15 Creative Decor Ideas For An Eco-friendly Wedding
Decor Pyaari WeddingsWith the ever-increasing environmental issues, new-age couples are taking sustainable steps to organize their wedding. South Asian Weddings are a grand gala event and to manage it, it takes a lot of effort and teamwork to make it look and feel the best. But with the event organization - decor, installations, props, etc., and the guests attending, there is always a lot of waste left behind, which is both - dishearting and affecting our beautiful earth. With everyone going for sustainable fashion, food, and lifestyle, why don't we also opt for sustainable weddings? Trust me, it's really not impossible to host one, plus, even if you will be able to do a bit for the society, it counts.
Eco-friendly Decor Ideas for your Wedding
Start with baby steps with the two most important elements in the wedding - decor, and food, and these two are actually the major cause of wastage at a wedding. Taking the sustainable route is not only making conscious choices and saving the earth, but this will save a lot of money too.
Let’s talk about ways to have eco-friendly decor at your wedding.
1. Instead of Fresh Flowers, Go for Artificial Flowers
Weddings, in general, look a bit dull without flowers. The use of colorful florals whether in the backdrop or on the tabletop of the tables, makes the whole wedding look lively and vibrant. Instead of going for fresh bloom exported from some other place and giving double the amount, use artificial flowers. It will not only look good but also will save you the transport cost and you can reuse these flowers for your reception dinner or your decor person can use it at some other event. You can also rent these artificial flowers, instead of just buying them.
Source: Cupcake Productions
2. Go Local
If you are not a fan of artificial flowers, go for local seasonal blooms for your wedding. Take inspiration from Indian actor, Dia Mirza who went local with her wedding flowers, and gave inspiration to fellow brides planning their wedding.
3. Add a Natural Element with Dry Flowers
Using dry flowers would add a rustic vibe to the wedding. You can also use green leave to add the natural element and make it look fresh.
Also Read: 17 Tips To Plan An Eco-Friendly Wedding
4. Use Dupattas and Sarees for Home Decor
Wedding decor costs a lot in general, and to save that cost, at least for your pre-wedding events taking place at home, using old dupattas or sarees from the closet is a great DIY decor idea. You can make a superb backdrop with the dupattas for the Mehndi or Haldi ceremony.
5. Bangles Make for a Great Decor Element
When we can use old dupattas and sarees, then why not accessories like bangles, latkans, or mini kaleeras? All these make the event look more colorful, and of course, they are super budget-friendly.
You can hang them at the entrance of your event, or can also decorate them if there's a tree nearby, or they will make a great prop for the photos.
You can later give them away as favors to your guests.
6. Use Fresh Fruits as Decor Elements
How about you use fruit basked as decor centerpieces at your wedding or pre-wedding ceremonies? They make for a great decor option, that's not only zero-wastage but also, budget-friendly and can be doubled up as guest favors. Super cool, right?
Take inspiration from a famous fashion influencer, Sonam Babani, who used about 5000 locally grown lemons as a decor element for her Mehndi and Flower shower ceremony.
Read More About Sonam Babani and Neil's Dreamy Wedding in Switzerland
7. Use Coconut Shells as Centerpieces
We usually throw away the coconut shells after usage, but if we tell you that these can be used as one of the centerpieces at your eco-friendly wedding? Well, yes, you read it right. Instead of going for big vases for the centerpiece, use painted coconut shells with small flowers and use them as tabletop centerpieces. It will look minimal yet stunning.
8. How About Using Old Utensile for Decor?
The wedding is the best time to take those old utensils out and use them as decor pieces. The plates can be used for the flower decoration and deep bowls can be used for floating candles that you can either use at the entrance of your venue or on both sides at the pathway of your bridal entrance.
Source: Divya Vithika Wedding Planners
9. Use Old Furniture for Vintage Vibes
Using old furniture adds a pretty vintage vibe to your wedding ceremony. If you and your partner’s style is a mix of sweet vintage pieces with bold, rustic touches, think of transforming an antique dresser into your very own wedding bar or using it to keep your gifts and favors. You can also use it for your wedding cake, would look great in photos.
You can either look for something at home or check stores that offer second-hand furniture, you never know you may get lucky and find the perfect rustic addition to your wedding.
Source: Onelove Photography
10. Reusable Wedding Signages
Use chalkboards for your wedding signage or to write wedding details for your guests. This can be rubbed easily and can also be used for your pre-wedding or post-wedding ceremonies.
Source: The Spring Events
11. Keep Those Wine and Beer Bottles
Wine bottles or beer bottles will be best for hanging on a tree with some flowers on it or keeping in a corner with some fairy lights. You can also paint them and use them as centerpieces for the tabletop or can customize them and use them as seating charts at the entrance of your wedding.
Source: Reciclar E Decorar
Source: Kaitie Brainerd Photo
12. Don't Throw the Wine Corks
Do you think wine corks are of no use? Well, no! Corks can be used for your eco-friendly wedding decor, and look amazing at the same time. If you are wondering how to use them, let us help. Just collect the corks and combine them with flowers or ribbons to make beautiful table centerpieces.
You can also use them as multiple decor elements. Take inspiration from the few ideas listed below:
- A wine cork letter sign for a bar station is a great idea.
- Fill your vases with wine corks and add some bright florals to make them into stylish centerpieces
- They serve best as place card holders for table settings and you could jazz them up with some flowers, or dip the end in paint to match your color theme.
13. Use Beer Bottle Caps for Decor
Use beer bottle caps to make some designs on the wall or ask a professional who can design something out of the caps. You can install a photo wall with pics on the beer bottle caps. It will be a unique addition and your guests can take the pics with them. These could be in a form of magnets that they can place on their refrigerator.
15. Colorful Umbrellas for Pre-Wedding Ceremonies
If you have a summer wedding, go for umbrellas. You can buy some umbrellas and put some flowers or simply do a DIY with colors and mirrors on it to make it look like a wedding decor piece. This could be a great prop for photos and colorful umbrellas can also be served as a backdrop for the mehndi or haldi ceremony.
Source: Marine Weddings
Conclusion
Even if you cannot go 100% with sustainable weddings, you can still try to reduce the waste by choosing a greener option for anything starting from decor pieces to installations and welcome boards. DIYs are already taking over the wedding world so why not use a few ideas for your own ceremony and turn it into something that will look amazing, as well as be eco-friendly. You can consult your planners and decorators about how to make your wedding a sustainable one, we are more than sure, they will be happy to do so. They will also help you with a better understanding of what elements you can choose, what to avoid while opting for the sustainable route, and how you can incorporate those pieces into your wedding decor.
Also Read: 25+ Latest and Trending Paper Decor Ideas For 2022-2023 Weddings
Research and once you are sure that you are going the eco-friendly way, do not step back thinking it is tough. Go for it, at least try finding an eco-friendly or DIY option.
Featured Image Source: Sid Wedding Photography
Author: Gayatri Guha; Neha Garg Ahuja