I see a lot of people commenting that they are planning on buying “sustainable” products online. I just want to point out that waste actually contributes very little (in comparison to other things) to the climate crisis/global warming. In my area (numbers may be slightly different where you are) waste contributes 3% of carbon emissions where as transportation (cars and trucks) contribute 55%! So ordering something from far away and having it shipped to you is far less sustainable then using a product you can get locally. Typical green washing, unfortunately. And thanks for touching on this in the video!
Taylor V yes, and not just transporting things but also people. Destination weddings, big weddings with lots of out-of-towners, and far-flung honeymoons will all have an enormous impact on your wedding’s carbon footprint.
The one thing I love about our catering vendor is that they gave us options for left overs. They said we take some or all of it home or they will donate it to a local church that does free lunch for homeless on weekdays. With picking a buffet style meal, I was concerned with the idea of left overs so this really put my mind to ease with food not being wasted.
Jessie Steele, my venue & caterers also did this, as we had people say yes we are coming but never showed up, I also said to the dancers from the entertainment piece my mum organised that they were more than welcome to eat as much as they want, and then those left overs went straight over to our local church and they served that for dinner that night for the homeless that live in the area.
Loved this! Sustainability is a huge priority for our wedding. These are steps we are taking: ♻️💚🌱 -Second hand wedding dress -Real glasses, cutlery and plates -Re-purposed jars for centre pieces and glasses -Using a family olive tree to make wedding arch, button holes, confetti, bouquet, centre pieces... -No paper save the dates, invitations or thank you notes (all digital) -No menu cards or programmes -Vegan meal -Same venue for ceremony and reception -My late grandmothers wedding ring as wedding ring (I also have a lab grown diamond in my mother’s old ring as my engagement ring) -Using furniture from my home ♻️💚🌱 And then generally buying second hand for random decor items 💚
Ooh some other tips: 1. In lieu of favors make a donation to a cause 2. Plant based menu or just a little less meat 3. Choose cruelty free beauty products for your HMU 4. Menu based on local ingredients sourced within 5km of the reception/food prep site 5. Pick clothes for the entourage that they can use for another formal occasion
Just a couple more: 6. Consider the location of the event. If most of the guests live in one area, having the wedding there will save a lot of jet fuel. 7. In the same vein: don’t have a destination wedding unless it’s the excuse for having a very very little wedding. 8. A small guest list is a more sustainable guest list. 9. Nix balloons and other garbage. 10. Email invites. 11. Don’t board a flight for the honeymoon. 12. And always use protection ;)
My fiance is getting his groomsmen suits that they can rewear for other occasions! And my dad is using a suit that he bought already (because my fiance thought it looked AWESOME on him)
In regards to #5, my sister gave all of the bridesmaids guidelines for our dresses (knee-length, match the specific shade, no strapless, etc.) then had us find our own so they were more likely to be ones we would wear again!
Ask your florist to go foam free. Floral foam is single use, petroleum based product that contains formaldehyde. Not eco friendly! There are a lot of creative alternatives!
I used seeded paper for my invites and stationary! That way after the invites were used they could be planted in our guests gardens and they grew into flowers! Everyone loved it too!
I’m planning an eco conscious wedding and we’re using plantable invites with seeds in the paper! I’m so stoked about them. Thought you might be too! PS I’d still love to see a video on small intimate weddings, how to make them feel special, things you can do that you couldn’t do for 200, etc.
I was fortunate enough to have three friends get married this year, and I asked if I could borrow any of their leftover items. Therefore, all my decor is reused! It's so much easier on the budget and the environment.
Some things I’m doing. Meatless food, decomposable cups/plates, wearing my grandmas dress, paper straws. Having an environmentally friendly was really important to me! Thanks for making this video
Jamie can you do a video about flowers like freshness, temperature, how to take care and make its life last a little longer specially if you're the one setting it up (probably during summer) ?
I had a friend do mismatched bridesmaid dresses and I got to wear a dress that I already had in my closet! So, I got to wear a dress that I felt cute in and that I knew I was going to wear again while saving some money! Total win-win!
I'm doing the same thing. Only we have colors. But it's anything within a green to purple spectrum and My younger sister is actually wearing her prom dress again!
I’m so excited for my wedding! I ain’t originally planning my wedding with sustainability at the forefront however we have an all inclusive venue for ceremony and reception and I am doing all I can to keep our footprint small as we have many guests travelling for our event. The venue recently built a barn which all materials were sourced from their property, so all the wood from trees etc.. the lounges they have were sourced from an old movie cinema that was closing down!! Our guests are allowed to camp onsite too! AND!! Our catering is from a 3 property’s over and the chef grows the food he will be cooking for us and it’s right on the bank of the river!
We used quiet a lot off items from our home and from my mums/grandparents, the items we brought decoration wise we brought 2nd hand and plan on selling them again, we made our own invites, ect with what we had in our shed.
Holy moly, I've been on a sort of Jamie binge lately so TH-cam keeps recommending your old videos to me all the time. Now when I opened the app this morning I saw this video on the top of the list and was like, huh I don't recall watching that one. Then I realized that it's brand new!! Thanks Jamie!😍
A few extra ideas! - 1. a daytime wedding or a wedding that takes place mostly in daylight will save electricity on lighting - 2. use florals that are alive and growing in pots for displays so they can last longer - 3. consider vegetarian, vegan and/or local in-season food - 4. if you already have the stuff you need for your home, don't ask for gifts: you could do charity donations or contributions of DIY stuff to the wedding instead - 5. look into venues with a sustainability focus eg. places powered by green energy or growing their own food - 6. don't buy new engagement/wedding rings; so many beautiful antique rings are out there and so cheap! That's all I can think of right now
Jamie Wolfer what hairstyles or makeup is best suited for a wedding party...or how much hair and makeup cost...or how long it should take...or how to make it last all night.
