Your wedding day is a special occasion filled with love and joy, and what better way to celebrate than by incorporating eco-friendly practices into your wedding flowers? By making conscious and informed choices, you can create stunning floral arrangements while also minimizing your impact on the environment. 

In this guide, we will explore the best ways to “green” your wedding flowers with questions to ask your wedding florist and ideas to make your wedding day more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Choose an Earth-Friendly Florist

One of the first steps in creating eco-friendly wedding flowers is selecting a florist who shares your commitment to sustainability. When consulting potential florists be sure to ask about their practices!

As a passionate Maine Wedding Florist, my commitment to the environment has been ingrained in my practices for as long as I can remember. I understand the significance of minimizing our ecological footprint, especially when working with flowers. Therefore, I make it a priority to compost and recycle every possible element throughout my design process. Moreover, I take proactive measures to recycle and repurpose all shipping materials and packaging, ensuring they do not contribute to waste accumulation.

There are many sustainable and eco-friendly florists! Be sure to do your research and find someone who aligns with you!

Be sure to ask your florist about:

• their use of floral foam
• their waste disposal methods
• and where they source their flowers 

Sustainable Floral Design Practices

Ask your florist about their design techniques that would eliminate the need for floral foam. Floral foam, often used to arrange and hold flowers in place, is non-biodegradable and can harm the environment. By embracing foam-free designs, you can reduce waste and make a positive impact. Talk with your florist for creative alternatives to ensure your floral arrangements are both beautiful and eco-friendly.

Take your recycling efforts a step further by ensuring that all materials associated with your wedding flowers are properly recycled. Dispose of cardboard and packaging materials by regularly delivering them to a local recycling station. Share leftover candles with individuals interested in creating their own crafts or making candles. Additionally, save bubble wrap for individuals who sell antiques or fragile items online. For any materials that cannot be recycled conventionally, consider partnering with organizations like TerraCycle, a company specializing in recycling hard-to-recycle items.

Locally Grown, Seasonal Flowers for Your Eco-Friendly Wedding

Opting for locally grown, seasonal flowers is not only environmentally friendly but also supports local farmers.

If your wedding is held in Maine between late May and early October, you’re in luck, because there is an abundance of flower farms offering fresh blooms in any color palette! For weddings outside of this timeframe, consider sourcing flowers from California or look for certifications such as “Veriflora,” “Rainforest Alliance,” “Flor Ecuador” (specific to Ecuador), or “Florverde” (specific to Colombia) to ensure sustainability and ethical practices.

Plus, sourcing local flowers reduces carbon emissions associated with long-distance transportation. Your florist can advise and create beautiful bouquets and arrangements using only local, in-season flowers!

Recycle Your Wedding Flowers

Beyond recycling waste, there are additional ways to minimize your impact. Renting vases and candles from your florist, planner, or rental company, allows them to be reused for future events. 

One of my favorite recommendations is to find ways to repurpose floral arrangements throughout your wedding so they have a dual purpose. For example, move the aisle arrangements from your ceremony to the cocktail tables, or repurpose arch decor for the sweetheart or head table. Check out how we did this for Aisling and Zack’s Peak Island wedding!

Thinking about how you people can enjoy the flowers after the wedding day, extending their lifespan and reducing waste! You can donate your flowers to hospitals or nursing homes after the wedding. Alternatively, you can provide guests with jars to take home flowers as thoughtful favors. We love that Lexi and Archie did this for their guests after their wedding at Caswell Farm!

In Conclusion, Planning an Eco-Friendly Wedding

By implementing these eco-friendly practices, you can make a positive impact on the environment while still enjoying your beautiful wedding flowers. From selecting an earth-friendly florist to embracing locally grown and seasonal blooms, every step counts in creating an environmentally conscious wedding. Your wedding day will not only be a memorable event filled with love but also a celebration that respects and cares for the planet!

Looking for a sustainable Maine wedding florist? Be sure to inquire with Geraniums Red, Delphiniums Blue to learn more about our eco-friendly weddings!