Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life, but it’s also one of the most expensive. Worse yet, it can sometimes also be bad for the environment, especially if it results in a lot of trash and decorations. If you’re one of the many people who want to help the environment, it makes sense that you would be worried about waste on your wedding day. Here are some of the best ways to have a beautiful wedding that doesn’t harm the environment.
Ditch the diamond
Diamonds might be a girl’s best friend, but not if they were mined at the expense of others. While diamond mining doesn’t harm the earth in the same way that oil fracking does, there is a lot of controversy over the diamond trade as a whole. In fact, there have been whole movies dedicated to exposing the blood diamond industry and showing how many people have suffered as a result of this industry.
Luckily, there are ways to avoid contributing to this controversial industry. There are plenty of beautiful, sustainable stones that can be used in place of a diamond. In fact, garnet is almost as hard a stone as a diamond, and opals are becoming increasingly popular for those who want a unique ring. If you can’t resist the allure of a diamond, though, there are alternatives there, too. Lab created diamond engagement rings are cheaper to produce than traditionally mined diamonds. On top of that, these gems are often clearer and more beautiful than natural diamonds, which might have inconsistencies in color and other clarity issues. While these diamonds are created in a lab, they are no different in beauty or materials from the diamonds that we know.
Reduce, reuse, recycle
During the chaos of a wedding, it’s tempting to cut corners. Tossing plastic in the trash and forgetting to compost leftovers are just a couple of practices that might go over your head. Worse yet, buying decorations that are meant to be used once can cost a fortune when everything is said and done.
It’s important to try to recycle anything and everything possible. Put recycling bins out around the venue in order to encourage people to use them. Additionally, using paper decorations and recycled options can help eliminate trash from the start. While you don’t need to visit a scrap yard to find these parts, performing a cursory internet search can help you find sustainable options for your wedding. For example, plants specializing in ferrous metals recycling can help you find party tables that are durable and can be used for a variety of events and situations. When you invest in these materials, being able to use them more than once is essential. If you’re not interested in keeping these items at the end of the day, you can always donate them to a good cause, too.
You might even consider buying a second-hand wedding dress for your special day. The odds are that few people will own the same dress and it might even have a few unique flairs thanks to its previous owner. In some cases, you might be able to pay homage to a family member by wearing their dress. Since you’ll only be wearing this dress once, it’s more sustainable to use dresses that have been worn before instead of shelling out for a new one. You can always take it to a tailor if you want to make it something truly original.
Ask for eco-friendly gifts
As you begin your new life with your spouse, you want to start off on the right foot. As such, asking for sustainable gifts on your wedding registry is a great first step. Encourage your guests to buy from sustainable shops with an emphasis on giving back. You can also search for environmentally friendly goods in major chains to help break the cycle of cheap, disposable goods. More often than not, these goods will last longer, look better, and be a great reminder of your special day for years to come.
Are you ready to get married? Consider these tips when you want to have a beautiful, sustainable wedding this year!
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