Bride's Guide: Planning an Eco-Friendly Outdoor Reception

Outdoor weddings have become more popular than ever, but they often leave trash and other forms of pollution behind after the party ends. If you're concerned about hosting a sustainable reception, there are plenty of options for your considerations. Planning an eco-friendly outdoor reception will be much simpler if you use this guide to help along the way.

Even if you only invite a few family members and close friends, more people means more trash. Research local recycling and trash disposal methods, so you know how to take care of wedding waste responsibly to keep it out of the environment.

Connect with local farmers and catering services to order farm-to-table reception food. Buying local prevents adding more CO2 to the atmosphere, given that 18-wheelers only get five miles per gallon when transporting food around the nation and use hundreds of gallons per trip to restock restaurants and grocery stores.

You may not want to spend your wedding night washing dishes after everyone leaves your backyard wedding, so use dinnerware made from recycled plastic. Afterward, a recycling center will turn it into more dinnerware so you won't create additional waste by throwing it all in a landfill.

A confetti exit usually isn't in the cards for brides who don't want the plastic left around the yard for animals to try to eat. Instead, you can explore eco-friendly wedding exit ideas like fresh leaves or dried flowers.

You may also want to rehabilitate your backyard soil to make it a healthier space. Improving your soil with natural nutrients will make your plants and trees bloom with new life and appear picture-perfect in time for your reception.

Skip disposable paper napkins and opt for washable cloth alternatives. You can reuse them at future parties and clean them with eco-friendly detergent to prevent chemical or waste pollution.

If you have a green thumb, grow your wedding reception flowers in your backyard instead of spending money on chemically treated arrangements.

Avoid hauling bags of single-use cans and bottles of refreshments to the dump by buying your reception drinks in bulk. Kegs of beer, boxes of wine and bulk containers of non-alcoholic beverages are less wasteful and pair well with reusable glassware.

Planning an eco-friendly outdoor wedding reception doesn't have to feel challenging. Research tips like these to discover how to maintain your sustainable lifestyle and still have the wedding of your dreams.