You of course could refuse to get sucked into the ‘wedding business’ altogether and not get married! But if you do, there are ways to be a peaceful troublemaker, instead of just make some big corporate rich, on the back of your undying love for each other!
Read the weddings tag to find organic flowers, biodegradable confetti, recycled rings and plant-based wedding cakes. If pets are at weddings/receptions, know many blooms (like lilies) are toxic, so keep them away (and horses away from celebration trees).
keep your wedding small & simple
This could be a local church or community club, it doesn’t have to be hiring a big church and spending thousands on a big buffet. Some people even get married in unusual places. We love these vegans in the US who get married at farm sanctuaries, so their animal friends get some donations at the same time!
Curb your guestlist. A wedding should be a simple expression of mutual love, not ‘keeping other people’ happy. It’s not for the long list of extended relatives or friends/colleagues you don’t really like. Just keep to a few chosen deep relatives and friends, leave it at that. If others are annoyed, they were never really friends at all.
Never release balloons or fire lanterns, both cause huge issues with wildlfie and marine creatures. Likewise, don’t release anything (butterflies, doves, kites). They all do harm.
Avoid plantable invites (toxic wildflowers) to homes with pets. But there are plenty of nice recycled paper invites and place cards. These wedding invites are printed on luxury recycled card.
Choose a celebrant? This is up to you, depending on your faith. But we think celebrants are great, as in their words, they perform a service (whether you are getting married or have just died) to celebrate your beliefs, not that of a church. They tend to be simple, happy and upbeat, just what a wedding should be!
sustainable dress, shoes & rings!
Buy an upcycled wedding dress. Still White has lots of choices, then sell it back when you’re done. Or just buy a nice organic cotton dress that you can wear again, not just stuff in the attic to rot away. You can also donate wedding dresses to a charity where seamstresses unstitch them, then make into free burial gowns for angel babies.
Choose vegan wedding shoes (and bags). There are plenty of companies around, and it’s easy to find ‘wedding shoes’ if you want ballet pumps or high sandals. With bags to match. In any colour.