In case Jamie isn’t able to get a video out before your event or anyone’s reading this , I’d look up make up artists Q&A on TH-cam. Make up artists will usually charge a certain amount per person or a overall price for certain sizes of bridal parties. As well as considering things like mileage, and time ( if you need them for touch ups later during reception time)
Yes! We are using all thrifted vintage decor! Worst case scenario it ends up back at the thrift store we got it from. We also are getting flowers from a local flower garden which really isn’t more expensive than a normal florist. Flowers are often shipped by plane from very far away and that has a big environmental impact! Additionally my mom and I planted a huge wildflower garden. My wedding is 2 weeks before the first frost so the bees get to use it to the end of the season and we will get a bunch of very cost effective flowers!
I'm late to the party here but I love these ideas. We've only been engaged for three weeks but I've done so much frantic planning and idea gathering already. Some of what you've mentioned we're already doing like having the whole event at one location. We also chose a location that also has a view on sustainability. I'm so glad I found your channel as I was starting to feel like I was alone in my wish to have an eco-friendly/sustainable/fair trade etc wedding! I laughed when you mentioned doilies because I've already bought some from a local second-hand shop!
Thank you for doing this video! I’m so glad I found you! I’m going to be making my daughter invitation sets with recycled paper and adding bits of flower pieces and seeds so the entire thing can be planted. Basically handmade seeded paper! It’s beautiful
I'm fortunate that our church has a lovely garden that will be perfect for our reception. I'm doing most of the things you suggested just because of cost saving and not wanting to be left with unnecessary goods! Thanks for this video :)
This is a video I am so happy to see! It's 2020 and it only makes sense to be more conscious of the resources and environments on our planet even in wedding planning. Coming from a background where weddings are talks of the town full of the most glam and frill, I get that getting every detail can matter. But, moving forward, I really hope that weddings become less about a single day and all the single use waste that comes with that, and more about all the other good stuff about getting married (building a home, family, funding adventures and experiences, celebrating with community etc.)
Thank you so much for this video! Such a great topic! We're getting married in November and doing many of the things you suggested as well as: sending Save the Dates electronically ONLY. We also are not sending out response cards and instead are only tracking RSVPs through our wedding website. (Even our oldest relatives are online, and this way we're not paying for stamps & cards that never make it back to us--because you know people will forget to put that back in the mail!) For sake of tradition, we will be printing invitations and sending real thank-you letters for wedding gifts; however, those will be printed on recycled paper, and we'll be giving guests the option to opt-out of print invitations. Thanks for all you do, Jamie!
I’m trying to research potted mini tree centerpieces as a way to be sustainable. I’ll either plant them or others can take it to plant themselves! I just need to make a plan first 😛
My fiance and I are very passionate about the environment and have committed to a zero waste lifestyle, so I have kind of a touchy question: would it be okay to skip thank you cards and send a personalized thank you email or call our guests? It's not that we don't want to pay for cards or postage, it's more about using extra resources & fuel to deliver them. I know it's tradition amongst the older generation so I was thinking a compromise would be to give these guests thank you cards and email/call our friends and other younger generation guests. Thoughts? (please don't be too harsh, this is something we're torn on because we don't want to be rude but we also care our minimizing our environmental impact) Edit: a good chunk of our friends & family know about our low waste lifestyle
Jenny Reed I think most people would agree that it really is the thought that counts - so I would say go for it! Especially if it’s something that is true to you as a couple, it will make sense and seem fitting to those who know you guys best. I would much rather and appreciate a personalized email or phone call then a pre-printed generic thank you card (which I have received as a guest before). Good luck!
Jenny Reed I feel like a phone call to older guests who are used to a more traditional approach, would be a great idea. And they’d probably really love the sentiment and time you’re taking out of your day to pick up the phone. Other guests would probably be ok with an email! Like the other viewer mentioned, it’s the thought that counts. For me, I always feel guilty tossing out anything a friend or family member has sent me. But at the same time it’s like, how long do I really need to keep this? I don’t scrapbook so it just sits in a pile of papers I’m waiting to toss. Sadly. Haha
We are having our wedding at a eco friendly venue, they grow the majority of food on the farm and the rest of the food is from the surrounding area. We are also getting our flowers from a local grower (this means flowers aren’t being shipped across the world for us) along with biodegradable invitations and a variety of other ideas 😁
Our taco man uses plastic utensils and styrofoam plates, so we’re providing our own recyclable plates & utensils. We’re having the ceremony and receiption in the same location, going easy on decor (because the family home were using is a historic landmark and gorgeous already. I feel incredibly lucky to use it!) and we’ll definitely be providing bins for recycling! I’m also using vendors within the same area as our wedding, and going to encourage guests to Uber or carpool. I haven’t quite figured out invitations but online is sounding great to me!! Definitely doing that for save the dates. Looooove this video and topic. YAS!
I’m a waitress and we have a bar. I’ve been collecting empty wine and beer bottles to use as centerpieces for our wedding day. We’re doing one large wine bottle with a single flower (+ some baby’s breath) and a smaller beer bottle to hold up our table number. Bought 50 votives from a Facebook group for $5 and our centerpieces are done.
I had my wedding this Friday and I'm very happy with all your tips&tricks. Our wedding was eco-friendly a bit, we got rid of florals in the decor COMPLETELY. Instead I decorated tables with borrowed gold christmas lights and candles, it was very pretty. Other decor I made myself from the paper that I already had. The only flowers were in my bouquet, but it was very small, about 15 flower branches, and the greenery for my bouquet was cut from my house plants. Moreover, where I'm from, guests give wedding presents with flowers, and we asked our guests to not buy flowers, but instead spend that extra flower money to put in a special box at our event, so we could send that flower money to charity. We sent most of the invitations electronically, but we printed some for our elderly guests. Unfortunately I couldn't buy secondhand dress, but I hope to sell it, so it would still be kind of eco-friendly :) And lastly, for favors I made something that definitely wouldn't end up in a waste, which is food. I made jam and put it in little jars, so even if someone left their favor, we would still use it. But our guests were super considerate and there were absolutely no favors left!!!
Love this. I bought a dress I can wear numerous times with just shortening the hem. Or I'll just leave it and be extra at all my numerous events this year, graduation being one.
