Green Your Big Day: A Guide to Eco-Friendly Event Décor

Photo by Samantha Gades on Unsplash

Green weddings and events are increasing in popularity as people are becoming more eco-conscious.  But when you’re planning an eco-friendly wedding or event, it can be hard to know where to start when it comes to figuring out the overall look and design. 

A lot of the eco-friendly event décor featured on Pinterest looks the same.  It tends to look minimalistic or DIY and have lots of greenery.  Don’t get me wrong; green is my favorite color.  But you don’t necessarily need to have a green color palette to “go green” when designing your big day.

Luckily, as an eco-friendly wedding planner and designer, I’m here to give you some eco-friendly event décor tips and ideas so that you can have a personalized and unique green wedding or event without risking exceptional design.

Related Post: Why You Should Work with an Eco-Friendly Wedding Planner

Eco-Friendly Event Decorating Tips

So where do you start when it comes to eco-friendly décor for your wedding or event?

My biggest suggestion is to start by going green with your biggest design expenses.  Of course, the ultimate way to go eco-friendly is to do without added décor.  But what fun is that?

Here are some eco-friendly event decorating tips:

·         Throw tradition out the window. Don’t feel pressure to include certain décor elements if you don’t really want them or find them necessary. Spend the money and resources on what you actually do want.

·         Come up with a diversified color palette. Don’t think that your wedding color palette has to consist of green and white.

·         Use rentals, particularly rentals that have eco-friendly cleaning services, such as linen rental companies that use sustainable dry-cleaning services. Working with a rental company can help you find more upscale décor pieces that look more cohesive.

·         Purchase pre-used items (if you’re purchasing décor).

·         Opt for décor items that can be reused.  But be careful… many products claim to be reusable that aren’t.

·         Choose more sustainable fabrics and materials.

·         Borrow décor pieces from friends and family.

·         Avoid plastic items as much as possible.  This will help the environment and help you achieve a more upscale look.

Photo by Jordan Arnold on Unsplash

Eco-Friendly Event Décor Ideas

Here are some great sustainable event décor ideas to consider for your wedding or event.  Keep in mind that you don’t need to incorporate all of these elements into the event.

Aisle Runner Ideas

·         Use rented, reused, or pre-used rugs that are in line with your design.

·         Toss organic flower petals.

Ceremony Arches and Backdrop Ideas

·        Drape an eco-friendly or pre-used fabric on a tree and allow the landscape or venue to act as the décor.

·         Rent or borrow antique doors or another large item that can act as an arch or focal point.

·         Use a post-consumer waste recycled paper flower arrangement as a backdrop.    

Related Post: 10 Eco-Friendly Pittsburgh Wedding Venues

Lighting Ideas

·         Use beeswax or soy candles.

·         Use recycled paper lanterns for intimate accent lighting.

Tablescape Ideas

·         Rent dinnerware that will be cleaned in a sustainable manner.

·         If you must use disposables, avoid plastic and consider eco-friendly alternatives made from potato, corn, bamboo, sugarcane, or palm leaf (like this eco-friendly palm leaf dinnerware).

Linens

·         Use wooden or antique tables instead of tablecloths (if it’s in the budget and in line with your theme).

·         Use linens made from more eco-friendly fabrics like silk, linen, hemp, or 100% organic cotton.

·         Purchase pre-used linens that you can mix-and-match (if you have a good eye for design).

Florals and Centerpiece Ideas

·         Use local food or beverages as centerpieces in a way that ensures that they won’t go to waste (a charcuterie board, mini dessert tower, etc.).

·         Use sustainable non-floral alternatives, such as potted plants, mixed pottery, lanterns, or gourds.

·         Rent or purchase pre-used flowers online (real or silk).

·         Purchase reusable flowers made from other materials like silk or wood (like these wood flowers).

Furniture

·         Use heirlooms like a dresser that’s been in the family for a long time that could act as a dessert stand.

·         Rent or purchase pre-used furniture pieces, preferably ones made from eco-friendly materials like bamboo, instead of purchasing new.

Signage and Installment Ideas

·         Use heirlooms and antiques such as a window frame, mirror, or map that can be written on to reduce the amount of paper that will be used at the event.

·         If purchasing new signs or installments, get items that can be reused in some way or serve multiple purposes, such as a welcome sign that also acts as a program.

Photo by Stella de Smit on Unsplash

Stationery Ideas

·         Use a sign or another way to thank your guests instead of individual favor tags.

·         Use place cards made from natural elements like sea glass or stones.

·         Print menus on post-consumer waste recycled paper or seed paper consisting of annual wildflowers or herbs. (You can find seed paper wedding menus here.)

Accessories and Embellishments

·         Use napkin rings made from recycled materials or natural elements like a polished rock, fern, or sprig of lavender to enhance the table setting.

Favor Ideas

·         Provide favors that can act as décor or accentuate the place setting.

·         Give guests edible favors.

·         Opt for favors that double as place cards.

Dessert Ideas

·         Select dessert that can act as décor and an additional focal point at the event.  Just be sure the amount of dessert isn’t too over-the-top and wasteful.

·         Opt for mini desserts, as they tend to produce less waste compared to a full cake.

Photo by Susie Ho on Unsplash

A Final Note on Eco-Friendly Event Design

These are just a few ideas to get you started; there are so many more possibilities when it comes to designing a sustainable event.

Having a green wedding or sustainable event is not only about the big day itself.  What you do with your event décor after your event can have a huge impact on the environment.  So consider taking more sustainable steps like donating your flowers or selling your decorations.

For a more elevated look, I recommend keeping DIY projects to a minimum.  DIY projects can take up a lot of time, cause more stress, and might not even save you money if you make mistakes or don’t budget correctly.

I also recommend hiring an eco-friendly event designer to achieve a more upscale look and to save you time and energy on researching sustainable event décor.  If you’re looking for some help with designing your green wedding or event, check out my virtual eco-friendly event design services here!