Something old, something new
Something borrowed, something green.

I don’t think that’s quite how that saying goes, but if you are looking to minimize your impact on the planet and your waste on your wedding day, here are a handful of ways to be an Eco-friendly bride and have a green wedding.

Rethink some paper products by eliminating or altering their use. For example, ditch the programs or the individual name cards at the reception. I’ve had one couple who did some pretty amazing online invitations, too. For what you do need to print, look into more sustainable paper options or recycled paper for printing.

Use real things, rather than disposable. Sometimes in the name of cost or ease, it’s easy to grab disposable items, but using reusable items like napkins and table settings not only feel nicer, but also eliminate a ton of waste.

Choose things you’ll use again, and then they’ll hold meaning. I love how many things around my home that we use daily came from my wedding. My mother-in-law used buckets for some decorations at my rehearsal dinner and now my kids’ toys are all in colorful buckets around my house. The cups and plates we used for communion are now our special wine glasses and my favorite go-to plates for breakfast and dessert. Maybe your shoes or watch can be new for the wedding and what you use again on special occasions.

Get creative with your guest book. I’ve seen plenty of creative ideas that allow couples to enjoy the names and messages from their family and friends that won’t end up stashed in a box and never seen again. People have signed all kinds of things that the couples plan to display in their home- rocks in a jar to a special favorite book. Photo books featuring engagement photos are also a great alternative; since the book has dual purpose they can enjoy looking at it over and over again, giving those pages a full life.

Use local, native to your area, in-season plants for your flowers and decor.

Eliminate waste by donating extras of anything you can to those who might appreciate it most. Consider food, flowers, decor, supplies, and other items.

Use recycled items for decor. I’ve had several brides that collected specific types of jars for flowers. Also, there was one who painted old doors to create a backdrop for their ceremony.

We aim to keep things as eco-friendly as we can as wedding photographers, too. I’ve previously written about that in how we aim to be responsible in our business, but you can read a portion of it here, too.

We choose to be eco-friendly by:

• Using our equipment fully and until they die or show excess wear, rather than creating excess electronic waste

• Reusing our packaging materials

• Using recycled paper products and minimal new paper or plastics for packaging and marketing

• Often choosing paperless options for proofing, correspondence and billing

• Meeting online with our out of town clients, rather than driving

• Using real plates, napkins, and cups rather than disposable

You might find a few more ideas in my post on Saving Money on your Wedding.

As winter started to wind down, I thought we really had it made as a family. We’d avoided a lot of the nasty sicknesses, and as a house with immune deficiencies, that’s a big deal. I didn’t go to the hospital. Then, we slipped into the neverending sickness. Thankfully, none of them were especially dangerous, but it did force me into much needed rest and much time cuddled up on the couch, wrapped in blankets.

Between bugs, I accompanied my parents on an amusing outing to buy underwear. I ventured off alone for a few minutes and saw this book propped up on a display. In the Company of Women: Inspiration and Advice from over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs by Grace Bonney. I snapped a photo, and upon returning home requested it from the library. The next day, I popped in and picked it up.

Reading about these various creative women and entrepreneurs has been really fascinating. As you might expect from a collection of creative individuals, the answers to their interviews are varied and rather scattered across the board. The two big threads I’ve seen I really agree with.

The favorite thing people love about their workspaces is the natural light. If you haven’t been into the office to see it, the light is the first thing people mention when they come in (besides my wall-sized crazy purple desk!). I have two full walls of just windows.

The thing people want more of is real connection with people through relationships.

When I saw this particular quote that was answering the question, “What does success mean to you?” it resonated with me and my business.

How many times have you seen me use these exact words? These are all really important values to me. These things aren’t a trend, aren’t going to leave, and regardless of direction of my creative endeavors, these qualities are marks of what I hope my life and my work is. This is what I want to leave behind.

This has led me to reflect a bit on myself as a creative maker, artist, and entrepreneur.

A few years ago, I felt like God was helping me understand the value of my work as an artist. Sometimes it’s easy to negate the value of my work because it’s not a necessity. But God made the world through both a balance of creativity and order. I think that is one reason why I love photography. It is consistently both artistic and technical, orderly.

Sometimes the urge to create is so strong in me, I must do it right away. This is often messy, disorderly, and lacks much finesse. This is when my family endures a strange dinner or snack because I was reckless in the kitchen. I often veer off the course of recipes. Sometimes I’ve painted sloppy messes. Redecorated a chair with scraps from the basement. I’ve hacked a plant to scraps in the name of pruning. Or sidewalk-chalked alongside my children, deep in the dusty process.

Sometimes the urge for order is so strong in me, I must have it right away. Counters empty. Toys hidden, each piece with its set. Dust disappearing. Schedules organized. Routines established. And inbox emptied of all it can be.

But when they are together, it’s beautiful. The creativity sparks and maintains joy. It takes my breath away. It wasn’t just the messy process I needed, it was the combination that made something worth keeping.

The dinner gets eaten. The chalk gets washed away. The chair got covered in food stains (and frankly was kind of a neon shade) and it’s sitting on Craigslist right now. Construction paper paintings are recycled.

But the photographs taken with purpose. The crafted words written. The visions brought to life. Those get to stay, at least for a season. Those have both creativity and order, and hopefully reflect well the Creator.

Often at photography conferences we’re encouraged to do personal projects and allow ourselves creative freedom, not just creating what our clients want to have (or think they want to have). This year, I set a goal for myself that wasn’t just personal photography. I don’t want to keep only that part of my life fresh and creatively invigorated. I’d rather allow the whole creative being that I’ve been made to be to flourish through creative endeavors of many kinds.

My goal is that by the end of the year I have completed 5 projects that express my heart in mediums I enjoy: photography, sun printing, poetry, writing, and painting.

“As long as my work continues to foster joy, celebration, community, generosity, and simplicity, I’m on the road to success.” -Dana Tanamachi