How to make your wedding more sustainable

^{An outdoor wedding set up at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit. Photo by Matilda Adams.}

Planning a wedding is one of the most exciting and stressful times in your life. While joyous, these celebrations have become more elaborate and expensive, requiring a lot of plans. In that process, engaged couples must navigate each other’s opinions and their families’ wishes. They must balance honoring tradition with finding their own voice. And, they must do it all within budget constraints.

Choosing to factor in yet another factor – sustainability – might seem like just another stressor. But you may be surprised to find that keeping sustainability in mind during the planning process can reduce stress instead of amplifying it. The Missouri Botanical Garden’s Sustainability team has a few tips to keep in mind to plan a more sustainable wedding.

*Cheerful young brides in white wedding attire spreading pieces of cut big cake among guests sitting by served festive table. Photo by shironosov/Getty Images.*

General tips for a sustainable wedding

Select local vendors. This reduces your carbon footprint while providing many other bonuses. These vendors have worked with each other before and may already be familiar with your venue. Plus it supports the economy you live and work in every day
Avoid single-use items. You may be able to avoid purchasing by renting instead. Check with your venue and caterer to see if they have their own rental library or have a company they recommend. Be sure you are organized if borrowing: note how many total and then number the individuals to minimize stress during clean-up. Not having to store or dispose of these items is worth the extra planning.

Sustainable catering options

Food from Sassafras Café inside the Missouri Botanical Garden. Sassafras is a Green Dining alliance certified restaurant — Food from Sassafras Café (catered by Catering St. Louis) inside the Missouri Botanical Garden. Sassafras Café is a Green Dining Alliance certified restaurant. Photo by Cassidy Moody/Missouri Botanical Garden.

Check with the Green Dining Alliance. Earthday365’s Green Dining alliance certifies restaurants and caterers annually to ensure they are meeting certain sustainability standards. There are several GDA Certified caterers ready to collaborate with you depending on your tastes and their availability. Choosing a business that is GDA Certified takes the pressure off you to make sure that your caterer is doing things like composting food waste and sourcing food locally.
Consider a vegetarian menu. Not only is a vegetarian menu more sustainable, it can help keep your costs down. This also takes into to consideration dietary restrictions your guests may have.

^{Missouri Botanical Garden honey. Photo by Nathan Kwarta.}

Sustainable wedding favors

Ditch the trinkets. Couples often choose to show appreciation for their guests by offering personalized gifts like sunglasses, coozies, or stickers. These can be fun mementos but many of these items are left behind for you to cleanup and most of them will eventually end up in a landfill.
Consider consumable favors. If you know you want to give your guests something, there are ways to creatively incorporate party favors that share your personality and values with your guests. Candles, local honey, or decorative packets of wildflower seeds are sustainable options your wedding guests will love!

Sustainable clothing options

*A few beautiful wedding dresses on a hanger at a bridal shop. Stock photo by SbytovaMN/Getty Images.*

Try a bridal consignment shop. You don’t have to be a bride-to-be to know that the wedding dress industry boasts sky-high prices for something you will only wear once. A bridal consignment shop can up the sustainability factor in your wedding and save you money. Bridal consignment shops have hundreds of dresses to choose from including many that are brand new with tags on. They are often available for a fraction of boutique or national retailer prices. Saving on the dress itself allows more of your budget to go towards alterations to make it fit you perfectly.
Don’t limit yourself to bridal wear. Of course, you may need many more outfits throughout your wedding season besides The Dress. If your goal is simply to feel and look your best, you can avoid bright whites and broaden “bridal” to include white with a colorful pattern or use the color champagne. These outfits are perfect for showers and are much easier to wear again after you are married.
Go with a rental. This is an area where the grooms of the world have it a bit easier. It is common to rent suits or tuxes and simply return them afterwards.

Sustainable wedding flowers

Select seasonal blooms. Seasonal blooms are more sustainable and give your wedding a unique and natural aesthetic that reflects the season. Professional florists know what is locally available at the time of your wedding and will be happy to work with you to put together something that reflects the season. Utilizing locally grown and native plants supports the businesses that choose sustainable growing practices.
Try paper or wood flowers. Alternatives to traditional fresh flowers and foliage, like wood and paper flowers, are gaining popularity for sustainable weddings. These eco-friendly options allow you to customize the look of your wedding and they won’t whither after the ceremony.

Congratulations on your engagement! Celebrate our environment along with a lifetime of love by choosing more sustainable options for your wedding.