An average wedding produces hundreds of pounds of waste, in just one day. With 2 million weddings annually in the US, the wedding industry produces a projected billion pounds in waste per year. In order to eliminate that amount of waste, more and more couples are making the conscious decision to keep Mother Earth in mind during the wedding planning process. This is a trend that our team at Creative Ambiance Events is loving!! We specialize in helping our clients create entirely customized events, tailored to their specific needs and wants - eco-friendly weddings are one of our favorite customizations! Some of our favorite ways to create an elegant, environmentally conscious include:
Rentals & reusable decor
Rentals and reusable decor can be not only eco-friendly, but it can also be cost effective. Renting a reusable floral wall or boxwood hedge helps to reduce a large amount of plant waste associated with weddings. Faux floral walls also have a lower material cost to design, which means you can get more bang for your buck, while keeping the planet in mind.
Faux florals
Faux florals help to eliminate plant waste as they are reusable and don't need to be thrown out. Because they will never die, you can keep and repurpose your arrangements. Faux flowers can be an effective choice and can sometimes even be less expensive than live flowers. Some of our favorite types of re-usable florals include:
- silk flowers
- wooden florals
- dried florals
Locally grown & sourced flowers
If you choose to go the live flower route, incorporating in-season, locally grown flowers can help to reduce the environmental impact of shipping and importing flowers from other countries. This can also be a sentimental choice, as you can show love for your community and home by using flowers from local growers.
Plants
Using live, potted plants you can help reduce plant waste and create a lovely organic look. Potted plants can also double as favor for your guests, which is a great way to give your guests the perfect "thank you".
Organic / biodegradable confetti
While throwing rice on the happy couple is a wonderful tradition, and plastic confetti is so fun, both are terrible for the environment. Each of these pose a threat to wildlife who may eat the fallen confetti. But we must celebrate! Which is why many couples opt for organic/biodegradable confetti. Some of our favorites include:
- floral confetti
- seeds
- biodegradable glitter
Donate your flowers after your event
The sad truth is most floral arrangements end up left at the venue, and are then thrown away. Donate your flowers to a nursing home or church to be enjoyed for the many days following your wedding. Not only does this help reduce plant waste, but this helps to show love to your community.
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