Inside the Planning of a Sustainable Wedding

Inside the Planning of a Sustainable Wedding

by Kat Pohlman

Everyone knew my wedding would be different. After all, these past five years it seems I’ve focused more energy on promoting sustainability than on my husband (which I promised to change, in my wedding vows). And still, he loves me. My wedding planner saw the extent of this while arranging the wedding details because any time she asked me what I wanted, I didn’t have an opinion. But, when she asked me what kind of plates I wanted, I blurted out, “Compostable!”

Our wedding had a couple of key factors that needed to be met. First, it had to be low-impact and support businesses that align with our values. Second, my groom is a chef and I worked in the restaurant industry for many years, so our expectations for the food and drinks were unusually high. Somehow, we found a balance between these priorities and the other sitcom-like pressures that come with wedding planning.

It started with “save the dates” and invitations. I used Greenvelope, an affordable but impressive website for virtual cards for any occasion, which reduced the amount of paper used and emissions generated by mailing them. The ability to personalize the cards, attach our wedding website for more information and have a way to collect a count of those attending easily sold me. I will admit, our more traditional family members were confused by the concept, but they caught on with time.

Moving on to decorations, I bought votive candles and signs from a friend who married last year. These items can commonly be found for resale in stores and online which is more eco-friendly than buying new. After viewing the venue, The Atrium, it was clear we didn’t need much more. The Atrium is a secret garden tucked away at 2nd and Market Streets in downtown Wilmington. I have seen pictures where there are lovely decorations in the space, but for me, the ivy, trees and water feature were enough.

We did have some small, simple vases with flowers and herbs. The florist for the event was After the Bloom, a local artist specializing in dried arrangements—a more sustainable option due to their longevity. I have had a small bouquet from them in my home for years and it has never lost its beauty. We will be able to use the arrangements forever or repurpose them as gifts. Visit afterthebloom.com to learn more about their mission to support the trans and gender-expansive community.

There are several options for sustainable wedding dresses: vintage dresses (which are generally too small for my tall figure), renting or reusing. I chose to purchase my dress off the rack at The Little White Dress in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I was lucky enough to find a dress that required minimal alterations, so I will be able to sell or donate it for someone else to enjoy. Although the dress was conventional, I incorporated my hippie vibes by going barefoot and wearing my hair in a beautiful side braid styled by a friend. I did buy a vintage “dancing dress” for the later part of the night from Second Skin.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a celebration without a feast. So, we chose SpoonFed because of the incredible philanthropy they did in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. Our excitement for their locally sourced and seasonal ingredients, support for my wishes to compost scraps and donate leftovers and outstanding customer service was only surpassed the day of the wedding when multiple guests said it was the best wedding meal they’d ever had! We were grateful to Wilmington Compost Company and the Good Shepherd Center for collaborating to mindfully divert leftovers.

Our guests were offered a coupon for a coffee from our favorite coffee shop, Grinders Caffè, as favors. For our exit, when given a limited list of options, we choose bubbles over glow sticks or rose petals as it was the least impactful option. And, for memory, we had a live painting from Jobana Impressions—and we plan to send handwritten thank you cards from various local artists with prints of the painting as holiday gifts.

While there was still single-use plastic waste in a couple of areas, our wedding was as sustainable as we were able to make it. It’s important that we all be mindful of our planet in everything we do— even weddings. So, at your next celebration, consider some of these sustainable practices. You never know what animal or ecosystem you may be sparing in the process. Kat Pohlman is Assistant Director of Environmental Management and Sustainability at Cape Fear Public Utility Authority. She was previously the Chief Sustainability Officer at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

The bride opted for beautiful dried floral arrangements for her wedding, which she can keep indefinitely as momentos of the event.

photo by Valerie Robertson