Oh my! I'm so sorry for not responding sooner. I'm not used to having an internet presents haha. Same intro statement you don't need to do all the things and I'm not trying to be preachy in anyway. Here we go. - If you are having compostable material try to see if you can have compost bins that way you are not sending compostable products to the landfill. Many waste haulers do have a compost service and you may be able to work something out with your venue. - Instead of registering for more stuff (or in conjunction with more stuff) register for a charity. (Company example: The Good Beginnings) - Purchase invites that are from recycled content (company example: Paper Culture) - Rent your florals (company example: Something Borrowed Blooms) - Bridesmaids dresses out of recycled yarn (company example: Dear Cleo) - There are several companies that make rings out of more sustainable minded materials - I know and agree with Jamie's stance on wedding favors but if you are going to do wedding favors maybe pick something that has less landfill waste. - I'll end on one that is a little more out there. On your wedding website while you are talking about transportation include alternative transportation information (EV parking, bike paths, trains, walkability, etc) Let me know if you have any questions. My TH-cam response time appears to be 3-5 business days.
Great Tips! I've focused on buying things that I can use again/having my wedding as an excuse to buy things I've always wanted like a leather jacket and white trainers :) Our florist is doing flowers without using oasis/foam as well: it's much better for the environment and means our flowers are carbon neutral!
I've already thought about / been doing 95% of the things that you mentioned, but still, it's a nice video and thank you for it. Greetings from Hungary!
Thank you so much for this video! I’m a science major and knowing that plants help the planet by removing CO2 and producing O2, I stumbled upon seeding paper. It’s paper that becomes a plant, when buried and watered and it’s sold by “botanical paper works”. I plan on purchasing my wedding invites from them and just having the date of the wedding on them and my wedding website. I figure if they are curious about where and what time the wedding is they’ll visit the website lol! At the wedding website, I’ll have all the info about the wedding, rsvp links, and an explanation as to how and why the wedding will be eco friendly. Hopefully this way I may impact my loved ones!
I'm using my Mother-in-Laws old dress (altering it a lot) but she was literally keeping it for it's material or to throw out. And after the ceremony we're turning it into a gown for my daughter. (Christening and First communion) And my bridesmaids just have to fit a color scheme so a lot of them are using prom dresses or going to reuse the dress later.
Tracy Smith we planned our wedding in under 2.5 months! My suggestion is to find a venue that is beautiful without a ton of extras which saves time, money, and less trash as discussed in this video because there is less extra decor ! Plan plan plan, don’t try to over do it on stuff, and focus on what is important to you and your guests: are they dancers? Focus on good music. Everyone likes to eat: good food! Also use resources in borrowing, or spaces that include tables and chairs. Hit me up on IG @menkearney if you want specific examples or other tips that worked for us last summer!
I also wanted my wedding to be zero low waste. One of the things I did was to have the invitation with seed paper. Honestly everyone throws invitations in the trash. So in this case people would get rid of the paper anyway but they would have a plant growing instead :) people loved it, said it was veey original, they have never seen it before!
If you are using cutlery or straws that are made of things like avocado stones or anything like that make sure that people with allergies are aware. There is a restaurant here in my city that is using straws made of something like that and a customer had an allergic reaction from the material because they are allergic to nuts/seeds.
We are combining seating charts and wedding favors for less waste, each guest gets a decorative candle with their name and table number that they can then reuse in their own home. I definitely didn't want wedding favors that people don't use, this way they are perishable and can be enjoyed :)
we're doing something similar! Everyone gets a decorated (reusable) take home box for leftovers! And even if some people leave them, I will still use them in my home for food storage and such. It's so nice to see that I'm not the only one.
Have a game plan when running errands. Okay i have 4 errands I'm going to drive to one location then run the 4 errands in one location. Less driving is good for the atmosphere.
Mason jar as a favor and a vessel for guests to drink out of Repurposed bottles for floral arrangements Hiring a compost company to collect waste at the end of the night (we are using all compostable dish ware, utensils, etc)
If you want flowers for something (bouquet or such) I just used some from my home garden! They grew for the year and then I used them and replanted the bulbs after.
I love the seed/plantable invites idea I see so many commenting about but I’ve been apprehensive to go with those because I know my guests aren’t going to care and they’re not going to plant them. At that point shouldn’t I just use recycled paper?
I forgot if you mentioned this in your registey video or not but we have most things. We put luggage, games and little things like that but is it acceptable to ask is some way for a contribution to our honeymoon and our first house? Also what do you think about the dollar dance?
Can you do a video on send off ideas?? My venue won’t allow sparklers or smoke bombs or fireworks or Chinese lanterns because of fire hazards. It’ll be dark at send off time and I’m at a loss for ideas 😅
Hi - posted on another video (want to be a wedding planner) but thought this one might be good resource too. I am interested in starting or participating in a 'wedding lending (library)'. Cake pans, tablecloths (I'll be careful to watch the ironing), vases, backdrop frames - things that are easily reusable. I thinking of what I want to do after retirement (got a few years yet) and having a free source to borrow these types of items seems to be a gap I could help fill. Are you (or any of your other followers) aware of this type of activity that I could learn from? Clearly not having items returned, etc. is a risk, but I do believe most people are honest, would appreciate the savings and return enough items to keep going. I'll watch for suggestions. Thanks.
IMO choosing the right venue can have a lot of influence on the low waste/sustainability of the wedding. My fiancé and I choose the Anthony Wayne House in PA. Since it's a historical sight the price of the venue goes directly to the preservation, Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks. Also the ceremony and reception are all on the property. And since it's an outdoor wedding (tent) we won't be using as much electricity on cooling/heating. The exclusive caterer also focuses on farm to table service so nothing out of season will be shipped in. And they will do as much vegan and vegetarian options as we want. Originally I wanted a backyard wedding, but honestly, this will be better and definitely more eco friendly. Looking forward to finding a second hand dress and reusable decor. Minimal flowers, mostly seasonal greenery. Still really torn about the favors though...
