Weddings are back and bigger than ever! With the world shifting back to normalcy after a turbulent two years, we’re excited to see more happy couples tie the knot the way they always dreamed. At the same time, we’re keeping in mind the important lessons of the pandemic and ensuring we do our part in keeping the planet healthy and restored for the future.
As couples try to be more environment-conscious, they are looking for ways to incorporate stunning wedding elements while being responsible towards the planet, be it through vegan food options or substituting printed invites with digital alternatives.
Picture Courtesy: @dgiouvris
Last year at the DWP Congress in Greece, outdoor spaces, marquee tents, and green decor contributed to a more sustainable setting and a unique experience, compared to the typical indoor conference space. And with Earth Day just having gone by, we wanted to carry on the spirit of celebrating our universal home and encourage our audience to continue making small efforts that make a difference. We’ve reached out to wedding planners across the globe to learn from them about the latest sustainability trends and best practices for eco-weddings in the future. Here’s what the experts have to say about planning your journey as smartly as possible.
Sustainable Wedding Trends of 2022
Fresh flowers, lighting-focused decor, wedding apps and websites, and stunning venues that provide natural settings to match your theme. There are plenty of different ways you can bring your ideal vision to life while ensuring minimal harm to the environment.
When asked about the top trends for sustainable weddings, here’s what the experts of the destination wedding world have to say:
1. What You Can Do With Your Wedding Florals
Pictures Courtesy: @keliphotography & @gideonhermosa
There are two ways to can go when it comes to sustainable wedding decor. The classic floral option or playing around with other elements like lighting. If you decide to use flowers, Hartawan Iman Santoso of Riviera Event Organizer, Indonesia suggests using 100% fresh blooms instead of artificial ones.
Fernanda Silva of Wedding Luxe, Brazil shares her thoughts on the same, highlighting avoiding wastage after the celebrations. “Donate your floral arrangements to hospitals and clinics for the elderly, that will make them super happy,” she says, a brilliant thought that is considerate to the planet and others.
She sums up these points perfectly with these words – “everything that goes without exaggerated waste.”
On the other hand, a non-floral option includes lighting up your venue with romantic candles and hanging fairy lights that can create an equally breathtaking view for your nuptials. This is a great alternative for couples looking to avoid cut-up flowers, all in all, taking that extra step in their pledge to be as eco-friendly as possible. Tui Frye of Blue Butterfly Weddings & Events, Costa Rica stresses avoiding styrofoam or any other microplastics that are often used to hold flowers, instead, advising such couples to replace fresh cut flowers with dried florals, potted plants, and foliage.
2. Digital Invites & Wedding Websites
Pictures Courtesy: @mintedweddings
“Ditching the printed invites. As couples were forced or chose to shift plans over the last few years, many of our clients are choosing to go completely digital with their save the dates, invitations, and RSVPs.” Shares Tui.
Fernanda further supports this trend, letting us know that apart from e-vites, destination wedding apps can also be useful tools for sharing all the details of your big day. Creating a wedding app or website not only is a more environment-conscious alternative to the traditional invites but allows you to fit more information as compared to paper and is a creative way to personalize your wedding right from the start.
The pandemic has taught us to adapt to uncertainty and be prepared for sudden changes. Now with digital Save the Dates, couples can save the time and papers it takes to reprint invites. “Others are just doing simple, one-page invites and using recycled papers with natural dyes or even paper embedded with wildflower seeds that can be planted!” adds Tui, which brings us to the trend of incorporating reusable elements.
3. Reusable Elements
Many couples now are selling their decor items online, sharing the details on platforms like Facebook groups and online marketplaces. From linens to glassware to lighting, there are many options that can be easily available.
Shedding more light on non-floral options, Hartawan says candles and other lighting options can replace artificial flowers for your table and area decor. “Donate your bridal dress to an institution instead of keeping it to yourself in the closet.” Adds Fernanda, an alternative to renting out tuxes and bridalwear, an option perfect for brides and grooms who prefer to wed in their own suit and gown.
