Weddings and handfasting ceremonies are some of the most memorable days in peoples lives. Months and sometimes even years of planning goes into curating the perfect celebration. Unfortunately, in the excitement of dreaming up the most magical day possible, sustainability often falls to the wayside. Many wedding ceremonies produce hundreds of pounds of waste in plastic wrapping, decorations that are only used once, leftover food, and more. If you are looking into purchasing sustainably and ethically made wedding designs, we suspect that you are also considering other ways to reduce your impact while celebrating. So, we have come up with a list of 5 ways that you can incorporate sustainable ethics into your planning. This post is accompanied by a sustainable wedding concept designed by Federica Cosentino and photographed by Gian Lucas Sam Martano Storyteller.

Photo by Gian Lucas Sam Martano Storyteller, wedding design concept by Federica Cosentino

1. Choose floral designs that are in season. If you are planning a winter wedding, don’t get your heart set on summer blooming flowers like sunflowers or hydrangeas - this will oftentimes require an extensive import process and will likely be treated with harsh dyes or chemicals. Instead, winter berries, rose hips, and foliage from evergreen shrubs create the perfect winter vibe for a bouquet. Even better, find a local flower farm to provide your arrangements!

An excellent way to decorate in a completely biodegradable way is to forage branches that have fallen naturally. A few string lights on some fir branches can create the perfect atmosphere! Just be sure to always check the native/invasive status of whatever you collect and remember to leave plenty behind in any given area - many animals need fallen branches and leaves for habitat, too!

2. Opt for party favors that are reusable or sustainable rather than plastic memorabilia that might get lost or thrown away. Some ideas for this would be reusable straws, a collection of tea bags, small potted plants, etc. You could even have a tree planted in honor of every guest!

3. Speaking of planting trees, you can register to have your guests donate to specific charities rather than purchasing you material gifts. It is hard to think of any better good luck charm for your future marriage than to use the occasion to do good for others.

4. Make sure that you have a local food bank or trustworthy charity lined up to donate any leftover food to. Oftentimes, pounds and pounds of food go untouched after large celebrations and are thrown away before they have the opportunity to be enjoyed. It can be hectic trying to get things organized after hosting an event, so it is always a good idea to try to have it sorted ahead of time to avoid the temptation of tossing it all!

5. And last, of course, is to choose wedding ensembles that are sustainably and ethically made - that’s where we come in! Many wedding dresses cost thousands of dollars and are made of materials that are essentially plastic. Even worse, they are constructed in factories where workers wages will not even be a fraction of what they are sold for. At Celtic Fusion Design, we are proud to use natural materials and ethical production in all of our clothing designs, including our wedding collections. Better yet, a native tree species is planted for every purchase you make from us. This includes wedding designs! Learn more about our reforestation efforts here.

You can also encourage your bridesmaids and groomsmen to thrift or reuse their own outfits - sometimes it can be hard to find a sustainable brand that fits into everyone’s budget. You can forgo the expectation to have everyone match perfectly in an outfit they will only wear once and instead have them choose something color coordinated that they like.

Planning a wedding can be a lot of work, and keeping sustainability at the forefront of your mind while doing so can make it even more challenging. But, we are so grateful for all of you who care to do better. Every small change counts!

Photographer Gian Lucas sammartano

Nature Wedding Planning : Federica cosentino

Five Ideas for Sustainable Wedding & Handfasting Ceremonies

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Planting Trees to Honor Our Past and Bless Our Future