I'm a marine biologist who's getting married next year, so thank you for making this video! Lots of great tips here. Tips I would add: carbon offsets can be helpful (though aren't a get out) for flights and travel, especially if you have friends and family around the world. Using a website for RSVPs rather than physical cards. A note of caution though, many "biodegradable plastics/plant-based plastics/bioplastics" are not actually biodegradable. It's always best to use things like ceramic plates. What I would say is that you aren't going to fix climate change with your wedding. Like everything, it will have a negative environmental impact, but you can take steps to lessen that impact, and that's a great thing. More important is to contact your elected representatives (local and national) and ask them to take action on climate change!
It may be cultural, but have take home boxes! Lets people try things they couldn't and even helps out of town guests by preventing them from having to grab another meal from fast food. Even if it's Tupperware or mason jars!
The Knot also offers a registry option where guests can donate to environmental nonprofits by buying from your registry! Ours is the World Wildlife Fund. ^_^
$490 on a 70 year old dress. Under $700 total for my dress, crown, robe (all from Vivian Elise vintage), slip, shoes (both from thred up), and veil fabric (from fab scrap(a fabric rescuer and recycler))
BE CAREFUL WHEN ORDERING BAMBOO ITEMS. I love love love the ideas in this video. But just a thing to look out for bamboo and other compostable dishware is only compostable if your wedding is located in a community that has a industrial compost facility. Otherwise it is just more expensive trash to go to a landfill! So make sure your venue has compost otherwise use reusable durable plates to make less waste.
Oh man, it occurred to me a couple weeks ago to write to you to request a video like this (thank you for reading my mind!) and to ask you to please include a PSA about Pampas Grass! It's all over Pinterest and Instagram these days but no one seems to acknowledge (or know?) that it has literally been invading California and Australia landscapes for years. Ecologists straight-up refer to it as an 'invasive' because, once established, it chokes off local native species and takes over entire countrysides. Every year, local agencies work hard to root out and burn it because it poses a huge fire hazard - which is particularly risky in areas like CA and Australia, where climate change is leading to more frequent and longer wildfire seasons. Now, thanks to the wedding industry, it is not only being transported great distances (enabling the spread of the thousands of tiny seeds on each stalk) but deliberately grown for profit! @Jamie Wolfer, please use your voice and influence to end the pampas addiction!
@@tracycody7114 I know right! I love the look of it too - but it's just not worth the damage it causes. Plus with them being such a wildfire risk and California burning enough as it is, I couldn't deal with the guilt of somehow contributing to spreading it even farther. 😞
snejurankaa most of the monoculture soy and corn is used as animal feed. It’s obviously inefficient to eat an animal’s body, rather than eating plants grown from the ground. Not to mention the cruelty.
I’m going to ask guests to forego shiny, wedding specific wrapping paper and ask them to use reusable bags, brown paper, or even newspaper for gifts. Yeah, wrapping paper is pretty but it all goes in the trash. No thank you!!
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I see a lot of people commenting that they are planning on buying “sustainable” products online. I just want to point out that waste actually contributes very little (in comparison to other things) to the climate crisis/global warming. In my area (numbers may be slightly different where you are) waste contributes 3% of carbon emissions where as transportation (cars and trucks) contribute 55%! So ordering something from far away and having it shipped to you is far less sustainable then using a product you can get locally. Typical green washing, unfortunately. And thanks for touching on this in the video!
Taylor V yes, and not just transporting things but also people. Destination weddings, big weddings with lots of out-of-towners, and far-flung honeymoons will all have an enormous impact on your wedding’s carbon footprint.
emilysilverman Yes! Great points!
That's true but. Fast fashion is a huge contributor. So avoid that if possible.
Kaile Brogan Yes! It’s also super unethical.
The one thing I love about our catering vendor is that they gave us options for left overs. They said we take some or all of it home or they will donate it to a local church that does free lunch for homeless on weekdays.
With picking a buffet style meal, I was concerned with the idea of left overs so this really put my mind to ease with food not being wasted.
Jessie Steele, my venue & caterers also did this, as we had people say yes we are coming but never showed up, I also said to the dancers from the entertainment piece my mum organised that they were more than welcome to eat as much as they want, and then those left overs went straight over to our local church and they served that for dinner that night for the homeless that live in the area.
That's awesome
Loved this! Sustainability is a huge priority for our wedding. These are steps we are taking:
♻️💚🌱
-Second hand wedding dress
-Real glasses, cutlery and plates
-Re-purposed jars for centre pieces and glasses
-Using a family olive tree to make wedding arch, button holes, confetti, bouquet, centre pieces...
-No paper save the dates, invitations or thank you notes (all digital)
-No menu cards or programmes
-Vegan meal
-Same venue for ceremony and reception
-My late grandmothers wedding ring as wedding ring (I also have a lab grown diamond in my mother’s old ring as my engagement ring)
-Using furniture from my home
♻️💚🌱
And then generally buying second hand for random decor items 💚
Emily I’m not engaged yet, but I told my BF that all I want is a lab grown diamond too!
gaby95209 have you seen the Moissanite? They look just like diamonds and are way less expensive. They’re gorgeous!
@@janboleyn I have a Moissanite engagement ring and I absolutely love it. No blood diamonds here!
Have you had your wedding yet, if so how did your vegan wedding meal go? I am planning one for this August and am a bit nervous about guest backlash
Ooh some other tips:
1. In lieu of favors make a donation to a cause
2. Plant based menu or just a little less meat
3. Choose cruelty free beauty products for your HMU
4. Menu based on local ingredients sourced within 5km of the reception/food prep site
5. Pick clothes for the entourage that they can use for another formal occasion
Just a couple more:
6. Consider the location of the event. If most of the guests live in one area, having the wedding there will save a lot of jet fuel.
7. In the same vein: don’t have a destination wedding unless it’s the excuse for having a very very little wedding.
8. A small guest list is a more sustainable guest list.
9. Nix balloons and other garbage.
10. Email invites.
11. Don’t board a flight for the honeymoon.
12. And always use protection ;)
@Creed Bratton hair and makeup
My fiance is getting his groomsmen suits that they can rewear for other occasions! And my dad is using a suit that he bought already (because my fiance thought it looked AWESOME on him)
In regards to #5, my sister gave all of the bridesmaids guidelines for our dresses (knee-length, match the specific shade, no strapless, etc.) then had us find our own so they were more likely to be ones we would wear again!
