By: Holly Perrier of Perrier Planning Inc.
As wedding coordinators and planners, we should be focusing on our clients’ needs first, while simultaneously incorporating sustainable practices into our life and the planning process. Even if your clients don’t prioritize the environment, it’s easy to make eco-conscious suggestions. Here are my top swaps that are easy to talk about and very impactful. The price tag for these swaps are also on par with their not so suitable alternatives (aka no price difference).
EASY WEDDING ECO-FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVES
Biodegradable Confetti or Flower Petals: Instead of traditional confetti or rice, use biodegradable options like wildflowers and/or petals, birdseed, or dried leaves. I also suggest buying seed paper confetti from a company in Canada called Botanical Paperworks
Here is a creative way to make leaf confetti this fall!
Bulk Beverages:
Suggest serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in bulk to reduce packaging waste. Ask your bartender about on-tap beer or cocktail options. If you are on a private property, get creative with self-serve bars, such as a mimosa station, large naturally flavoured water jugs, a sangria bar or a mulled wine station. Avoid single-serving bottles and cans.
Floral Recycling:
Give your clients the resources to make a floral donation after their wedding concludes. See the article that I wrote on Floral Recycling.
Charitable Donations:
Instead of traditional wedding gifts, encourage guests to donate to a charitable cause of the couples choosing. This can be communicated on the invitations or wedding website. There is also the option to opt out of giving guests favours and donate to a charity in each guest’s honor. Make sure to put a small sign on the welcome table explaining where the donations were made if you choose this option.
*Holly Perrier is the instructor for WPIC’s Sustainable Weddings and Best Practices course.
Holly Perrier is a WPIC certified wedding coordinator and designer, with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Victoria. Her earth-conscious editorials and weddings have been featured in global publications, such as Dancing With Her and Junebug Weddings, and many North American publication’s: Today’s Bride, Vineyard Bride, Wedding Bells, and more. She is the CEO of Perrier Planning Inc. – an eco-conscious wedding and event planning company – that has branch locations in Toronto, Vancouver & Calgary. Committed to protecting the environment and creating beauty, she aims to provide her clients with an eco-luxe experience, while focusing on reducing their carbon footprint.
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