Green Photography: Eco-Friendly & Ethical Wedding Inspiration
Jason Kaczorowski Photography began by reducing the amount of paper we provide in every initial consultation by encouraging clients to download their investment literature online. Our literature, referral & business cards are printed on 100% recycled content stock. This helps reduce our impact on deforestation. We refuse to offer landfill-clogging bottled water during our consultations and instead offer purified tap instead. We’ve eliminated all of our imported overseas products and now only offer our clients top quality albums and professional lab prints produced in Illinois or directly in our studio. We offer downloads of your digital files to store directly on your computer verses ordering paper proofs. We strive to schedule multiple consultations in a day to reduce the amount of miles driven to our studio. Assistant photographers carpool with the lead photographer and thereby stay only as long as the lead photographer shoots. We purchase carbon offset credits to counterbalance our destination wedding travel’s carbon footprint though carbonfund.org. Carbonfund.org supports carbon-reducing projects such as renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation projects globally that reduce carbon dioxide emissions and the threat of climate change. Carbonfund.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Jason Kaczorowski Photography is a proud pioneering member of GreenerPhotography.org.
Green Photography means preserving your memories in an environmentally friendly way that creates less of an impact on our surroundings, diminishing the carbon footprint left while reducing the amount of waste produced.
Here are more inspirational ideas to create an eco-friendly, ethical wedding of your dreams.
Attire
Use a designer who is able to source organic, Fair Trade or natural materials which haven’t been subjected to any environmentally harmful chemicals. Recycle second hand clothing that could be altered or re-styled.
Accessories & Jewelry
Use companies who can offer items made with Fair Trade or recycled precious metals and who use conflict free diamonds. Check that any fabrics are organic, Fair Trade or natural materials which haven’t been manufactured with any environmentally harmful chemicals.
Hair & Beauty
Use hairstylists & make-up artists who use organic or natural mineral products which have no environmentally harmful ingredients. If buying your own products stick to this guideline too.
Stationery, Invitations, Guest Books & Thank You’s
Look for products which are made with Fair Trade or recycled paper/card products.
Favors
Food or plant products can be locally, organically produced or Fair Trade. Paper/card products should be made with Fair Trade or recycled materials.
Cakes
Check that your supplier uses free-range/organic eggs and ask if they can use organic and/or fairtrade ingredients where possible.
Confetti
This could be organic, Fair Trade or locally produced flower petals or made with recycled paper or bird friendly seeds. No real rice – it’s bad for birds.
Candles
Look for candles made with natural products such as bee’s wax or soybean wax. Or look for fair trade products.
Flowers
Try to use florists who can source locally grown and / or organic flowers for your bouquets and venue decoration. Alternatively you could also incorporate Fair Trade flowers.
Transportation
Ideally try to use a local venue to cut down on transport but if needed – use vehicles which are run on bio-diesel, or hire a horse and carriage, rickshaws or cycles. If you have a lot of guests traveling by cars it may be more eco-friendly to hire a bus to transport them all.
Entertainment
Try to hire entertainment which is local to you to cut down on their traveling and try to use acoustic musicians where possible to cut down on power used.
Venue Decoration
Same as favors and flowers: Use companies who rent out decoration items, such as table & chair covers, centerpieces, flowers, plants, etc. Renting as much as you can for your wedding is a good alternative to having a lot of new items created for such a short period of use. You could also consider using artificial flower arrangements which are great for reusing after the wedding or giving as a gift.
Catering & Beverages
Use companies who are able to supply organic, Fair Trade or locally produced food and beverages.
Venues
Try to pick a venue which is local for you and your guests. If the venue offers catering packages check if they can use locally produced foods (or organic or Fair Trade) Also try to ensure that they have eco-friendly policies in place, such as recycling and a commitment to the environment.
Photographers & Videographers
Try to use wedding photographers and videographers who offer either digital services – cutting the use of film & processing – or those who use traditional film but are committed to using a minimal amount of harmful chemicals and recycle/reuse materials and hardware where possible. Check if your preview images can be uploaded to a web page for viewing – you can then allow your friends/family to view them too, or on Data DVD, to cut the amount of processing required.
Wedding Planners & Coordinators
Use planners who will source eco-friendly and / or ethical elements for your wedding.
Honeymoons
Honeymoon locally – no air-travel – or if you wish to travel consider train, bus or boat? If flying is unavoidable use a company which specializes in ethical and sustainable travel to destinations where the local communities will benefit and natural surroundings are preserved. Purchase carbon offset credits to counterbalance your honeymoon travel’s carbon footprint though carbonfund.org. Carbonfund.org supports carbon-reducing projects such as renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation projects globally that reduce carbon dioxide emissions and the threat of climate change. Carbonfund.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
101 Ways to Make a Wedding Eco-Chic
from ChicagoStyleUnveiled.com
1. Have your ceremony and reception at the same location.
2. Keep the wedding cake simple.
3. Use the linens that your reception site provides.
4. Wear a dress made of raw silk.
5. Use a reply postcard, rather than a note card that needs an envelope.
6. Purchase a simple wedding gown that you would wear again.
7. Create a wedding website, rather than using mailer inserts with your invitation.
8. Use the beautiful Northwest moss as a centerpiece.
9. Donate your wedding dress to a charity when the wedding is over.
10. Choose bridesmaids dresses that your friends will wear again.
11. Have the groomsmen wear a suit they can use again for work.
12. Blow bubbles rather than tossing rice. Remember: Rice kills birds when they eat it!
13. Rent real glasses and dishes as opposed to using disposable plates.
14. Use a florist who uses flowers from local or organic farms.
15. Have your guests reply on the website, rather than send in paper reply cards.
16. Register for your gifts at local shops so as to save on shipping materials and gas.
17. Use recycled gold for your wedding rings.
18. Select a wedding venue close to your home.
19. Create your own bouquets from wildflowers.
20. Ride a tandem bike home from the reception.
21. Use potted plants as centerpieces for a more organic wedding.
22. Use biodegradable, compostable dishes and flatware made from
cornstarch, sugar cane, or tropical leaves.
