Throwing a sustainable, zero-waste, and ethical wedding does not have to feel impossible. I created this guide as a way to help put all the options in one place. In June of 2019, my husband and I pulled off our very own sustainable wedding and I am so excited to share the eco-friendly an zero-waste options you have at your disposal, hah, you see what I did there?
If you are here as a new bride, congrats! If your here because you want to get your research done before the ring is on your finger, awesome! Take a moment and give yourself a pat on the back for caring enough about the earth to learn how to go about a green wedding. I want to preface this guide by saying I worked as a wedding photographer for a decade in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois. I’ve photographed over 100 couples and thus have seen a lot of different types of weddings, and in turn, have seen first-hand the amount of waste that is produced from the average wedding day. Even then, when I wasn’t the conscious consumer I am today, it raised a red flag in my mind. 
A 130 person wedding on average produces 62 tons of carbon dioxide and 400-600 lbs of waste. These numbers include everything from the wedding invitations to the flowers to the wedding dress.
An opposition arises when you try to have an earth-friendly wedding within the confines of modern wedding culture. We are constantly bombarded by pictures and ideas on Pinterest of perfect personalized weddings with all the trimmings. Then you have the concept of zero waste, which can feel so minimal and bare, making a bride feel like there’s very little wiggle room to make it feel special for herself and her guests. 
The good news is that there are so many options for making your day feel special while still achieving an earth-conscious wedding. Once you understand the basics of having a green wedding then you can choose your own adventure from there. I can tell you from personal experience with my wedding that we were able to achieve a beautiful aesthetic without having to compromise our earth-friendly values.
In this guide, we will go over the options you have from finding an ethical engagement ring to where you can buy an eco-friendly wedding dress. While we talk over these options, I’ll provide you with what I chose for my low to no-waste wedding so that you have some experience to fall back on and you know you are not alone as you plan your own big day.
On the hunt for cute and wedding-themed candy for your wedding? You can even order by M&M color! Check out the Candy Store here.The Green Wedding Guide covers:
Looking for affordable personalized wedding invitations? Be sure to check out Mixbook!
Happy green wedding planning!
12 Comments
Katherine Parchman
4/9/2019 07:15:10 pm
requesting zero-waste guide
Kelsey
4/10/2019 09:08:11 am
Hi Katherine - Thanks for your interest! did you enter your info in the area above to have it sent to you?
Kelsey
4/17/2019 05:58:53 am
It's totally my pleasure Tiffany! Enjoy the guide and let me know if you have any questions!
Bronwyn
8/15/2019 04:53:01 pm
Requesting guide :)
Ryann Mickens
12/23/2019 09:09:15 am
Requesting a guide☺️ 5/14/2020 06:29:33 pm
A great read with great info! We are in the process of planning our wedding and would love to do it in the most sustainable and eco-friendly way possible, especially just our blog is all about achieving a sustainable lifestyle on the pursuit to financial independence. Appreciate the guide and post!
Patricia
12/10/2021 07:05:19 am
Requesting a guide
Lilli
1/27/2023 12:46:16 pm
Helping my friend plan her eco-friendly wedding! 8/28/2023 02:56:47 am
Thank you very much for writing this; I really enjoyed your site. Having said that, I am overjoyed to have found such a well-written piece on the topic of sustainable, zero-waste, ethical weddings. So that you don't have to go digging around, I made this tutorial. My now-husband and I successfully executed a green wedding in June of this year, and I can't wait to tell you about all the wonderful green and zero-waste possibilities available to you. Please keep it up; I appreciate it. Come across Jukeboxhireinsydney.com.au and hope you can visit this too to get more information. Leave a Reply. |
Meet Kelsey,Thanks for stopping by Green Willow Homestead! From chicken rearing to composting, we've got our hands full and we love sharing what we've learned along the way. Follow along as we turn the 80 acres we call home into a farm that serves its community and a homestead that nourishes us throughout the seasons. 
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