Ways to Have an Eco-Friendly Destination Wedding
Your wedding day is something to look forward to—after all, pledging your love to someone forever is a big deal. However, if you’re a couple concerned about the environment, thinking about how your wedding impacts the “forever” of the planet is a concern. If you’re choosing to wed far from home, there are simple steps you can take to lessen your impact on the environment. Not only can you go green at your destination wedding, but you can encourage your guests to think sustainably too.
How to Go Green With Destination Wedding Travel
One of the major components of a destination wedding is getting there. Whether that’s by plane, train, or car, the carbon footprint of the journey is a concern. However, if you think creatively, there are ways for travel to have less of an impact.
Choosing airlines that are more eco-friendly or encouraging group travel can help lessen the carbon footprint. Arranging transportation, such as hiring a vehicle to take guests from one location to another at your destination, will also help eliminate individual trips.
Another creative way to give back is to offset the carbon footprint created by traveling. Many organizations replant trees and create renewable energy. Donating to those nonprofits will help counteract any environmental damage your wedding travel (or that of your guests) is doing to the earth. Ask for donations towards carbon offsets instead of gifts or let guests know that your wedding favor is a donation to such an organization.
8 Green Ideas for Your Destination Wedding
Create awareness about going green.
Where you’ve made eco-friendly choices, let it be known! Have a sign by your green wedding favors stating why you chose that particular thank you gift. Use your wedding menu to highlight the sustainable options in your food selections. Subtly drawing attention can encourage friends and family to be more aware of their choices and how they impact the environment.
Think about what you wear.
Start with your wedding rings and choose estate jewelry or rings that have been ethically-sourced. Continue the sustainability trend in the attire for your destination wedding. Vintage is very en vogue right now, and there are such lovely attire options from yesteryear. There is no shame in having and wearing pre-loved items that you can claim as your own for your big day.
Incorporate items grown and produced in your destination.
The farm-to-table movement is around for a reason. Not only is it the freshest and most environmentally-friendly way to go, but it can also be more economical. When it comes to flowers, ask your florist what local blooms are in season, and include those in your bouquets and decor. Food and flowers are a lovely way to incorporate local flair into your wedding day.
Don’t waste, but reuse or donate.
Ditch anything that is single-use plastic, and opt for biodegradables instead. Designate someone to take floral arrangements to local hospitals or nursing homes. Properly stored, you can also donate leftover food items to charity organizations. It’s challenging to take perishables home from a destination wedding anyway, so let them be put to good use locally.
Choose eco-friendly wedding invitations and paper.
There are so many options to go sustainable with your wedding stationery. Choose companies that use recycled paper, and opt for digital RSVPs. Also, menus, favor tags, and small wedding day signage can be printed on seed paper, which can be planted and grow into lovely wildflowers or herbs.
Let nature do the decorating.
One wonderful thing about a destination wedding is that you can get married in a location with a stunning backdrop! Instead of decorating with multiple floral arrangements and candelabras, let the surroundings do the talking. After all, it’s hard for decor to compete with the view of mountains or the ocean, so get the most out of your destination by letting nature’s beauty speak out.
Be smart with your favors.
Banish the thought of yet another drink koozie or useless trinket. Instead, go environmentally friendly, and choose wedding favors that your guests will consume or keep. Edible favors, such as thoughtfully packaged candies or an assortment of local jellies, will be appreciated and devoured. If you want to go big, a nice bottle of wine or even a Turkish beach towel is a beautiful idea. Just encourage guests to recycle any packaging.
Exit smartly.
Check with your venue to see what they allow for a wedding toss, but skip out on plastic confetti or other non-biodegradable elements. See if you can get away with biodegradable paper, small blooms, or seeds as a toss instead of something that would potentially cause harm.
Going green isn’t just a passing trend. Many couples are incorporating sustainability into their daily lives with the choices they make. Having an eco-friendly destination wedding is a fabulous way to start life off on the right foot while keeping the earth in mind.
Courtnie is the founder & CEO of TravelBash. After years as an ambitious fundraiser, she took her passion for travel full-time. She has lived all over the U.S. and abroad and after planning her own destination wedding, she decided to help other couples plan their big day abroad too. She has written “Passport to Paradise: The Complete Destination Wedding Guide,” a top seller on Amazon. She has also been featured in Travel + Leisure, Destination I Do and The Washington Post. As a certified travel advisor, expert event planner and natural connector, she uses her powers to create VIP travel experiences.
