Green, sustainable, or eco-friendly weddings are the perfect way to have a celebration with family and friends while being mindful of our environment. Read on to find out more!
Hey, Christie!
My grandmother is a Retired Camp Fire Girl. My fiancé, Chris, is an Eagle Scout. Both have talked about a green or sustainable wedding when Chris and I marry this fall at Ainsworth House & Gardens.
Can you give me a crash course on green weddings?
Thanks in advance!
Victoria in Vancouver, Washington
Hey, Victoria!
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding here! I am having so much fun collaborating with you to plan the day of your dreams!
Weddings have changed since B.C. or Before Covid. 😊
One interesting trend during the COVID restrictions was that the average couple reduced their wedding’s carbon footprint by 93% because they invited fewer guests and fewer guests traveled by airplane to weddings.
And there’s another trend: Baby Boomers and Milenials share a similar world view about caring for the planet.
What we’re finding is that Baby Boomers (those born 1945-1964) and Millennials (those born 1981-1996) are very eco-conscious and focused on sustainability: They want to leave Earth better than they found it.
(Yes, the other generations are mindful of Earth too!)
For that reason, we are seeing a trend toward “green,” eco-friendly, or sustainable weddings which reduce paper and food waste. The goal is to reduce your event’s impact on the environment by making minor changes.
You can have the wedding celebration of your dreams and yet be exceedingly kind to the Earth.
There are plenty of sustainable wedding ideas for your special celebration including eco-friendly options for your invitations, your catering, your flowers, and your wedding decorations.
A few of the trends we are seeing include:
- Couples are selecting sustainable, eco-friendly, all-inclusive wedding venues such as Ainsworth House & Gardens. Since you can have your wedding ceremony and your reception here, guests aren’t using their cars to commute between venues.
- By offering a live stream of the wedding, guests have the option of watching the wedding without flying to the venue which increases their carbon footprint. We are happy to assist with the live stream of your wedding!
- Couples are seeking an eco-friendlier outdoor setting for their wedding ceremony. By opting for a wedding in a beautiful, natural setting, the couples can reduce or eliminate gigantic (and expensive) floral arrangements. At Ainsworth, you can approach your wedding ceremony through the arch of blooming wisteria and have your ceremony under our majestic Ponderosa Pine, which is nearly 200 years old. Start your family tree by getting married under our family’s tree!
- Our couples may select a caterer and a florist who locally source, in season foods and flowers. Since the foods, drinks, and flowers aren’t shipped in, this reduces the carbon footprint and supports the local farmers and floral providers.
- There are vegan and vegetarian options to reduce the environmental impact of meat.
- Couples are opting for natural materials instead of plastic.
- Couples are mindfully selecting recycled or reusable paper and goods.
- We are seeing a trend from the 1970’s resurface: In 1975, Geoff and Nancy planted a redwood sapling after their marriage in the California redwoods to give back to the planet. Now, couples are either planting a tree at their home or paying for a tree to be planted somewhere in the world. For instance, one couple donated money to Greenfleet, a nonprofit that plants trees to offset CO2
Since green, eco-friendly, sustainable weddings take so many different forms, we will be writing more content on how you can have the wedding of your dreams and still make your Retired Camp Fire Girl Gramma and your Eagle Scout husband-to-be happy with every decision you make!
Your friend in the wedding business,
Christie Shyne
Images courtesy of Unsplash.com.
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