It’s no secret that the wedding industry has historically been one plagued with waste and single-use luxuries. But, having the wedding of your dreams while staying eco-conscious doesn’t have to be challenging. In honor of Earth Day this year, we’re highlighting an absolutely stunning sustainably-focused styled shoot that’s filled with small, simple, and beautiful ways to make your wedding more sustainable.
This Sweet and Citrus Eco-Chic styled shoot was designed and planned by Joelle Parks of Joelle Parks Events Co. Joelle shares that “in every detail, I want to make sure that intentional decisions are being made to eliminate unnecessary waste.” There are so many ways this was achieved for this styled shoot, which can be easily replicated for your own beautiful wedding!
Tori, owner of Felicity Floral Design , provided many sustainable elements to the shoot. She foraged the ceremony greenery from her own backyard, preserved the citrus garland to be used for future events, and she opted to use chicken wire and moss as an alternative to floral foam in her designs (floral foam is a single-use product that can take hundreds of years to break down in a landfill). For your big day, another great way to minimize both your eco-impact and your budget is to repurpose florals used. For example, moving ceremony arrangements to the sweetheart or head table, or putting bridesmaids bouquets in vases as additional décor.
Another way you could consider making your wedding more eco-friendly: handmade or recycled paper for your invitations. Some of the paper used in this stationary suite by Morgan Harris Design was handmade, adding both a beautiful high-end texture as well as a sustainable element.
One big way that you can both ease your stress and make your day more sustainable is rentals. It can be tempting to purchase what often end up being single-use items such as plastic cups, paper napkins, candlesticks, signs, linens, etc. But consider that you now become the inventory manager for all those things on your wedding day, having to worry about transport and packing everything back up when it comes time. Using a rental company takes that responsibility off of you, in addition to being more sustainable as the rented items can be used again and again. In this case, beautiful dishware and décor was provided by Miss Match Rentals , who purchases all their inventory secondhand!
You may be wondering why Overlook Barn was the ideal location for this styled shoot. On top of our breathtaking mountain views and gorgeous interiors, we have an inherent element of sustainability as a venue. If you weren’t already aware, the Overlook Barn property was originally an operational horse barn for trail rides in the 1960s. When the owners Katie and David bought the property in 2015, they renovated it for their own wedding, breathing life into a space already filled with so much history. By repurposing the property to now serve as a beautiful and elegant celebration space for so many couples, the original structures were saved and the environmental impact of construction to build a venue from the ground up was eliminated—so simply by getting married at Overlook Barn, you’re continuing to give new life to the historical space!
- Venue: Overlook Barn
- Planning & Design: Joelle Park Events Co.
- Floral Design: Felicity Floral Design
- Photography: Olson Design Photography
- Stationary: Morgan Harris Design
- Drinks: Moonjoy Meadery
- Rentals: Miss Match Rentals
- Charcuterie: Boone Boards