There’s nothing quite like the magic and wonder of a warm-weather summer wedding. Long days, balmy temperatures (so you can wear that backless dress you’ve had your eye on), and the most gorgeous light for post-ceremony photos — it’s a dream come true!
Plus, you can fully embrace that natural, down-to-earth look that’s become so popular in recent years. Filling your wedding with natural materials like wood, copper, linen, and the like will lend a cozy, comfortable feel to your wedding that feels less like a stiff, formal gala and more like a party with your friends. And that’s what a wedding is all about! Here’s where to start.
Add Some Greenery to Your Flowers
Your bouquet, boutonniere, table settings, and other flowers scattered around the venue play an important role in your decor — they signal and accentuate the colors that you’ve chosen for your ceremony and reception, reflecting the hues in your clothes, jewelry, invitations, and so on. But that doesn’t mean you have to go with a cold, formal bouquet of roses that looks like it was sculpted from marble.
Instead, take the local flora into account when you’re decorating, and add a little bit of native greenery to your flowers. If your wedding is in the mountains of Colorado, a few sprigs of blue spruce will really set off your colors. If you’re in the deep south, try draping Spanish moss from the corners of your tent or hanging it from string lights. And if you’re in the heartland, a few long stalks of wheat or other grass will bring nature inside to you.
Incorporate a Little Imperfection
White china plates and flawless crystal stemware are beautiful, but they might give off an air of formality that doesn’t fit your personal style. Instead, look for decor that’s a little less clean-cut. Raw wood coasters, burlap table runners, rustic or handblown glassware, and silverware with a hammered finish or a bit of a patina can all add a more casual, lived-in look to your big day.
The same goes for your jewelry! Your wedding and engagement rings don’t have to be perfectly polished gold with a flawless, symmetrically mounted diamond in the center. Adding a hammered or brushed finish to your rings will make them feel more your style, and some metals like platinum will develop tiny scratches and dents over time to make them one of a kind — in fact, that’s part of the appeal!
Just Say No to Plastic
Plastic waste is one of the most harmful things we put into the environment, so it’s a good idea to use as little of it as possible in your wedding. Besides, plastic just doesn’t look good! Look for a caterer that will provide glassware and silverware that they can take back and reuse to cut down on disposable waste. For the bar, you can provide biodegradable or compostable faux-plastic cups that will break down when they’re thrown away. Keep or reuse as much of your wedding decor as possible, and the environment will thank you!
Give Green Wedding Favors
You can check two boxes at once — the natural look and environmental sustainability — by printing your invitations, table cards, programs, and other paper products on seed paper. Guests can take the paper home and plant it, creating a beautiful patch of flowers that will always remind them of your special day.
For other favors, stick with the nature connection! Send your guests home with a small potted plant or succulent, or create wooden coasters engraved with your names and the date of your wedding, then encourage guests to keep them at the end of the night.
Source Your Jewelry Sustainably
Rings are only a small part of the wedding, but jewelry has a history of outsized impacts on the environment, so it’s best to find jewelry from as sustainable a source as possible. At acredo rings, we pride ourselves on sourcing stones and precious metals only from RJC-certified sources, ensuring that the entire supply chain is conducted as safely and ethically as possible.
At acredo, you can customize the exact ring you’ve already dreamed of, from the band to the material to the size, shape, and color of the stone — guilt-free! Want to get started designing your ring? Make an appointment to come and visit us today!