This spring, we’re dedicating our blog to the idea of consuming less, a good way to explore how much is enough for today. That doesn’t mean that you need to give up everything you own and go live in a tree (though that’s great if you do, and many of us feel like we’d love to do that about once a day!). This month, however, we’re dedicating our time to giving you ideas on how you can consume less in reasonable ways in things that you do every day. Today’s topic? How to consume less at your wedding or when getting married. (Scroll to the bottom for our handy infographic!)
The wedding industry in the United States alone is a forty-billion dollar a year industry. That’s a lot of dresses, wedding gifts, shoes and dinners. But a wedding is also a special day where you want to make sure that you and your guests remember it and share in the joy that you and your partner-to-be are experiencing. There are many ways, though, to walk the line between throwing a great wedding and also cutting back on the mass consumption associated. You may even find that you end up saving some money (and we all know that wedding budgets can be tight!). Here are our favorite seven tips for how to reduce consumption for your wedding.
Tip Number One: Skip the Registry
While gift registries are a traditional part of throwing a wedding, ask yourself if you really want to have a registry. Do you really want or need the items on the registry? Especially if you, like many people, are waiting until you are somewhat older to marry or wed, chances are that you have many of the things that you need for your home. Instead of encouraging people to buy you more “stuff,” consider asking people to provide cash gifts only or, alternatively and often more classy, ask people to donate directly to your honeymoon fund. There’s even a website to help you do that. If you are particularly financially stable, ask guests to make a donation to a nonprofit or charity in your name instead of any gifts! Pay your happiness forward.
Tip Number Two: Consider Rentals
There are so many things that you can rent rather than purchase. If you’re not particularly sentimental, you can often rent your wedding gown. Before you gasp in horror, think about whether you really need a dress sitting in a box for the rest of your life! You can also rent jewelry that’s especially nice and particular to the day from websites like RentTheRunway.com. Tuxedos obviously can be rented, but so can shoes for the men! Decorations, linens and dishes can also be rented. As a general rule, if you want to reduce consumption at your wedding, it’s worth your time to research every possible item that can be rented instead of bought.
Tip Number Three: Make Sure You Know Where Leftover Food is Going
You’re going to waste a lot of food at your wedding. That’s just the reality of almost any event where large numbers of people are all fed in mass consumption. Whether you opt for the buffet or plated meals, there will be cake, food, beverages and lots and lots of bread that go to waste. Talk to your wedding venue provider. In many cases, they will be willing to facilitate taking your leftovers to a shelter to feed needy individuals. If they’re not willing to do that, have them package all of the remaining food up for you and, once again, pay it forward by donating the food yourself. Food is one of the biggest areas of wedding waste, and small steps can be taken that will easily minimize that. Of course, the more you make yourself aware of ensuring that the food used at your wedding comes from sustainable sources, the less impact you’ll have on the planet. However, we realize that this option may not be in everybody’s wedding budget.
Tip Number Four: Have Your Bridesmaids Pick Their Own Dresses
One of the biggest fashion trends for weddings recently is also one of the most sustainable trends. More and more, brides are simply picking a color or a fabric and then allowing their bridesmaids to select their own dresses or have their own dresses made. When bridesmaids make or select their own dresses, the likelihood that the dress will be worn again goes up tenfold (or more). When bridesmaids buy a one-time dress in a style or color that they’ll never wear again…well, we don’t need to explain the waste involved in that down the line. You can still have a stunning wedding without out-of-the-box bridesmaids’ dresses. Let your bridesmaids express their own style and your entire wedding party will glow right beside you while also cutting down on waste for the wedding.
Tip Number Five: Buy Used Items
For some reason, people often balk at the idea of buying items used for their wedding, but the reality is that it can save you money, headache and waste. If you browse the message boards on any wedding planning website, you’ll see dozens of people selling centerpieces, linens, accessories and more from their wedding. After all, a wedding is just one day and afterwards many people who bought items new realize that they just don’t need them. If you’ve left yourself enough time, you can often find many things that you want and need being sold used.
Tip Number Six: Buy Local
From gowns to invitations to wedding favors and bridal party gifts, opt for local or independent merchants (there are tons of great upcycle and local artisan items for weddings on Etsy). We’re not telling you anything that you couldn’t figure out on your own when we tell you that purchasing from big-box bridal companies isn’t doing anything to help overall sustainability. Take the time to check local and independent options. Not only might you be pleasantly surprised, but you’ll be able to put a more unique and individual ceremony together.
Tip Number Seven: Be Gentle with the Paper and Plant Products
Save the date cards, invitations, wedding flowers, rehearsal dinner centerpieces, thank you cards, rsvp cards…all of these things are traditional elements of a wedding and we wouldn’t presume to tell you that you should just skip over them. However, put some time into thinking about what you’re doing and where you’re sourcing it. For many things, there may be a healthier alternative, a local alternative, a recycled alternative or even a digital alternative. Simply take the time to look into your options and use the guiding words “gentle on the planet” where possible when making decisions!
Bonus Tip: More Time Means Better Planning
Your wedding should happen in the time frame that you want no matter how fast that is, but the more time you take to plan and think out your wedding features the more options you’ll find yourself having in terms of choices that you can make to reduce waste and consumption. It’s your big day and it only happens once – take the time to make every part of it line up with your ideals and dreams.
Have another idea on how to consume less when you’re getting married or throwing a wedding? You tell us. Comment below or tell us about it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram.
