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Eco-Friendly Wedding Inspiration
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Eco-Friendly Wedding Inspiration

May 3

Nothing beats a sophisticated color palette mixed with texture with a nod to Mother Nature. When Esther of Esther Sun Photography told us she and a group of California pros gathered for an inspiration shoot to celebrate Earth Day, we knew it was going to be something beautiful. As an added bonus, Sara Holland of At Your Door Events, is here to share with us 5 Eco-Chic wedding planning tips:


eco-friendly reception table

bride with floral wreatheco-friendly reception table

eco-friendly wedding invitations

vintage furniture decorbride getting ready

1. Location: Reduce your carbon footprint by selecting a venue with an on-sight ceremony space. Not only isn’t good for the Earth, but it saves you on the cost of hiring transportation for you and the wedding party!


bride in chairsucculent terrarium wedding decor

vintage wedding clothing

organic wedding dessertsvintage wedding dress

2. Invitations: Select an Earth friendly recycled paper or plantable paper. Plantable papers have tiny little flower seeds embedded in the paper fibers, guests can plant the paper in the ground and flowers will grow!


green cake popsorganic wedding bouquet

metal wedding jewelry

vintage wedding dresseswhite paper doilies

3. Rings: Select environmentally conscious metals. Ask your jeweler about rings made of recycled metals. OR — collect jewelry from family and have it melted down and crafted into your own personal ring design.


succulent wedding bouquetblue wedding shoes

eco-friendly brides

4. Bridal Gown: Consider using vintage or taking your mothers wedding dress and having a tailor transform it into something unique for you!


vintage dessert tableteal place settings

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European Charm and Timeless Beauty in this Historic Salubria Editorial

eco-friendly teal place settings

5. Floral: Cut flowers are not green. Considering centerpieces such as terrariums! These are living, breathing eco-system contained in a glass jar. As a grouping on a table they make a glamorously green center piece AND a wonderful keepsake for guests. For your bridal bouquet, add succulents. The stems of succulents are actually root systems. After your wedding, you can take the succulents and plant them. The succulent will thrive and you will be able to keep a living memento of your wedding day!


terrarium centerpieces DIYterrarium centerpieces DIY
small tart dessertswhite wedding flowers

moss reception decor

View all images from this shoot in the gallery

Wedding Vendors (Long Beach, CA):

Venue Location and Paper Goods: Paper Crew / Wedding Photographer: Esther Sun / Wedding Planner: Sara Holland of At Your Door Events / Wardrobe Styling: La Femme Vintage / Makeup: Rose Park / Furniture: Urban Cottage / Wedding Caterer: Seafood World Restaurant / Desserts: Sweets by Annie / Videographer: Lovebirds Film / Models: Minta Allred, Lorraine Caguin, and Lauren Jensen

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View Comments (16)

  • What are the lace placemats made out of and where are they from please?

  • The color scheme is beautiful! Everthing about these photos are lovely.

  • @Michelle The white lace “placemats” are actually vintage chargers. A wonderful find from a local thrift store in Long Beach, CA. We tried to incorporate a lot if used, vintage, green items in the shoot.

  • Not sure if you have heard of them but my engagement ring is from Bario-Neal in Philadelphia. They are two women who use recycled metals, source ethical and raw main stones (including diamonds, raw = no cutting, cutting is mostly done by children in disadvantaged countries), and sources primarily from Canadian, Russian and Zimbabwe (I think) collective mines (owned by the workers).

    The ring I have is beautiful and cherished, unique and quality.

    I’d recommend them!

  • Hi there,
    I just wanted to enquire what type of succulents you used for the shoot?
    Were they Aeonium Kiwi’s by chance?
    Thanks,
    Emma

  • Just a small correction, cut flowers absolutely can be green. There are many small flower farmers growing sustainable cut flowers all around the country. It might take a little research, but this is a great way to get beautiful flowers while supporting small farmers in your local community.

  • I’m doing research for a blog post on eco-friendly weddings and this was perfect–to the point and effective. Plus the photos are gorgeous, as always! Love your blog. 🙂
    (PS – of course I will cite this post as a source!)

    • Woo Hoo! Thanks @DesignedByBH We had a blast researching and working on this shoot. Glad you were able to use it as a resource!

      • I ended up doing a whole series…once a week during the month of April. You should check it out if you get a chance!
        Eco Friendly Weddings: Introduction

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