ECO-SUSTAINABLE WEDDING: IDEAS FOR AN UNFORGETTABLE AND GREEN DAY

First, let's start with the simplest things: the decorations. It is really easy and aesthetically even nicer to avoid plastic materials and opt for recycled and biodegradable materials. One can rely on local flowers and seasonal flowers to reduce the ecological footprint: leave peonies aside in July and instead choose seasonal flowers in Tuscany.

One can also consider potted plants that guests can later take home as a memento of your wedding in Italy . Seasonal flowers also mean supporting local producers instead of large multinational corporations. Furthermore, this means reducing the CO2 footprint associated with transportation, as well as all the cooling systems necessary for flowers, especially for those that would already wilt within a few hours of being set up during peak season.

Some prefer potted plants instead of cut flowers. These naturally last longer and can be a wonderful green gift for your guests, who can take a piece of your wonderful day in Italy home with them. 

Finally, opt for materials like wood and bamboo for place cards and other decorations that will give your guests that boho-chic natural touch they will appreciate.

Finally, avoid plastic balloons of any kind, shape, and size, which are highly polluting because it is plastic that ends up in small pieces on the ground when the balloons burst, or who knows where, when they are released into the air.

Also, avoid so-called flying lanterns. Once released into the air, they land who knows where and are also highly dangerous in an area like Tuscany and generally Italy, which is increasingly suffering due to dryness and is therefore highly flammable.

Are colored smoke bombs really as elegant and scenic as they seem? Often, the colorful powders stick to clothing, ruin photos, and can be uncomfortable for guests with respiratory issues. Moreover, they come back after a few seconds – leaving little sustainable behind.

The choice of the dress is definitely one of the most difficult. A thousand shapes, a thousand models, a thousand options. But in this diverse world of tulle and silk, it is possible to make a conscious and eco-friendly choice and opt for wedding dresses for brides and grooms that are made from sustainable materials and produced in Europe.

Dresses made from cotton, linen, and silk, thus natural fabrics, are beautiful, very elegant, and breathable for your skin, which will thank you when it’s 38 degrees in Tuscany in July, and are an excellent way to reduce the ecological footprint. Nowadays, there are already many stylists and bridal ateliers that exclusively use sustainable and recycled materials and follow ethical production processes. 

Another option is to opt for vintage dresses, not only because it reduces the demand for new materials but also because they give that touch of personality and uniqueness that many brides rightly seek in an era of photos that will be seen and revisited on Instagram, Pinterest, and other social media. There are countless vintage dress shops online where you can find a wide selection. 

Or, why not, wear your mother’s dress again, or if it corresponds too much to a past fashion, it can always be modernized by a good tailor. Remember the scene from Cinderella when she takes her mother’s dress out of the trunk to go to the prince’s ball? With the help of her special tailoring from birds and mice, an old dress can become super modern with the right adjustments while still retaining that touch of uniqueness.

The groom can also make a similar choice or buy a nice dress that can be reused for elegant occasions or work. He just has to remove the vest and bow tie and choose a nice pair of trousers and a beautiful dark blue jacket made from fresh pure new wool that will never go out of style.

Not a few couples choose an even more radical option to reduce costs: the rental of wedding dresses. There are now many companies offering this service, and you have numerous advantages: you might be able to afford a high-fashion wedding dress without a final purchase. 

Some brides are ultimately less happy, but not dreaming any less: so why not give happiness by donating your own dress to a charity? 

When I ask couples during our first non-binding introductory conversation why they want to get married in beautiful Bavaria or green Switzerland in Italy, the first answer is the good weather and the second answer is the good food. As I always say: If good weather cannot be planned, one can plan for the food instead. Tuscany is famous for its divine food and wonderful wines. A Km 0 catering is, in my opinion, almost a mandatory choice. 

Not only is it an excellent choice for an ecologically sustainable wedding, but the explosion of flavors from Tuscan cuisine is an experience that is hard to describe in words. The benefits of a Km 0 menu and a banquet that respects the environment are countless.

First of all, local catering will offer local products for obvious reasons, and for an even more sustainable choice, we can opt for organic products that not only support local producers but also reduce the ecological footprint and transportation. The advantage of freshness and authenticity is obvious.

You can also decide to be even more sustainable and choose a completely vegetarian menu or at least one with a good vegetarian base, a choice that is, by the way, recommended on warm summer nights. A good roast is tastier in winter than on a summer evening.

A local catering will also only provide you with seasonal ingredients, seasonal vegetables, and fruits to ensure freshness and thriftiness.

Italy, and Tuscany in particular, is, as is well known, famous all over the world for wonderful wines that satisfy the palate of everyone: from the stronger to the finer, from the drier to the fruitier, from the still to the sparkling.

Within the enormous selection of Italian wines, you can make a difference by choosing local wines from local producers who invest passion and sweat to enhance what the ancient Greeks called the nectar of the gods. The wine from the place where you are getting married speaks for itself, speaks of the place where you are getting married, and brings back the scents of the land where you have chosen to spend your most beautiful day.