What’s the Most Sustainable Venue?
Picture Courtesy: @sixsensesuluwatu
Couples wanting to host a destination wedding while also keeping in mind the environmental impacts of planning the grand affair can see what the wedding planners have to say about finding a balance between the two.
“The best venues for a sustainable wedding are those with clear sustainable practices. Those venues that are open-air and take advantage of natural lighting and ventilation, use local suppliers and labor, offer farm-to-table meals, have paperless offices, avoid single-use plastics, reduce food and drink packaging, and those who compost and have waste management services in place.” Explains Tui. “Also those who don’t allow things like mylar or non-compostable balloons and glitter or plastic or mylar confetti and fireworks – anything that is not ecological or good for wildlife or nature.” She adds.
“I have been doing destination weddings only since 2009 and I can say destination weddings are already more sustainable than local weddings as they involve less guests, employ local vendors, and develop local tourism.” Says Fernanda.
When asked about the top venue for a sustainable wedding, our experts collectively voted Indonesia as their most preferred destination. Hartawan & Eric Sugiono of Poetyque Events, Indonesia, both listed The Apurva Kempinski Bali for couples to consider as a sustainable venue option.
“They’re also launching the same campaign about sustainable wedding for the upcoming period of time, and many more Bali venues with their sustainable material, like serving glass bottle of water, using no plastic material for the cutleries & tableware set up.” – Eric Sugiono.
Hartawan also lists Ayana Resort, The St. Regis Bali Resort, Mulia Resort Bali, Six Senses Uluwatu, Alila Villas Uluwatu, The Ungasan, and The Royal Santrian as some of the best venues for a sustainable destination wedding in Bali.
Now that we know that the hottest destination of 2022 is also the most sustainable venue to host your wedding, we couldn’t be more excited for the upcoming 8th annual DWP Congress being held on this paradise island!
How Sustainable Ideas are Changing the Wedding Scene
Picture Courtesy: @fsbali
The planners further talk about sustainably adapting to the changes of the world, sharing their views on how we can contribute better as wedding specialists and couples planning their big day.
“It is changing pretty fast the way brides see the world. More and more they look for more intimate destination weddings with more exclusive experiences during the trip with their family and friends.” – Fernanda Silva
“We can be more creative, we can help clients to save budget and we also can give back to the community by joining the movement for sustainable wedding.”
One of the biggest trends is dried flowers; the most pinned sustainable wedding decoration and searches for dried flower bouquets for weddings increased in these past few months. These are a far more cost-effective option as well as environmentally friendly as they conserve water and energy and are biodegradable, says Eric, touching on the same point talked about earlier by Tui.
“I think the planners are key to the process. Planners guiding their clients to Esty shops instead of Amazon for their decor items. The wedding world as a whole is brand new to the vast majority of our clients. It is up to us to find what is available locally, eco-friendly and what we can offer our clients. And to continue to talk about it. It often provides clients a more exclusive experience. At our company, we even tailor our preferred vendor suggestions to highlight those who have good sustainable practices in place. Or even refuse to work with venues or vendors who do things that damage the environment. Vendors and venues respond to the markets needs. As we have these conversations with our clients and talk about it more, more of our florists are learning how to work without using foam.” – Tui Frye.
We definitely think this is a key tip for other planners to note. Working together is the only way we can make a significant difference in the way we treat the environment.
Tips For Couples Planning Their Eco-Friendly Destination Wedding in 2022-2023
Picture Courtesy: @larrywalshe / @kewgardens
Here are a few tips you may find helpful when planning your wedding –
Hartawan suggests:
- Explore a wedding theme with fresh flowers
- Release turtles or fish or plant trees on your wedding day for “legacy”
Tui says ask your vendors questions!!!
- What are some of the things they are doing to be more sustainable? If they know it is important to you and you have those conversations, they will be able to offer ideas for additional practices as well as those services to future clients.
- Does your stylist use natural, plant-based brands and products not tested on animals?
- Does your florist avoid floral foam?
