When planning a wedding, there is so much to consider. The venue, the guest list, the caterer, the gifts. And now, there is an increased search for sustainable weddings – how the day is going to impact the environment. Together with Eventistry, learn how you can make your big day sustainable while still special!
Making Informed Choices
“A sustainable wedding does not mean you have to use utensils made of recycled materials or serve organic and locally-sourced food. It is about informed choices, whether big or small, that the couple makes to try to decrease the impact of their event on the planet,” says Laverne Chee, who together with Juvien Sia, founded Eventistry, Malaysia’s first sustainable event planning company. According to The Green Bride Guide, an average wedding emits 63 tonnes of CO2 and 180kg of garbage. “This is much more than the 12 tonnes emitted by the average person during a whole year. And when you look at the 2.5 million weddings estimated happening every year, the numbers can be quite disconcerting,” she says. “Basically, weddings generate a lot of waste and pollution.”
But You Don’t Have to Give It All Up!
More and more couples are realising that they don’t have to surrender their vision of a dream wedding just because they want to save the planet. Says Juvien, “There are definitely easy swaps you can make and nothing is set in stone. At Eventistry, constant engagement and conversations are important to help us ensure that we actualise and realise the every couple’s unique vision.”
Tips & Tricks to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Invitations: Think green. There are many options for recycled paper invites today. But you can also take it a step further with a digital wedding invitation that can be good for the environment and save money.
Food: Think about cutting down on food waste. Talk to your caterer about preparing takeaway boxes for leftover food, or speak to your event planner on donating leftovers to a chosen charity.
Wedding bouquet and flowers: Give your flowers a second life. Take the cue from Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, who donated her baby shower’s floral arrangements to a charity.
Favours: Opt for edible favours and gifts that guests actually might want and use. Snacks such as home-baked cookies or nuts flavoured in homemade spice mixture are some to consider.
Wedding rings/bands: Consider heirloom pieces rather than buying new ones. Not only will you save money, but the pieces can go a long way in bonding generations.
Honeymoon: Choose a sustainable tourism company or opt for a resort that champions sustainability. Some that come to mind are Six Senses Resorts, Bawah Reserve, Soneva Jani, Soneva Fushi and Soneva Kiri.
“Weddings can never reduce the negative impacts on the environment, but the least we can do is to keep waste at a minimum – and this is the message Eventistry hopes to share,” says Laverne. For more information and ideas, you can contact +6016 602 6824.
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