You can do the same with craft beers and cocktails by using gin and other local liqueurs that are refined with local spices. 

Celebrations are, as is known, beautiful when there is opulence, but that does not mean unnecessary waste. After all, the caterers I work with calculate the right amounts. In any case, should this happen, it is possible to donate food leftovers to local food waste organizations that deal with food distribution. 

The choice of venue is generally perhaps the most difficult decision.

For those who are not in the industry, it is not easy to navigate between the various options, which option A and which B, which spaces are suitable, the position of the sun during the ceremony, and many aesthetic but also practical, logistical, and organizational considerations that only an experienced wedding planner knows. 

Among the various things to consider, one can choose a venue that aligns with an ecologically sustainable wedding.

How? By choosing venues that have a policy of respect for the environment and for animals. It is therefore possible to opt for venues that use renewable energies such as solar panels, wind turbines, or geothermal energy, that have self-cleaning pools, that have parks and gardens with plants that do not require large amounts of water, and that have nighttime irrigation systems to prevent evaporation during the hottest hours of the day, which have responsible and differentiated waste management.

Venues that use eco-friendly materials in the decoration of their spaces and therefore do not use plastic.

Venues that use eco-friendly materials in construction and decoration are an excellent choice for a sustainable wedding.

Look for places that have green certifications or are known for their sustainable practices and that do not allow environmentally polluting effects and decorations such as balloons, flying lanterns (highly dangerous due to fire risk), and colored smoke.

Those venues that decide that the celebration must have an end and cannot last all night do so primarily out of respect for nature and our animal friends, who will surely enjoy a few hours of peace from light and noise disturbances.

Green favors are a perfect way to thank your guests and leave them with a sustainable memory of your wedding. In this article, we will explore various ideas for eco-friendly favors.

Potted plants are a popular choice for green favors. They are not only beautiful and decorative, but can also be easily cared for by the guests. Choose plants that adapt to the environment and require little maintenance. 

Giving seeds to plant is a symbolic way to celebrate your love that grows. Choose seeds from flowers, herbs, or plants that can be easily grown in a garden or pot. 

Handmade products made from sustainable materials are another fantastic option for favors. Consider handmade candles, natural soaps, or small decorative objects made by local artisans. 

An even more sustainable and personal choice is to have your new wedding rings made from recycled or already existing gold.
You can melt down jewelry that you no longer wear for various reasons and transform it into new wedding rings.

The choice should initially focus on a jeweler-goldsmith: a goldsmith who not only sells but can also process, melt, and reshape the gold into new rings.

Another, particularly emotional option is to have the rings melted down by one or two close individuals who may no longer be there. This way, you always have them by your side – or rather: on your body – not just on the day of the wedding, but for a lifetime.

Nowadays, more and more makeup artists are using sustainable products, both for the environment and for animal welfare, so cruelty-free, and for the health of our skin, which is the largest organ we have. Did you know that? 

Destination weddings inherently require a wedding away from the place where we live. This means a movement on your part and your guests, thus impacting the environment. This impact can be reduced by making smart decisions that come from organizing shared travel: for example, two couples of guests coming from the same city can organize and take a single car. It will primarily be more enjoyable for them, both the outward journey filled with expectations, questions, and anticipation, as well as the return trip, which will be dedicated to recounting the experiences lived and a bit of gossip!

You can think about the train when you are getting married in cities that are chaotic in terms of traffic, like Florence, Rome, or the Riviera of Lake Garda. The train will arrive on time in the city center, and from there you can either move by taxi if the wedding is in the city, or, as a wedding planner, I can organize shuttle services with private drivers who will take you with their fleet, from a beautiful limousine to minivans with 8 seats to small buses or large buses, to the place where the wedding will take place. 

Another solution is to rent a car for the days you need if the wedding is outside the city. I can help you find the best car rental companies. If you really can't do otherwise, take the plane, but then try to organize the transfer by coordinating with other guests arriving at the airport to share the transfer from the airport to the venue.

The collective transport of all guests remains the most ecologically sustainable choice. And I assure you, as a wedding planner: guests love this choice because they don't have to think about anything: the celebration begins already on the bus and continues, unfortunately for the driver, when they have to leave the celebration.

In a world where still too many people do not have access to food, it really hurts to see the waste of rice at the end of the ceremony. It is not sustainable from an ethical, ecological perspective, and, last but not least, the rice must be well washed, otherwise it will stain the clothes, practically the groom's, on whose beautiful jacket many white spots will be visible. Fortunately, many venues no longer accept this old tradition because it creates dirt and attracts animals like pigeons that do not eat rice in nature. No also to throwing plastic or paper confetti. Even if it is made from recycled paper, the dye is often still not natural. Instead, throw flower petals that decompose naturally, or even better, use sticks with ribbons and bells, decorations that you can reuse during the celebration.