For many of us, our wedding day reflects our values. We celebrate in meaningful ways to create moments we’ll cherish forever. If sustainability and minimizing your impact on the local community are important to you, planning a green wedding is a wonderful way to put your priorities into practice. 

Here, we’ve rounded up eco-friendly wedding ideas and tips to reduce your environmental footprint without sacrificing quality or style on your big day. From seasonal wedding flowers to paperless stationery, these eco-chic ideas will help you share your love not only with each other but also with Mother Nature. 

Green Wedding Planning Tips: 13 Ideas for Eco-Chic Venues, Menus, and More

Green wedding: table setting with small potted plants

Weddings are among the biggest milestones in life. However, they can also be quite wasteful. We’re not talking about overspending here, we mean weddings create a lot of waste — whether it’s paper invitations that ultimately get tossed in the trash or expensive florals that are thrown to the wayside. 

But that doesn’t mean you can’t have an eco-conscious wedding. With a little planning and some effort, you can reduce the environmental impact of your wedding. Whether you want a large celebration or an intimate micro wedding, here are our top tips to reduce your carbon footprint and pull off a fabulous green wedding.

1. Choose a Community Venue and Treat It Respectfully

For a green wedding, consider a unique community venue. Many cities have community spaces that you can rent out for a fee. Imagine all of your guests gathered in a stunning arboretum, botanical garden, or museum. You’ll love knowing that the proceeds go toward community programs and events. It’s the best of both worlds, having a beautiful wedding and knowing your event is paying it forward to the local community.

Outdoor weddings are a great way to show your love for nature and the environment. Just be sure to remove everything you brought and make preparations to avoid damaging natural areas during the big day.

You may also want to consider ditching the destination wedding — flying overseas isn’t exactly great for the planet. Instead, choose a local venue or consider planning an elopement to reduce the impact of long-distance travel.

2. Go for Paperless Stationery

Green wedding: wedding invitation cards

Paper stationery is one of the biggest waste products for weddings. Luckily, there’s a better way to plan a green wedding thanks to digital stationery. You won’t waste paper or postage, and you’ll also do the environment a favor by avoiding the carbon footprint of transporting invitations from one location to another. 

With digital invitations, wedding guests can still have the experience of opening a formal wedding invitation without wasting paper.

Greenvelope offers modern, eco-friendly save the dates and wedding invitation designs without sacrificing elegance or quality. Each design is entirely customizable, so you can change colors, update the typography, and add chic elements to make them as unique as your wedding personality. You can also work directly with Greenvelope’s design team to create completely bespoke paper-free stationery as well.

3. Choose Local, Seasonal Flowers and Greenery

Plants in a glass jar

Floral design can generate a lot of waste at a wedding. Even if you take the wedding centerpieces home afterward, many flowers and garlands are shipped in from faraway locations. That means a higher carbon footprint due to trucking or flying flowers in from where they’re traditionally grown.

For an eco-friendly option, choose local, seasonal flowers and greenery that are grown in your area. For a summer wedding, flowers might include sunflowers, dahlias, and cosmos. If you’re planning a winter wedding, amaryllis, camellia, and poinsettias work well. Consider adding berries or year-round greenery like eucalyptus to the mix. 

Miniature pumpkins make great fall wedding decorations, while branches, wheat stalks, and naturally dried flowers are ideal for eco-friendly weddings.

Each season presents its own collection of beautiful blooms. Talk to your wedding planner, a local florist, or a local flower farmer to find the best ways to source organic, seasonal flowers. Remember that regionality is just as important as seasonality — some areas have year-round flowers, while colder regions will have limited choices.

If you’re having difficulty finding seasonal greenery, incorporate natural accents instead. Linen or burlap ribbons in green colors like sage green, forest green, and emerald green can add a natural touch without harming the environment. You can also consider potted plants and succulents for a longer-lasting option that you can take home or give to guests to enjoy. 

4. Wear a Sustainable Wedding Dress

With so many wedding dress options available, it can be daunting to find the perfect one. Turns out, you can find an awe-inspiring, handmade gown that is fair trade, ethical, and eco-friendly — Sustainable Jungle has an excellent list of brands to consider.

Another way to buy an eco-conscious wedding dress is to get one from a thrift store. Alternatively, consider reusing and upcycling a wedding dress that has been in the family for years. Make it your own by taking it to a seamstress to change the sleeves, adjust the hemline, or make other subtle changes.

The same goes for a tuxedo, suit, or the attire for your groomsmen and bridesmaids. Instead of getting your wedding party fitted for new outfits, ask them to use something they already own. You can select a shade — like dark green bridesmaid dresses or variations of peach — so everyone coordinates without committing to a strict color scheme that’s too matchy-matchy. 

