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Embrace Your Unique Love Story with an Eco-Friendly, Unconventional Wedding: Lessons from My Own Big Day.
Scrolling through Instagram, Pinterest or Bridal Blogs and finding it all a bit overwhelming? The wedding industry doesn’t slow down, and the amount of content there is for us to sift through in our wedding planning journey is frightening. But somehow, the celebrations all start to blend into one - how do you make sure yours stands out from the crowd, while remaining true to you as a couple?
In this journal post, I’m sharing the deets of my own non-traditional wedding and how you, too, can plan an authentic, modern, and eco-friendly celebration that screams "you".
Before you look at one more sponsored wedding post, I implore you to sit down with your partner and remind each other of your values. What do you hold most dear? How do you live your life day to day? These are the things that should filter through into your wedding day too. Unfortunately I see too many couples compromise on their values because they get sucked into including things that aren’t meaningful to them. If a strong value of yours is sustainability, then lead from there. If it’s family and connection, then lead from there. You will have a wedding day that truly represents you if you do this!
For us, making mindful eco-friendly decisions was a must. Leading from that place meant that we felt good about every decision that went into the day, and didn’t feel like we were compromising on what was important to us. You can read our journal post here about our top swaps for an impact positive wedding. Some that we included were making sure that we carbon offsetted our wedding guests, we had great locally-sourced food, we used local vendors who shared our values and we invited people we felt genuine connection with.
Adopting a minimalist approach allowed us to focus on quality over quantity. We prioritized meaningful details and experiences that reflected our personalities and values, making our big day even more special.
This tip has a double meaning. Firstly, making your venue your top priority in terms of having it booked in will make wedding planning so much easier. Every other vendor for your wedding will hinge off of where you are getting married, and any special requirements e.g. time of day, location, environment, noise limitations… the list goes on.
Pick a venue that you feel at home in, and that makes you excited for the day without all of the bells and whistles in it. If you are in love with your venue before it has your loved ones and any styling in it, you’re on the right path.
Second meaning: literally start and end at the one place. Gone of the days of the morning ceremony, a huge break in the middle of the day, and an evening reception. Unless you’re getting married in a Church, optimise for having your ceremony and reception in the same place.
We held our ceremony and reception at Rupert on Rupert in Collingwood, and it was a game-changer! Not only did it save us money, but it also allowed us to spend more quality time with our guests. We rolled straight into cocktails and canapes as soon as the ceremony was over. Because we had the venue booked for the whole day, it made bumping in and out for our vendors a breeze, too. Finally, we were able to focus our floral and styling budget in the one space, and our aesthetic decisions carried through for our whole wedding day.
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Repeat after me: Experience. Over. Things.
It comes back to your values, but I’m pretty sure most of you reading don’t have consumerism as a top priority. When making decisions for what to include and how to spend your budget for your wedding, always think about how the item or service will contribute to the overall experience.
Bomboniere on the tables for guests to take home: doesn’t add too much to the overall experience. A round of espresso martinis for the dancefloor? Very much adds to the experience. A bridesmaids’ robe that will be in one photo? Doesn’t add too much to the experience. A handwritten card for your people on the day to tell them how much you mean to them? Cue the waterworks.
You get the idea!
For us, keeping our guest list small gave us the chance to properly chat and celebrate with every single person at our wedding. We also splurged on spoiling them so that they had a great experience overall themselves.
Most people who work in the wedding industry do so full-time, and have been doing it for years. Find vendors who align with your values, and ask them questions you have about the day. They’ll be able to guide you based on their many experiences (while this is your hopefully only time!)
Your vendors are not just experienced, but total pros in their field. Your photographer will know how to get your best angle without it needing to be said, and your celebrant will know to get out of the way of your kiss shot. Your live musos at the ceremony will play your aisle track to a suitable point and be guided by you and your wedding party’s walk.
So take a deep breath, and let them do the work!
Your day, your way. You do not need to conform to anything, or be pressured into including things that either don’t align with you or are just a waste of time or money.
Here’s a list of things that people are now choosing whether they want to include:
Seeing each other before the ceremony might have broken tradition, but it also broke our nerves! Sharing that intimate moment allowed us to calm down, connect, and get some incredible couple portraits and wedding party photos prior to the ceremony. It also let us celebrate with the rest of our guests as soon as the ceremony was done, as we weren’t ducking out to get photos!
A few other things we decided against was a wedding car (we just ubered to Rupert), a bouquet or garter toss, and a veil. At the end of the day, you’ll know what you feel comfortable with, what you love in terms of traditions and what you’re happy to forgo!
A note about communicating with family members:
It's crucial to be open and honest about your non-traditional choices with family members, especially if they have strong feelings about tradition. Share your reasons and emphasize the importance of your values. It's your day, after all! Stay firm in your choices and remind them that your wedding should reflect your love story. Ask them why certain things are important to them and really listen.
A wedding true to you will shine through and create the best vibes for all.
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