23. In lieu of a favor, give the money to a green charity.
24. Use a green wedding registry.
25. Use cloth napkins, rather than paper.
26. Order your programs to be printed on 100% recycled post consumer waste paper that has been processed without chlorine.
27. Rather than hosting a full bar, have a personalized cocktail made of organic ingredients – including organic vodka.
28. Use hemp paper for your save-the-date cards.
29. Use food that is in-season for the reception.
30. Keep the wedding small. The more guests you invite, the bigger the carbon footprint left from the wedding.
31. Donate the flowers from your wedding to a hospital.
32. Give each guest an 11-watt compact fluorescent bulb as a favor. Each replaced 50-watt incandescent bulb with the wedding favor will save 685 pounds of carbon dioxide.
33. Give a recycled handmade paper bookmark with wildflower seeds as a favor. This can be planted once they are finished using it.
34. Purchase wedding shoes that you will wear again.
35. Use a caterer who composts the leftover food.
36. Use locally grown flowers for your arrangements.
37. Throw rose petals after the ceremony, rather than releasing butterflies.
38. Give antique wedding bands to each other.
39. Have your invitations made on bamboo paper.
40. If you want to have a camera at each table for guests to use, rent digital cameras rather than single use.
41. Travel by train or bus rather than by plane.
42. Purchase your dress or tuxedo from a vintage boutique.
43. Take an eco-considerate honeymoon. Travel close to home or consider eco-tourism for your honeymoon destination.
44. Consider having a meat-free menu at your reception.
45. Have an outdoor ceremony and reception.
46. Hire vendors who are committed to being “green” and providing sustainable wedding practices.
47. Purchase a conflict-free gem for your engagement ring.
48. Live green after the wedding.
49. Give organic chocolate as a favor.
50. Use all local wedding vendors.
51. Give dried organic herbs as a favor.
52. Hire a digital photographer.
53. Give flower-bulbs as green wedding favors.
54. Plant a tree in memory of your wedding day. Then, plant a tree together on every anniversary.
55. Use beeswax candles.
56. Use reusable linens rather than disposable ones.
57. Use an organic wedding caterer.
58. When printing for your wedding, use a printer that can use paper with a high percentage of post-consumer recycled content.
59. Use all natural make-up.
60. Ask your friends to grow flowers in their personal gardens for your centerpieces. This will add a personal touch as well!
61. Rather than having a big party, why not elope and webcast your wedding online!
62. Have your guests sign the mat of a framed photo from your engagement instead of a guest book.
63. Travel to your guests instead! If most of your guests come from one part of the country, go to them instead of everyone coming to you.
64. If you have a lot of clutter and are trying to move in together, why not ask your guests to take a gift, rather than buy you something. Give away your clutter! What’s old is new again.
65. Give your guests the option of donating to charity, rather than purchasing a wedding gift.
66. Buy a diamond mined from Canada or Australia for your engagement ring.
67. Use a non-profit space to host your ceremony and reception.
68. Arrive to the wedding reception in a hybrid or smartcar VS a limo.
69. Donate the leftover uneaten food from your reception instead of throwing it out.
70. Tell out of town guests about the eco-friendly hotels in the area.
71. Choose fair trade flowers if you want a flower that requires being flown into your area.
72. Have an outdoor honeymoon such as camping, backpacking or fishing.
73. Use your Grandma’s vintage veil. It can be your “something borrowed”.
74. Donate all the leftover food to a local food bank.
75. Use a pump spray hairspray can rather than an aerosol can.
76. Go barefoot!
77. Give a reusable, locally made cloth tote bag to your bridal party as a gift.
78. Have bridesmaids carry matching clutches, rather than bouquets. A clutch or purse they will use again.
79. Use soy-based candles.
80. Decorate with fallen branches.
81. If you have separate sites for your ceremony and reception, use the same décor from the ceremony for the reception.
82. Collect all the paper products at the end of the night and recycle them.
83. Use a horse and carriage as your form of transportation, rather than a car.
84. Have your caterer purchase the meat from a “cruelty-free” farm.
85. Go for shabby-chic and mix and match plates from a local thrift store. Donate all the plates back when you are finished.
86. Rather than purchase champagne for the toast, have guests toast with what they are already drinking.
87. Use an environmentally friendly cleaner when it comes time to clean the dress.
88. Give all the guests a downloadable play list with your favorite songs.
89. Serve local, organic wine at the reception.
90. Opt for a cocktail and appetizer reception, rather than a plated dinner.
91. If you want to have a local destination wedding, have all the guests stay in the same bed and breakfast or inn. Have the reception and ceremony in that same place!
92. Calculate the mileage guests will travel and then offset their carbon footprint by donating to preserving the rainforests.
93. Use locally grown berries in your wedding cake.
94. Have your bridesmaids wear black dresses that they already owned for the ceremony.
95. Rent the tuxes from a local shop.
96. Do your rehearsal dinner at a friend’s home and have everyone chip in to cook.
97. Elope locally for your ceremony and then have a cocktail party when you return to celebrate with your friends.
98. Hire an all-digital videographer.
99. Give tree saplings as a favor.
100. Give a donation in your bridal attendants’ names in lieu of a gift.
101. Continue spreading the word about ways to be eco-friendly to all your friends and family!