Or choose a few different wedding color palettes to make it easier for the wedding party. Bonus: Everyone gets to show off their own wedding style!

5. Rent Linens Instead of Buying Them

One way to reduce your environmental impact is to forgo plastic or paper products. Instead of using paper napkins, rent linen napkins. These can be washed and reused instead of heading straight to the landfill. 

You can also consider skipping some linens entirely, especially tablecloths. To do this, look for venues that offer stunning seating — without the need to cover it up. You can also rent stylish tables for the fete and let them be part of your eco-friendly decorations. 

6. Choose a Cake That Focuses on Quality Over Quantity

Bride and groom holding their wedding cake

Towering tiers are pretty, but nothing is worse than an uneaten wedding cake. Cut back, reduce food waste, and embrace a smaller cake option, which will still be elegant and easy to love. Alternatively, why not serve mini cupcakes or mini donuts? Take a look at our guide to 20 alternatives to wedding cake for some tasty inspiration.

7. Choose a Venue With Built-in Decor

Rather than spending money and resources on wedding decorations like paper products and balloons, try to find a venue for your wedding ceremony and reception that is already dressed up naturally.

No matter your wedding theme, some venues can reduce decor waste without sacrificing beauty. For instance, if you host a rustic wedding, look at flower farms where you can say “I do” in front of a field of sunflowers or lavender. A sandy beach is the perfect backdrop for a boho wedding. Or say your vows in a community church and host a small wedding reception on the grounds outside. With naturally beautiful venues, you don’t need to spend time with single-use decor ideas.

8. Create an Eco-Friendly Registry

For a green wedding, build a gift registry that gives back to communities or choose sustainable items. You can even turn your registry into a charitable activity by only asking for charity donations instead of material items. 

Support a local organization by encouraging guests to bring a donation instead of a gift. You can also select a registry, like BluePrint, that allows you to accept cash gifts for a honeymoon experience, home projects, or new-home fund.

9. Use Environmentally-Friendly Lighting 

LED candle in a wine glass

Light up your wedding decor with energy-efficient LED lights and flameless candles. If you love the romance of real candles, consider eco-friendly candles made from pure coconut wax or soy wax to avoid harmful impurities found in most conventional candles.

10. Serve Infused Tap Water

Plastic water bottles are among the biggest pollutants on the planet. Single-use bottles end up in landfills and the ocean. For your wedding day, be sure to have plenty of infused water in glass water dispensers, which you can rent from most event rental shops. 

Simply add cucumbers and lemon, mint and berries, orange slices and blackberries, or other infused water combinations. You’ll have a gorgeous, eco-chic display that keeps your wedding guests naturally hydrated.

11. Source Items From Buy Nothing Groups

Buy Nothing groups are as sweet as they sound. Connect with your local Buy Nothing group to collect or borrow things instead of buying brand-new ones. You never know what will be up for grabs!

12. Give Edible Party Favors

Green wedding: various desserts in glass jars

Who would turn away an edible party favor? Absolutely no one! Cookies, brownies, macarons, or cake pops are among the sweetest ending to a new beginning. Bonus points if you can give them to wedding guests without any packaging.

13. Choose Sustainable Wedding Rings

The mantra “reduce, reuse, recycle” is helpful to remember when doing your eco-friendly wedding planning. The same applies to selecting your wedding rings. 

Instead of buying something new from a jeweler, consider rings that have been in the family or opt for antique or vintage rings. Alternatively, you could have a jeweler melt a vintage ring to create a new setting and stone arrangement that suits your personality.

If you do choose to buy gems for your wedding ring, make sure they are sourced sustainably. Many jewelers also use recycled gold as a more eco-friendly option. Work with jewelers who only use conflict-free gems and refer to resources like the Kimberley Process to track your gem origins.

Celebrate Your Day in a Wonderfully Eco-Friendly Way

With these green wedding ideas, you’ll have a beautiful, memorable day that doesn’t lose sight of our responsibility to preserve our planet. Use each of these tips in your planning process, or choose a few that make sense for your needs. Every bit helps when planning a green wedding and reducing your environmental impact.

One of the simplest steps to take for a green wedding is to send out digital invitations. Start by browsing our collection of wedding invitations and customize the design that sparks joy. When you’re ready, upload your contacts and hit send — without wasting a single drop of ink or piece of paper.

For more wedding planning tips, continue browsing our Stationers blog. You’ll find everything from National Park wedding ideas to creative wedding themes and beyond.