HOW TO ENCOURAGE YOUR CLIENTS TO GO ECO-FRIENDLY

We all work in an extremely wasteful industry. The wedding and event world is full of single-use plastics, wedding favors that will end up in landfills, and food that will never be eaten. As rewarding and encouraging as it can be to experience such a joyful day with people, once you look around at all that’s being trashed, it can bring your mood down real quick. 

Being environmentally-friendly is a huge part of my personal life, so I wanted to carry it over into business. Yeah, it’s tough to go completely green on a wedding day, but if we as photographers are encouraging our couples and providing them with solutions that they don’t have to come up with on their own, they’re more likely to keep mother nature in mind while planning their wedding.

For this week’s blog, I wanted to provide you with words of eco-encouragement pass on to your couples, including alternatives to plastic, ways to give back, and lots of resources with the planet in mind. At the bottom of this post you’ll find a pdf with all of this info included so you can easily forward it to your couples. I hope this inspires you to think more consciously about the effects weddings have on our environment, and join the effort to save the planet!

1. Skip the favors
2. Use rentals, don’t buy
3. Donate your food
4. Plant a tree
5. Throw petals, not plastic
6. Compost
7. Have recycling bins
8. Buy vintage
9. Get an ethically sourced ring
10. Use Bamboo straws + place settings
11. Choose a venue where you can have both ceremony + reception (no travel)
12. Use farm to table catering
13. ECO friendly registry
14. Ask florists to use flowers that are local
15. Use seed paper invitations
16. Have your bridesmaids wear dresses they already own or will wear again
17. Skip water bottles, please.
18. Let guests take home leftovers from the wedding
19. Use clean soap and recycled paper in the bathroom
20. Skip the bathroom goodie box
21. Go meatless at your wedding or make produce the star
22. Purchase from environmentally-friendly businesses
23. Use antiques for your seating and furniture
24. Use potted plants instead of cut florals
25. Donate your wedding dress
26. Rent your tux
27. Make confetti using a hold punch and dried leaves
28. Take an eco-friendly honeymoon!
29. Give guests the option of donating to a charity in your name instead of purchasing a gift
30. Don’t use hairspray
31. Have a staycation for your honeymoon
32. ECO friendly welcome bags
33. Use paper culture to send email invitations
34. Save energy by getting ready in well-lit areas sans lights
35. Use solar lights at your reception
36. Don’t have a destination wedding
37. Use LEDs at your reception
38. Donate your decor
39. Use glass instead of plastic
40. Get married outside