Tiny Details for Your Big Day: How to Partner With Sustainable Vendors

Weddings are celebrations of love and what makes a couple unique. Each detail showcases their preferences, personalities and shared history. That’s why many brides want to plan eco-friendly weddings, but they may not know where to start.

This article explains how to partner with sustainable vendors for your big day. Keep these simple tips in mind while talking with business owners to quickly find the brands that match your sustainable lifestyle.

1. Select Local Businesses

Create a list of potential wedding venues and search the surrounding areas to see which is closest to potential vendors, like florists and restaurants. Partnering with nearby vendors reduces how much fossil fuel is necessary to get purchases and catering staff to your venue.

The 2022 Global Carbon Budget Report found burning fossil fuels caused the planet to hit a record emissions high in 2022, reaching 36.6 billion tons of CO2 due to post-pandemic increases in travel and shipping. If nearby businesses only have to drive a few miles instead of shipping products across the country, your wedding will automatically have a smaller carbon footprint.

2. Research Their Products

Look into what each vendor sells or uses — including restaurants. What you find will indicate if the business is eco-friendly or not.

Your research could point you to a caterer serving potato-based meals. Compared to pasta and rice, potatoes have the lowest greenhouse gas emission levels, so the menu selections automatically make your wedding more sustainable.

3. Look for Sustainable Mission Statements

Companies post their mission statements on their websites so potential clients can read about their values. Ensure your potential vendors have these mission statements to learn about their specific green business practices.

Your future venue’s mission statement could include what they do to make their property more eco-friendly. Small efforts like using LEDlightbulbs or partnering with local recycling centers for curbside pickup make a significant difference for sustainable brides.

A venue could also feature landscaping that only uses local plant species. It’s a sustainable effort that supports local wildlife biodiversity by contributing to the locally adapted food chain. Even seemingly small actions can make positive differences in the environment.

Find Sustainable Wedding Vendors

When you keep these tips in mind, partnering with sustainable vendors won’t feel challenging. Asking the right questions during a phone call or researching your options online will point you toward the vendors that most align with your sustainable values.