Omgsh! Bamboo plates and stuff blew my mind, I even checked online prices in bulk and its actually super cheap!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Ask your florist to go foam free. Floral foam is single use, petroleum based product that contains formaldehyde. Not eco friendly! There are a lot of creative alternatives!
I used seeded paper for my invites and stationary! That way after the invites were used they could be planted in our guests gardens and they grew into flowers! Everyone loved it too!
Brilliant ! Where did you find these?
I’m planning an eco conscious wedding and we’re using plantable invites with seeds in the paper! I’m so stoked about them. Thought you might be too! PS I’d still love to see a video on small intimate weddings, how to make them feel special, things you can do that you couldn’t do for 200, etc.
Wow, I didn't even know that it exists!
Kassie Kee that is such a good idea! Where did you get yours from?
@@LD-ok3us check etsy. I saw some on there that were party favours :) they might have invited too.
I was fortunate enough to have three friends get married this year, and I asked if I could borrow any of their leftover items. Therefore, all my decor is reused! It's so much easier on the budget and the environment.
We're doing email save the dates and invitations! Way more affordable, really cute and personalized, and much better for the environment!
Some things I’m doing. Meatless food, decomposable cups/plates, wearing my grandmas dress, paper straws. Having an environmentally friendly was really important to me! Thanks for making this video
Jamie can you do a video about flowers like freshness, temperature, how to take care and make its life last a little longer specially if you're the one setting it up (probably during summer) ?
Thisssssssss
@@MusicaBambi i wish Jamie would notice us haha 😍
Btw Jamie im from the Philippines so the example that I gave for instance is summer.
I had a friend do mismatched bridesmaid dresses and I got to wear a dress that I already had in my closet! So, I got to wear a dress that I felt cute in and that I knew I was going to wear again while saving some money! Total win-win!
I'm doing the same thing. Only we have colors. But it's anything within a green to purple spectrum and My younger sister is actually wearing her prom dress again!
I’m so excited for my wedding!
I ain’t originally planning my wedding with sustainability at the forefront however we have an all inclusive venue for ceremony and reception and I am doing all I can to keep our footprint small as we have many guests travelling for our event.
The venue recently built a barn which all materials were sourced from their property, so all the wood from trees etc.. the lounges they have were sourced from an old movie cinema that was closing down!!
Our guests are allowed to camp onsite too!
AND!! Our catering is from a 3 property’s over and the chef grows the food he will be cooking for us and it’s right on the bank of the river!
So glad this topic starting to be popular! We're planning our wedding right now and many people are surprised that it could be more eco-friendly.
We have choosen small paper bags with floral seeds as our favors. Easy to recycle and very good for the bees!
We used quiet a lot off items from our home and from my mums/grandparents, the items we brought decoration wise we brought 2nd hand and plan on selling them again, we made our own invites, ect with what we had in our shed.
Holy moly, I've been on a sort of Jamie binge lately so TH-cam keeps recommending your old videos to me all the time. Now when I opened the app this morning I saw this video on the top of the list and was like, huh I don't recall watching that one. Then I realized that it's brand new!! Thanks Jamie!😍
A few extra ideas! - 1. a daytime wedding or a wedding that takes place mostly in daylight will save electricity on lighting - 2. use florals that are alive and growing in pots for displays so they can last longer - 3. consider vegetarian, vegan and/or local in-season food - 4. if you already have the stuff you need for your home, don't ask for gifts: you could do charity donations or contributions of DIY stuff to the wedding instead - 5. look into venues with a sustainability focus eg. places powered by green energy or growing their own food - 6. don't buy new engagement/wedding rings; so many beautiful antique rings are out there and so cheap! That's all I can think of right now
Elise Collins yesss I want potted plants as each table and as favors such a cute idea
♻️🥺🌎😍💚
This sustainable content is making my WEEK, I will never stop commenting on any video you make that loves on our beautiful planet ✨
Can you do a video about wedding hair and makeup?
Jamie Wolfer what hairstyles or makeup is best suited for a wedding party...or how much hair and makeup cost...or how long it should take...or how to make it last all night.
Yes please!
In case Jamie isn’t able to get a video out before your event or anyone’s reading this , I’d look up make up artists Q&A on TH-cam. Make up artists will usually charge a certain amount per person or a overall price for certain sizes of bridal parties. As well as considering things like mileage, and time ( if you need them for touch ups later during reception time)
I love this :) I'm getting married in 2021 on family property and we love the idea being eco-friendly to tie in to our rustic theme.
Yes! We are using all thrifted vintage decor! Worst case scenario it ends up back at the thrift store we got it from. We also are getting flowers from a local flower garden which really isn’t more expensive than a normal florist. Flowers are often shipped by plane from very far away and that has a big environmental impact! Additionally my mom and I planted a huge wildflower garden. My wedding is 2 weeks before the first frost so the bees get to use it to the end of the season and we will get a bunch of very cost effective flowers!
I'm late to the party here but I love these ideas. We've only been engaged for three weeks but I've done so much frantic planning and idea gathering already. Some of what you've mentioned we're already doing like having the whole event at one location. We also chose a location that also has a view on sustainability. I'm so glad I found your channel as I was starting to feel like I was alone in my wish to have an eco-friendly/sustainable/fair trade etc wedding! I laughed when you mentioned doilies because I've already bought some from a local second-hand shop!