- Does your caterer source their ingredients from local farmers, what do they do with leftover food?
- Are you first considering local talent and vendors? Look for vendors and suppliers who are talking about some of these things and having these conversations.
- With destination weddings, seek out things that represent the place or culture you are in and support the community you are visiting. Local dancers or musicians during the cocktail hour. Showcasing local cuisine or ingredients from local farms. Or treats or crafts made by local indigenous groups or artisans.
- Instead of bottled water, offer fresh coconuts with bamboo straws. Or consider favors that are donations to non-profits.
We like the idea of not just sustainable weddings, but instead regenerative weddings. We recently had clients who gifted each guest a tree that was planted to help offset the emissions generated by the wedding. As a company, we also have committed to funding the planting of a tree for every client we have.
“Include either consumable products like coffee or chocolates, or unforgettable experiences/memories like rafting or hot springs, or offer classes /new skills like dance or cooking (vs physical favors) to destination wedding guests. That helps local economies, immerses your guests in the culture they are visiting as they can be unique to the destination, and reduces waste. And finally, for those overwhelmed by how to plan a sustainable wedding, just by supporting companies doing these things, you are also supporting their work and the planet.” she further advises.
Why bring in decorations if they already exist at your venue?
“While booking your ceremony and reception sites, look for spaces that offer details that fit your wedding theme. This will save budget for you and resources for the Earth.” Recommends Eric. For instance, wineries offer scenic backdrops, glasshouses can be a part of natural decoration without having to add more flowers, and beachside resorts offer beautiful panoramic backdrops as well without having to build a big stage for your decoration as well.
Lastly, Fernanda highlights a key point parallel to the above – “Search a destination wedding planner that can listen to the bridal couple and their needs in terms of sustainability, that’s a great starting point.”
Conclusion – The Best Practices To Adopt
Pictures Courtesy: @darkmaito & @whiteonblackstudio
In addition to the above tips, our planners have elaborated on a few more practices we can adopt for an eco-friendly celebration –
– “Provide plastic-free meal crews and wooden spoons, and not use balloons as ceremony decor” – Hartawan Santoso
– “Any large affair will have leftovers, and buffet dinners always have a lot of leftover food. What happens to all the extra dishes in the chafing dish? It’s tossed in the trash. Opt for plated dinners to avoid excess food, and if you do go for a buffet, speak to your caterer about saving leftovers or donating to a local orphanage.
– Whilst showering the newlyweds with colorful confetti may seem fun, it can actually be bad for the environment and can take nearly 1,000 years to break down, according to some experts. This trending alternative only requires a hole punch and leaves, making it the most popular and sustainable alternative for confetti as well as one of the cheapest.” – Eric Sugiono
And for couples that really love the idea of celebrating with a confetti toss, we suggest looking into dissolvable confetti! These tips can be very helpful when it comes to the first R of recycling; Reduce.
Thinking of the other two Rs; Reuse and Recycle, here are a few more pointers to keep in mind.
– “Listen to your clients and respect their decisions. Make sure the vendors you work with agree with sustainability. We are not encouraging our clients to spend less but to spend differently.” – Fernanda Silva
– “We think one key is to have a waste management plan in place ahead of time instead of at the end of the night. Will the flowers be reused or composted? Where will any leftovers end up? Will empty bar containers be recycled? If there is already a plan in place, it will be easily implemented. We work with local volunteer groups who use leftover flowers to make mini-bouquets for local schools, hospitals, clinics, and public service workers.”
“Be intentional. Be aware. Think about each element you are using.” Sums up Tui Frye.
Earth Day is celebrated on the 22nd of April every year. But it takes more than just one day each year to save our beloved planet. With these expert tips and advice, couples can now navigate planning their dream day while balancing their responsibility towards the environment. The upcoming 8th annual DWP Congress is set to be hosted in Bali, with plenty of engaging sessions focusing on sustainability. To know more and register, visit our DWP Bali page now!
Feature Image Credit: @robyndawnphotos
