How to have an eco-friendly
wedding in Perth
As a photographer I don’t just document couples on their wedding day, I also help and support them plan the day and make environmentally and ethically conscious decisions. I think couples enjoy connecting with someone who shares the same values!
Why should I have an eco-friendly wedding?
Because we need to reinvent the wasteful, generic wedding culture that has become engrained in Australian society.
Some ethics and values are ignored so couples can enjoy their wedding day, I like to call it “special day leniency” – things like using single-use plastic, importing exotic flowers, buying outfits that will only be worn once, sign boards that get discarded, serving meat focused dinners, and asking people to travel to a particular location (just to name a few). There are somewhere between 75,000 – 110,000 weddings a year in Australia, so that’s a LOT of special day leniency!
Where do I start?
A great place to start is an amazing free online tool, the Wedding Footprint Calculator. It calculates the carbon footprint of your wedding which enables you to offset or reduce your impact.
Mindfully Wed also have a wedding guide, also named Mindfully Wed. This is a great e-book that gives you lots of insight into beautiful, meaningful weddings (and it doesn’t just stop there!).
And if it's all too much reading, then you can watch this awesome documentary series on YouTube called Sustainably Wed.
What does an eco-friendly wedding look like?
It looks like lots of fun!
The memories you make come from connection, not stuff. A good time is told by smiles on faces!
Generally you’ll see:
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Things that can be reused
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Things that hold meaning to the couple
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Places that are beautiful without the need to decorate too much
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People that are truly part of a couples’ love story
Small things, big impact
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Don't let Social Media dictate your day - Social media has an uncanny ability to make you think you need to do more, buy more and be more INSTEAD be mindful about what you actually find inspiring and what is important to you as a couple.
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Don't use ChatGPT for wedding help
One simple search consumes about five times more electricity than a simple web search INSTEAD reach out to your vendors for help! That's what they're there for!
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Don't buy things on Shein or Temu
Their products are not held to the same Australian standards (i.e. might be toxic), they are linked to unethical labor practices, they are often accused of stealing copyrighted products and artists work INSTEAD have fun craft project nights with your friends to make things yourself, or hit up Marketplace for secondhand items.
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Don't leave your flowers behind to be put in the bin INSTEAD ask your favourite guests to take them home at the end of the night.
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Don't get acrylic signage made if it only has one purpose - this is hard plastic and is not easily recyclable INSTEAD look at reusable signs with decal stickers or chalkboards.
What is an eco-friendly wedding supplier?
An eco-friendly wedding supplier is a business or person with strong ethical and sustainable practices in place.
This should be a statement on their website and in all marketing.
I've connected with Perth Wedding Suppliers that I know have an eco/ethical ethos and I'm happy to point you in the right direction!
Hit up my list below and look for the vendors with a * by their name!
Why should you choose an eco-friendly wedding supplier?
Consumer power, baby!
Wedding couples are consumers, and consumers have enormous power, so use it to support eco-friendly businesses!
An eco-friendly wedding supplier will also make some of the more difficult decisions for you and only provide products or services that are environmentally friendly.
Example:
A regular florist will discuss your colour and style preferences and photos of flowers you’ve seen and liked and then provide a quote.
An eco-friendly florist will discuss your colour and style preferences and photos of flowers you’ve seen and liked and then educate you on what flowers will be imported from other countries, that they will not use floral foam to achieve certain looks, that they prefer to use local and sustainably grown flowers.
How do you find eco-friendly wedding suppliers?
I wrote an article for Polka Dot Wedding about how to find eco-friendly wedding vendors. Or for a more Perth based list check out my list of Eco Wedding Vendors in Perth.
Like what you see?
The photos used here are from a styled photoshoot produced in December 2021 to demonstrate an intimate backyard wedding using only Perth eco-friendly wedding vendors.
Photography - Red Eclectic
Plants + Succulents + Styling - Miller Rose Botanic
Furniture Hire + Styling - Sustylable
Videography - Huemen Media
Celebrant - Abby Rohde Celebrant
Catering - Our Ruby Girl
Hair + Makeup - Go to Gilly
Photography + Host - Felicity Found Photography
What's next?
Do you follow me on socials? I’m always sharing real-life eco weddings, fun tips and tricks and more styled shoots to educate and inspire couples! I’d love to see you there!
Read my interview by the New York Times "How to Have a Sustainable Wedding"