Thank you for doing this video! I’m so glad I found you! I’m going to be making my daughter invitation sets with recycled paper and adding bits of flower pieces and seeds so the entire thing can be planted. Basically handmade seeded paper! It’s beautiful
Always hate that in Australia we don't get notifications until like 30 minutes after your videos are posted. Always the best part of my week
I'm fortunate that our church has a lovely garden that will be perfect for our reception. I'm doing most of the things you suggested just because of cost saving and not wanting to be left with unnecessary goods! Thanks for this video :)
This is a video I am so happy to see! It's 2020 and it only makes sense to be more conscious of the resources and environments on our planet even in wedding planning. Coming from a background where weddings are talks of the town full of the most glam and frill, I get that getting every detail can matter. But, moving forward, I really hope that weddings become less about a single day and all the single use waste that comes with that, and more about all the other good stuff about getting married (building a home, family, funding adventures and experiences, celebrating with community etc.)
Thank you so much for this video! Such a great topic! We're getting married in November and doing many of the things you suggested as well as: sending Save the Dates electronically ONLY. We also are not sending out response cards and instead are only tracking RSVPs through our wedding website. (Even our oldest relatives are online, and this way we're not paying for stamps & cards that never make it back to us--because you know people will forget to put that back in the mail!) For sake of tradition, we will be printing invitations and sending real thank-you letters for wedding gifts; however, those will be printed on recycled paper, and we'll be giving guests the option to opt-out of print invitations.
Thanks for all you do, Jamie!
I’m trying to research potted mini tree centerpieces as a way to be sustainable. I’ll either plant them or others can take it to plant themselves! I just need to make a plan first 😛
My fiance and I are very passionate about the environment and have committed to a zero waste lifestyle, so I have kind of a touchy question: would it be okay to skip thank you cards and send a personalized thank you email or call our guests? It's not that we don't want to pay for cards or postage, it's more about using extra resources & fuel to deliver them. I know it's tradition amongst the older generation so I was thinking a compromise would be to give these guests thank you cards and email/call our friends and other younger generation guests. Thoughts? (please don't be too harsh, this is something we're torn on because we don't want to be rude but we also care our minimizing our environmental impact)
Edit: a good chunk of our friends & family know about our low waste lifestyle
Jenny Reed I think most people would agree that it really is the thought that counts - so I would say go for it! Especially if it’s something that is true to you as a couple, it will make sense and seem fitting to those who know you guys best. I would much rather and appreciate a personalized email or phone call then a pre-printed generic thank you card (which I have received as a guest before). Good luck!
Jenny Reed I feel like a phone call to older guests who are used to a more traditional approach, would be a great idea. And they’d probably really love the sentiment and time you’re taking out of your day to pick up the phone. Other guests would probably be ok with an email! Like the other viewer mentioned, it’s the thought that counts. For me, I always feel guilty tossing out anything a friend or family member has sent me. But at the same time it’s like, how long do I really need to keep this? I don’t scrapbook so it just sits in a pile of papers I’m waiting to toss. Sadly. Haha
Jenny Reed I think the email would be totally fine!
If you want the pretty involved in thank yous/invites try greenvelope! Is sweet!
Your idea is so great! Also you can order a graphic design for your e-mail invitations. It would look amazing and still saving some paper.
I'm def going with dried lavender or other dried flower petals for the wedding toss for my wedding.
I just thrifted a gorgeous pair of shoes for the big day that are subtle enough that can wear in years to come!
We are having our wedding at a eco friendly venue, they grow the majority of food on the farm and the rest of the food is from the surrounding area. We are also getting our flowers from a local grower (this means flowers aren’t being shipped across the world for us) along with biodegradable invitations and a variety of other ideas 😁
Our taco man uses plastic utensils and styrofoam plates, so we’re providing our own recyclable plates & utensils. We’re having the ceremony and receiption in the same location, going easy on decor (because the family home were using is a historic landmark and gorgeous already. I feel incredibly lucky to use it!) and we’ll definitely be providing bins for recycling! I’m also using vendors within the same area as our wedding, and going to encourage guests to Uber or carpool. I haven’t quite figured out invitations but online is sounding great to me!! Definitely doing that for save the dates. Looooove this video and topic. YAS!
I’m a waitress and we have a bar. I’ve been collecting empty wine and beer bottles to use as centerpieces for our wedding day. We’re doing one large wine bottle with a single flower (+ some baby’s breath) and a smaller beer bottle to hold up our table number. Bought 50 votives from a Facebook group for $5 and our centerpieces are done.
Hey Jamie, your videos and your voice always make me feel so calm and comfortable, thanks for uploading :) Hope you have a great day!
I got my Dress at goodwill for $15, on a half price day! Gorgeous and beaded with pearls, it was originally from David’s Bridal!
I had my wedding this Friday and I'm very happy with all your tips&tricks.
Our wedding was eco-friendly a bit, we got rid of florals in the decor COMPLETELY. Instead I decorated tables with borrowed gold christmas lights and candles, it was very pretty. Other decor I made myself from the paper that I already had. The only flowers were in my bouquet, but it was very small, about 15 flower branches, and the greenery for my bouquet was cut from my house plants.
Moreover, where I'm from, guests give wedding presents with flowers, and we asked our guests to not buy flowers, but instead spend that extra flower money to put in a special box at our event, so we could send that flower money to charity.
We sent most of the invitations electronically, but we printed some for our elderly guests.
Unfortunately I couldn't buy secondhand dress, but I hope to sell it, so it would still be kind of eco-friendly :)
And lastly, for favors I made something that definitely wouldn't end up in a waste, which is food. I made jam and put it in little jars, so even if someone left their favor, we would still use it. But our guests were super considerate and there were absolutely no favors left!!!
Love this. I bought a dress I can wear numerous times with just shortening the hem. Or I'll just leave it and be extra at all my numerous events this year, graduation being one.
This is incredible! I’ve been thinking about how I could do this for so long and I’m so glad you’re talking about it with such a platform!
As an engaged sustainability professional, I'm stoked on this video, and I'm holding myself back from making 100 more suggestions.
I want to hear your suggestions 😊🌎♻️♥️
Please make more suggestions!!
Why are you holding back? People would rather hear your ideas.
Oh my! I'm so sorry for not responding sooner. I'm not used to having an internet presents haha.
Same intro statement you don't need to do all the things and I'm not trying to be preachy in anyway. Here we go.
