you hadn’t already, you’ll be able to experience the culture and true beauty that we have in our own beautiful backyard.Aotearoa “The Land of the Long White Cloud” New Zealand is SERIOUSLY one of the most beautiful countries on the planet!
We are incredibly blessed with immeasurable natural beauty in New Zealand! There are so many stunning spots to explore, you’ll be awe-inspired and spoiled for choice once you start planning your eco-friendly honeymoon adventure in Aotearoa.
The reality is, it doesn’t matter where you go when you’re with your BEST FRIEND!!! Discovering hidden gems in New Zealand will not be hard to do when you’re honeymooning nationally!
Here are some Kiwi-esque suggestions to you can experience if you honeymoon in ‘Middle Earth’ #IYKYK… Visit somewhere you’ve never been, try freedom camping, hotel motel hopping, visit a glacier (before they melt away), glide through the Milford or the Marlborough Sounds, chill in Hahei, Whitianga, check out the Bay of Islands, or start from the bottom and cruise all the way up our South & North Island’s in a camper van/mobile home.
There'll be so much to do, that you'll have a list of leftover things you want to experience next time you visit!
Even the smallest actions are steps in the right direction.
Little by little, a LITTLE becomes a LOT.
Caring about the planet, the future and the kind of legacy you're leaving behind for your family and future families is cool. We hope you learned a simple yet effective eco-friendly way to have a sustainable wedding in the 21st century.
“Sustainability is no longer about doing less harm. It is about doing more good.” - Jochen Zeitz
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