Borrowed Charm Tips for an Eco-Friendly Wedding!

“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” – Robert Swan

A Borrowed Charm Wed/Ed Feature

Every year on April 22^nd, Earth Day is celebrated to raise awareness about environmental issues and promote sustainability. As people become more conscious of the impact their actions have on the planet, eco-friendly weddings are becoming increasingly popular. If you’re planning a wedding, consider incorporating these ideas to create an eco-friendly sustainable celebration!

FLOWERS!

It’s NO DOUBT that flowers are not only the most popular part of many weddings, but they also make a HUGE impact. There are still a few ways to make an earth-friendly impact when picking your wedding florals!

Photography: Chelsea Reece Co./Venue: The Venue at Plenty/Florals: The Wild Mother

Consider sourcing, renting, or seeing if your florist can provide glass containers for the bulk of your floral arrangements, everything from centerpieces to bar tops, as glass is a more sustainable option than plastic. Glass requires less energy to recycle than to melt raw materials like plastic, glass also is not usually treated with chemicals which makes it an excellent choice for the recycling process.

Photography: Living Roots Photography/Venue: Skyline Bricktown/Florals: Roots + Blooms

Even better, when renting glass containers, these same pieces can be used again and again, over time, rather than a one and done plastic option. We love that our client Kyndal, opted to source a few of her own bud vases for her big day to keep and cherish, then filled her centerpieces in with Ivory Bud Vases, Amber Bud Vases and Tortoise Bud Vases from our collection.

Photography: Living Roots Photography/Venue: Skyline Bricktown/Florals: Roots + Blooms

If you opt to purchase or source a glass option, arrangements can be given as gifts to friends and family, like our sweet client Glenn did, for her special day, or you can take them home to keep, display and use again and again daily or for special celebrations.

Photography: Emily Nicole Photo/Venue: Coles Garden/Florals: Rootstock Floral

Consider incorporating natural elements across your design. Dried florals are all the rage right now, from olive branches in homes, to bunny tails on tables, mixing in dried floral and other natural elements can be repurposed and used in your home, other special events & more!

Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand. – Mother Teresa

We love it when clients, like Megan & Reece let their Florist, The Wild Mother get creative by adding fruit and fun design elements to their tablescape. Flowers and fruit are the perfect pair, and together, they can elevate the senses with their fragrances. Post wedding, fruit is a wonderful treat for a local farm full of animals. Much like donating pumpkins after fall, fruit can be a tasty donation, the day after the wedding on your way out of time.

Photography: Chelsea Reece Co./Venue: The Venue at Plenty/Florals: The Wild Mother

Repurpose where it makes sense. We all want a “finished” look for wedding photos, so while working with your planner and designing your big day, think through where you can embellish something easily. An easy to implement idea is considering low level floral, like our sweet bride Katie. Her beautiful ceremony pieces & aisle markers at her Aspen Ranch wedding, were repurposed easily from ceremony to reception behind the scenes, while guests were enjoying cocktail hour without affecting the overall design and wedding photos.

Photography: Madison Ifland Photography/Venue: Aspen Ranch/Florals: Emmaline Rose Floral

VENUES!

Look for a venue that offers a beautiful natural backdrop where a little goes a long way in your WOW factor and design. From naturally beautiful ceremony spots, forests, to textured walls, and windows when the backdrop is beautiful less can be more. Our client Tatum found the perfect place in the Baumberhof to host most of her special night outside!

Photography: Bree Record Photography/Venue: The Baumberhof/Florals: Rootstock Floral Design

Ask your venue if they offer any type of recycling option or have any services that allow for donations from your event. It’s even better to opt for a venue that can host both your wedding ceremony and reception in one location, reducing overall emission from cars on the road.

Consider your ceremony location at your venue in a place with a permanent arbor option for floral and décor that does not require foam and offers a more natural appeal, and depending on the season, look for venues spaces with lots of natural light.

Photography: Caroline Eliza Co Photography/Venue: The Baumberhof/Florals: Rootstock Floral

FORGO THE FAVORS!

Most Wedding Couples end the night with a box full of remaining favors heading to their house. If forgoing favors isn’t an option, consider fun alternative options instead. Our wonderful client Denise wanted something for guests to take home as a keep sake and chose a selection of succulents on display ready to be planted, for friends and family to Let Love Grow after her wedding celebration. With this option, you can elect to provide fewer favors, than guests, 1 per couple, a couple per household, or possibly even more for your green thumbs.

Photography: Katie Hadley Photography/Venue: The Barn at the Woods/Florals: Rootstock Floral

Another fun idea from our Bride Niki, was to use reusable, dishwasher safe, Bamboo straws as favors and attached her Welcome card at each place setting at her Coles Garden wedding. With this idea, each place setting was provided a favor for every guest, however any items left behind were perfect and easy to put to use after the event.

Photography: Michelle Albert Co/Venue: Cole’s Garden/Florals: The Medieval Garden

Other eco-friendly favor options could be flower seedling packages, creative cookies, and mini trees to plant.

RELY ON RENTALS!

With so many rentals’ companies, offering gorgeous collections to choose everything from centerpieces to seating options, consider partnering with a rental company to help you create a more eco-friendly wedding. You can start by replacing toss ware when it comes to serving your guests by using real plates, utensils, napkins and glassware.

Photography: Lauren Rader Photography/Venue: The Stone Barn Florals: Rootstock Floral

Regardless of style, this is not only an elegant touch on your guests tables, but it also cuts down on the waste & trash generated throughout the night.

Kaitlyn-and-Alex-Wedding-Day-Emily-Nicole-Photo-752

Photography: Emily Nicole Photo & Film/Venue: The Baumberhof/Florals: Rootstock Floral

Everything from Farmhouse tables, to re-usable rugs, centerpieces to tabletop, rental companies help reduce the number of single use products you buy.
While no wedding is the perfect sustainable wedding, these are just a few ways we’ve found to help you create a more eco-friendly event.

At Borrowed Charm we believe the phrase one size fits all should never apply when it comes to Weddings & Special Events. Through our passion for planning & design, we have created a completely unique and intentional approach to servicing our clients that allows us to deliver a personalized, stress-free & enjoyable wedding experience. We maintain a curated collection of unique furniture and décor to create emotional spaces for you and your guests to make lifelong memories Borrowed Charm is a team of exceptional women & mean. Professional celebrators at heart, we believe in transparency, our core values as a business and integrity, as well as having one helluva of a good time.
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Borrowed Charm Tips for an Eco-Friendly Wedding!