- If you are having compostable material try to see if you can have compost bins that way you are not sending compostable products to the landfill. Many waste haulers do have a compost service and you may be able to work something out with your venue.
- Instead of registering for more stuff (or in conjunction with more stuff) register for a charity. (Company example: The Good Beginnings)
- Purchase invites that are from recycled content (company example: Paper Culture)
- Rent your florals (company example: Something Borrowed Blooms)
- Bridesmaids dresses out of recycled yarn (company example: Dear Cleo)
- There are several companies that make rings out of more sustainable minded materials
- I know and agree with Jamie's stance on wedding favors but if you are going to do wedding favors maybe pick something that has less landfill waste.
- I'll end on one that is a little more out there. On your wedding website while you are talking about transportation include alternative transportation information (EV parking, bike paths, trains, walkability, etc)
Let me know if you have any questions. My TH-cam response time appears to be 3-5 business days.
@@Birdie336 not holding back just bad at the internet and forgetful. I responded to my original comment.
Buying glass vases or votives from Facebook groups or Facebook marketplace has saved us so much money on decorations and lower eco footprint!
Great Tips! I've focused on buying things that I can use again/having my wedding as an excuse to buy things I've always wanted like a leather jacket and white trainers :)
Our florist is doing flowers without using oasis/foam as well: it's much better for the environment and means our flowers are carbon neutral!
I've already thought about / been doing 95% of the things that you mentioned, but still, it's a nice video and thank you for it.
Greetings from Hungary!
I would also consider asking your caterer if they compost food scraps.
Was just watching your reaction on Amari Productions community post 😂 you have such an awesome energy to you!
@Jamie Wolfer Can we please get a video on the pros and cons of different send-off ideas, such as sparklers?
Thank you so much for this video! I’m a science major and knowing that plants help the planet by removing CO2 and producing O2, I stumbled upon seeding paper. It’s paper that becomes a plant, when buried and watered and it’s sold by “botanical paper works”. I plan on purchasing my wedding invites from them and just having the date of the wedding on them and my wedding website. I figure if they are curious about where and what time the wedding is they’ll visit the website lol! At the wedding website, I’ll have all the info about the wedding, rsvp links, and an explanation as to how and why the wedding will be eco friendly. Hopefully this way I may impact my loved ones!
Thrifted some decor items, secondhand dress, and still in the planning process
Hoping to reduce our waste as well for our wedding
I'm using my Mother-in-Laws old dress (altering it a lot) but she was literally keeping it for it's material or to throw out. And after the ceremony we're turning it into a gown for my daughter. (Christening and First communion)
And my bridesmaids just have to fit a color scheme so a lot of them are using prom dresses or going to reuse the dress later.
I just searched on amazon for biodegradable plates and there’s some bamboo and palm leaf ones that look awesome AND they’re prices are great!
I love this video thank you so much for the tips! We will definitely go thrifting for our wedding.
Hi! Any tips on how to plan a wedding in less than six months without it looking rushed? What is important to focus on?
Tracy Smith we planned our wedding in under 2.5 months! My suggestion is to find a venue that is beautiful without a ton of extras which saves time, money, and less trash as discussed in this video because there is less extra decor ! Plan plan plan, don’t try to over do it on stuff, and focus on what is important to you and your guests: are they dancers? Focus on good music. Everyone likes to eat: good food! Also use resources in borrowing, or spaces that include tables and chairs. Hit me up on IG @menkearney if you want specific examples or other tips that worked for us last summer!
Just want to add that biodegradable or compostable dishware doesn't break down if it is sent to landfill. They have to actually be composted.
Using my mother’s inherited china tea cups for centerpieces
Jamie & Cavin uploading almost the exact time again 😍😍😍
Every time lol
I love it though! I get to watch them Back to back
praise!! I have been hoping for a sustainable video!
I also wanted my wedding to be zero low waste. One of the things I did was to have the invitation with seed paper. Honestly everyone throws invitations in the trash. So in this case people would get rid of the paper anyway but they would have a plant growing instead :) people loved it, said it was veey original, they have never seen it before!
I found my wedding dress on etsy. It took some searching but I found the dress of my dreams for under $500
thumbs up for the hair and make up! soooo beautiful :)
If you are using cutlery or straws that are made of things like avocado stones or anything like that make sure that people with allergies are aware. There is a restaurant here in my city that is using straws made of something like that and a customer had an allergic reaction from the material because they are allergic to nuts/seeds.
So here for this!!! 🙌🙌🙌
Also want to do Sage leaf confetti at my wedding as my other halfs surnames Sage! Xx
We are combining seating charts and wedding favors for less waste, each guest gets a decorative candle with their name and table number that they can then reuse in their own home. I definitely didn't want wedding favors that people don't use, this way they are perishable and can be enjoyed :)
we're doing something similar! Everyone gets a decorated (reusable) take home box for leftovers! And even if some people leave them, I will still use them in my home for food storage and such. It's so nice to see that I'm not the only one.
I know one thing more Eco-friendly... renting table cloths :D
I bought mine all second-hand off FB marketplace for SUPER cheap! Great ways to not buy new!
Uhhhh sounds like our wedding will be very eco friendly ;) Didn't even pay attention to it, but good to know ;)
I love this topic! I did a video on it recently as well. I got a lot of different ideas from this, thanks Jamie! 💛
I am doing e-invites instead of normal invitations and create foam bridal bouquet lol I started early as Jamie says its not to long to start early
Jamie i hope you read my suggestions in your previous video! Loooveyou! 😍😘
Lavender toss too :)
Have a game plan when running errands. Okay i have 4 errands I'm going to drive to one location then run the 4 errands in one location. Less driving is good for the atmosphere.
Yes! I’ve been waiting for this!
Thank you!
Mason jar as a favor and a vessel for guests to drink out of
Repurposed bottles for floral arrangements
Hiring a compost company to collect waste at the end of the night (we are using all compostable dish ware, utensils, etc)
If you want flowers for something (bouquet or such) I just used some from my home garden! They grew for the year and then I used them and replanted the bulbs after.
