We love weddings and everything that comes with them, but at the end of the day—after all of the dancing, eating, drinking, and happy tears—there’s a lot of stuff left over, stuff that often ends up in the trash. No one’s proud of it, but thankfully, there are ways to help lessen the effect your big day has on the world around you. We asked our experts for five tips to make your wedding a little more low-impact.
Shop Second-Hand
There are all sorts of ways to get what you want for your wedding without buying it brand new. There are a plethora of gently-used wedding dress sites, like OnceWed and Still White, where you can get the dress of your dreams (including designer finds like Vera Wang and Elie Saab) for a fraction of the price. Looking for items like votive candles or cloth napkins? Tradesy has an entire wedding page (that also includes menswear and bridesmaids’ dresses), and eBay just might have you covered.
Seek Recycled Materials
For the things you do need to purchase, look for those made from recycled materials. Paper Culture only uses recycled papers, and there are a huge number of artisan designers on Etsy doing the same.
