Eco-Friendly Weddings: Attire

Wedding photos last a lifetime and therefore most couples spend a lot of time finding the perfect outfit for their wedding as well as suggesting what their bridal party should wear. Below I have some suggestions for how to make more eco-friendly choices about wedding attire for the couple getting married, bridal party members, and guests!

The Bride- Wear a Secondhand or Vintage Wedding Dress!

• Check with your Family: In the photo to the right, you can see a gorgeous 2018 Bride wearing her mother’s dress from 34 years prior. With just a few alterations from a family friend, she was able to wear the dress of her dreams without breaking the bank or making a mark on the environment. 
• Consignment Shops: Research shops near you that sell second-hand wedding dresses. Reformation is an example of one of these shops in the Los Angeles area. 
• Online Forums: Facebook Groups, Etsy, and Rent the Runway are all great resources for buying/renting pre-owned wedding dresses! 

Bridesmaids- Go simple! 

• You can use a lot of the same resources I have listed under Brides for your Bridesmaids’ attire. I also recommend just picking a color scheme for the bridal party like the below photo and letting your girls (or boys) pick out their own clothes from there.

Groom and Groomsmen: To rent or to buy? That is the question.

There are two main options when it comes to Men’s attire at weddings, they either rent or buy. Both of these options have their positives and negatives when it comes to choosing an eco-friendly option but below are my suggestions. 

• To Own-If you (The Groom) and your Groomsmen will be attending weddings/events often in the next few years I suggest buying a suit. You will get a better-fitting suit that you can wear numerous times and won’t have to be consistently renting. If you are in the Los Angeles Area and are looking for a new suit I recommend Al Weiss Men’s Clothing.
• Buying second-hand or vintage suits is always going to be the more eco-friendly choice but unfortunately, the market isn’t as well tapped as the Bridal gown market. Research some local consignment shops near you and hopefully you can find what you are looking for. 
• To Rent-If you (The Groom) and your Groomsmen are going to be wearing a unique or untraditional suit for your wedding and it is not something you would not wear again then you should definitely rent. 

The Guests- Reduce, Reuse, RECYCLE! 

• Don’t buy a new dress for every wedding you attend! I know in this time of intense social media it is tempting to wear something new and stylish each time you get your photo taken but it doesn’t have to be new to be stylish it just needs to be new to you! 
• Rent the Runway is a great source for borrowing a dress for an event. 
• Go through your friends’ closets and see if there is anything you can steal for the day! 
• Check your local second-hand clothing stores, there might be some amazing finds in store for you!

Creating an eco-friendly wedding can be challenging but just being conscious of each decision you make will help the effort. No one is perfect and if you aren’t able to create a completely zero-waste wedding that is fine! You tried, you made an effort, you made a dent, and that is wonderful! Create an event that is right for you.

Feel free to comment below on ways you have seen people go eco-friendly with their weddings! 

All images are by Studio XIII Photography.