I love the seed/plantable invites idea I see so many commenting about but I’ve been apprehensive to go with those because I know my guests aren’t going to care and they’re not going to plant them. At that point shouldn’t I just use recycled paper?
OMG thank you for this video 😍😍😍😍
I forgot if you mentioned this in your registey video or not but we have most things. We put luggage, games and little things like that but is it acceptable to ask is some way for a contribution to our honeymoon and our first house? Also what do you think about the dollar dance?
Can you do a video on send off ideas?? My venue won’t allow sparklers or smoke bombs or fireworks or Chinese lanterns because of fire hazards. It’ll be dark at send off time and I’m at a loss for ideas 😅
Hi - posted on another video (want to be a wedding planner) but thought this one might be good resource too. I am interested in starting or participating in a 'wedding lending (library)'. Cake pans, tablecloths (I'll be careful to watch the ironing), vases, backdrop frames - things that are easily reusable. I thinking of what I want to do after retirement (got a few years yet) and having a free source to borrow these types of items seems to be a gap I could help fill. Are you (or any of your other followers) aware of this type of activity that I could learn from? Clearly not having items returned, etc. is a risk, but I do believe most people are honest, would appreciate the savings and return enough items to keep going. I'll watch for suggestions. Thanks.
I clicked so fast
Me too!
My heart!!!! I agree this makes me so happy!!!!
You’re so pretty!! 💗
IMO choosing the right venue can have a lot of influence on the low waste/sustainability of the wedding. My fiancé and I choose the Anthony Wayne House in PA. Since it's a historical sight the price of the venue goes directly to the preservation, Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks. Also the ceremony and reception are all on the property. And since it's an outdoor wedding (tent) we won't be using as much electricity on cooling/heating. The exclusive caterer also focuses on farm to table service so nothing out of season will be shipped in. And they will do as much vegan and vegetarian options as we want. Originally I wanted a backyard wedding, but honestly, this will be better and definitely more eco friendly. Looking forward to finding a second hand dress and reusable decor. Minimal flowers, mostly seasonal greenery. Still really torn about the favors though...
I'm a marine biologist who's getting married next year, so thank you for making this video! Lots of great tips here. Tips I would add: carbon offsets can be helpful (though aren't a get out) for flights and travel, especially if you have friends and family around the world. Using a website for RSVPs rather than physical cards. A note of caution though, many "biodegradable plastics/plant-based plastics/bioplastics" are not actually biodegradable. It's always best to use things like ceramic plates.
What I would say is that you aren't going to fix climate change with your wedding. Like everything, it will have a negative environmental impact, but you can take steps to lessen that impact, and that's a great thing. More important is to contact your elected representatives (local and national) and ask them to take action on climate change!
It may be cultural, but have take home boxes! Lets people try things they couldn't and even helps out of town guests by preventing them from having to grab another meal from fast food. Even if it's Tupperware or mason jars!
The Knot also offers a registry option where guests can donate to environmental nonprofits by buying from your registry! Ours is the World Wildlife Fund. ^_^
$490 on a 70 year old dress.
Under $700 total for my dress, crown, robe (all from Vivian Elise vintage), slip, shoes (both from thred up), and veil fabric (from fab scrap(a fabric rescuer and recycler))
All of our decorations will be recyclable--glass bottles, origami cranes, origami flowers etc 😊❤️
Wow I guess I didn’t realize that me buying all the decor I could second hand was helping the environment and not just my wallet, go me! 😂
Using my karate boards by cutting them in half again, sanding them, and staining as part of the centerpiece
The Dancing Chef Abby chop them in half with your hand!!!
You look gorgeous in this video 😍
I live in Portugal and is a costume to make a second day party so we can eat the leftovers.
Has anyone used potted plants for their wedding? I would like to do that but IDK how to style it
Reusing my fiancé to go order paper sandwich bag waste to hold leaves for the wedding
BE CAREFUL WHEN ORDERING BAMBOO ITEMS. I love love love the ideas in this video. But just a thing to look out for bamboo and other compostable dishware is only compostable if your wedding is located in a community that has a industrial compost facility. Otherwise it is just more expensive trash to go to a landfill! So make sure your venue has compost otherwise use reusable durable plates to make less waste.
Yep, wedding and reception at the same place.
Oh man, it occurred to me a couple weeks ago to write to you to request a video like this (thank you for reading my mind!) and to ask you to please include a PSA about Pampas Grass! It's all over Pinterest and Instagram these days but no one seems to acknowledge (or know?) that it has literally been invading California and Australia landscapes for years. Ecologists straight-up refer to it as an 'invasive' because, once established, it chokes off local native species and takes over entire countrysides. Every year, local agencies work hard to root out and burn it because it poses a huge fire hazard - which is particularly risky in areas like CA and Australia, where climate change is leading to more frequent and longer wildfire seasons. Now, thanks to the wedding industry, it is not only being transported great distances (enabling the spread of the thousands of tiny seeds on each stalk) but deliberately grown for profit! @Jamie Wolfer, please use your voice and influence to end the pampas addiction!
ugh, i just found this out. my fiance is very aware of this stuff. I LOVE the look of it but we are definitely not having it in our wedding florals!
@@tracycody7114 I know right! I love the look of it too - but it's just not worth the damage it causes. Plus with them being such a wildfire risk and California burning enough as it is, I couldn't deal with the guilt of somehow contributing to spreading it even farther. 😞
Go vegetarian for the food! Btw I love the idea behind this video.
Not necessarily www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/aug/25/veganism-intensively-farmed-meat-dairy-soya-maize
snejurankaa most of the monoculture soy and corn is used as animal feed. It’s obviously inefficient to eat an animal’s body, rather than eating plants grown from the ground. Not to mention the cruelty.
I’m going to ask guests to forego shiny, wedding specific wrapping paper and ask them to use reusable bags, brown paper, or even newspaper for gifts. Yeah, wrapping paper is pretty but it all goes in the trash. No thank you!!
Rent the wedding party's attire, even the groom's tux/suit or your dress if you want to go that extra mile!
it’s refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle 😉