Micro weddings are a popular alternative to traditional weddings for many reasons. They’re (usually) cheaper, more intimate, and provide a unique and memorable experience for you and your guests. Compared to large weddings, micro weddings can also be a more sustainable option and help you celebrate with a smaller carbon footprint.
Learn how to plan an eco-friendly micro wedding of your own using the three R’s of sustainability: reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Pick a Local Venue
With a smaller guest list, you might be dreaming about a destination micro wedding. As fun as that sounds, it’s not the most sustainable option due to the environmental cost of airfare and transportation.
The most eco-friendly option is a local venue that’s central for the majority of your guests. With fifty guests or fewer, you can get creative and choose from non-traditional venues like your favorite restaurant or indie bookshop. Keep these tips in mind when selecting a venue:
- Reduce: cut transportation costs and opt for a local venue.
- Reuse: host your ceremony and reception at the same venue to eliminate excess driving.
- Recycle: by supporting a venue in your neighborhood, you’re helping to stimulate the local economy and put funds back into your community.
Rethink the Ink
From save-the-dates to formal invitations, wedding programs, and dinner menus, stationery plays a large role in communicating the details of your big day.
The only problem? Loose sheets of paper (that your guests will inevitably throw away) are incredibly wasteful. Here are a few sustainable stationery swaps to consider:
- Reduce: send digital save-the-dates and invitations instead of paper. This eco-friendly option is also a cost-effective alternative.
- Reuse: print your wedding stationery on plantable paper. Made from seeds, guests can plant this biodegradable paper and watch your love grow into wildflowers, herbs, or vegetables of your choosing.
- Recycle: spend a few extra bucks and opt for recycled paper invitations.
Be Mindful of the Menu
Food is one of the top wedding expenses and a top source of wedding-related waste. Luckily, there are many ways to cut down on excess food waste—it just takes intentionality.
Seasonal ingredients, a plant-based menu, and moderation can help you decrease food waste on your wedding day. Other eco-friendly options include:
- Reduce: serve food family-style instead of individual plated meals. As an added bonus, this will increase the intimacy of your micro celebration.
- Reuse: provide compostable takeout containers or mason jars for guests to take leftovers home.
- Recycle: make a plan for composting excess food. Ask your venue if they offer composting services or partner with a third-party compost pickup service.
Get Thrifty
If the most sustainable item is the one you already own, secondhand items are a close second (no pun intended). Thrift stores, estate sales, and resale sites like Poshmark and eBay are a great way to sustainably source decorations and attire for your wedding without breaking the bank. Shop secondhand first:
- Reduce: be intentional with your purchases—even when thrifting. Make a list in your Notes app of everything you want to buy secondhand for the wedding. This way you’ll always be prepared if you unexpectedly pop into a thrift store and cut down on impulse or unnecessary purchases.
- Reuse: know someone who recently got married? Ask if you can buy or borrow their wedding linens or decorations.
- Recycle: breathe new life into old materials by repurposing them for your wedding.
Don’t Buy — DIY
Many cities also have creative reuse centers or zero-waste stores that are perfect for finding secondhand craft materials and bulk items for DIY projects. If you’re up for the challenge, this can be a great way to reduce waste and add some personal touches to your big day. Here’s how:
- Reduce: trends come and go, but your carbon footprint is forever. Avoid the urge to hop on the latest trend and opt for materials and decorations that can be used for years to come.
- Reuse: snag some secondhand fabric from the creative reuse store and make your own table runners, placemats, or decorative linens.
- Recycle: thrift empty jars, teacups, and vessels to make your own candles using wax from the zero-waste store. Use the candles throughout your ceremony or as a thoughtful favor your guests will actually use!
Planning Your Eco-Friendly Micro Wedding
A sustainable celebration is a great way to reflect your values as a couple. It might seem daunting, but with a little extra planning and the right vendors, you can bring your eco-friendly micro wedding to life.
Not sure where to begin? Get started with Eventective! Visit our wedding hub for venues and vendors in your area and start planning your wedding today.
Rachel Kauffman is a Detroit-based content writer, bookworm, and cat mom to two feisty felines.
