So you’ve decided to use your consumer power for one of the biggest days of your life: your wedding. Congratulations! You can make a significant impact with your choices just by choosing suppliers who share the same eco-ethical values as you. But how do you choose wedding suppliers with a sustainable or eco-ethical ethos? And how do you find them? That’s why I’ve put together “How To Choose Eco-Friendly Wedding Suppliers” by me – Kat from Red Eclectic.

About the photos used in this story: All the photos you see in this story were taken for a styled shoot for a team of eco-friendly wedding suppliers in Perth. They wanted to showcase all their services and what it means to have a meaningful, beautiful, and eco-friendly wedding.

First, what is an eco-friendly wedding supplier? And how do you know when you’ve found one?

An eco-friendly, sustainable, and ethical wedding supplier is a business or person with strong ethical and sustainable practices in place. If they feel strongly about this then it should be very obvious from their social media bio and their website.

When you first enquire with a vendor, you can start the conversation by letting them know you plan to make your wedding as eco-friendly as possible. If you know a supplier prioritises sustainability then you can expect they will provide a service with the lowest carbon footprint possible.

If their website isn’t very clear on their sustainability practices then they’ll likely inform you at inquiry. For example, an eco-friendly florist will ask about your colour and style preferences but they won’t use floral foam, they’ll recycle plastic waste if they can’t avoid it, they will preference locally grown and in-season flowers and they’ll educate you on the carbon footprint of imported and exotic flowers if that’s something you’ve asked for. Or maybe they’ll suggest something completely different, like hiring pot plants instead of flowers!

How do you find eco-friendly wedding suppliers?

Social media is a great tool for finding suppliers just by searching hashtags like #ecofriendlyweddingperth (using your location!) or simply searching via Google.

Some great keywords are Sustainable Wedding, Eco-friendly Wedding, and Eco-ethical Wedding but also use the category and location.

For example: #SustainableWeddingFloristPerth

If the supplier has made it clear on their website that they offer this service, then Google should help you find them!

The Less Stuff, More Meaning wedding directory is a great source of information too. There is a directory of eco-ethical wedding suppliers who are all ambassadors for eco-ethical weddings. And once you find a great eco-ethical supplier, ask for their recommendations! It’s likely that they’ll know a bunch of eco-ethical suppliers in the area, or have worked with like-minded vendors before.

Ask The Right Questions

If you are still having trouble finding eco-ethical wedding suppliers then try educating yourself in that particular area so you know what to look for and what questions you need to ask a vendor. For example, when enquiring about a wedding venue you can ask them if they use single-use plastic or if have a recycling policy in place, and if they compost food waste.

Can suppliers such as photographers and celebrants be eco-friendly?

There are some suppliers whose service or offering may not appear to have a huge impact on the environment, but those that care will still embed their values across all areas of their business. Be upfront with them when you enquire and you’ll find out who aligns with you best. It’s nice to share the day with suppliers who share and respect the same ethics and values as you!

And don’t forget about your guests!

If having an eco-ethical wedding is important to you then invite and inspire your guests to be part of that! You can do this by encouraging guests to share rides, wear clothes they already own, donate money to a charity instead of buying a gift, or create a gift registry so you don’t receive gifts you don’t need. Gift registries such as Patchwork will even give back to environmental charities.

Choose Local

One of the biggest carbon footprints for a wedding is travel, so choosing a supplier that is local to the area is going to be beneficial. Vendors such as florists and furniture hire businesses will need to make site visits as well as set up and pack down before and after the wedding, so having a local supplier will mean less travel overall.

If all else fails, offset your carbon footprint!

If you haven’t been able to find eco-ethical wedding vendors to help you with your day, you can always offset your carbon footprint. The easiest way to do this is by planting trees via schemes such as Greenfleet, Carbon Neutral, or Carbon Positive Australia – or there might be something local to you.

If you’re curious about your wedding’s carbon footprint you can use the Wedding Footprint Calculator by Less Stuff, More Meaning.

About Kat Wray & Red Eclectic: I wear two photography hats. I’m an elopement photographer who helps no-fuss couples plan and document their wedding adventure. And I empower creative freelancers to embody their brand essence. I take photos that ooze personality and offbeat vibes because everyone needs killer content, right? I express your personality with photos that connect with your soul. Warm and engaging images that are just the right level of off-beat.