Being environmentally friendly is a trend everyone can embrace – especially when you decide to elope! As we move towards more eco-conscious consumption, we can see a rise in interest in eco-friendly weddings.

Getting married is a big deal for everyone involved, including our beloved planet. Statistics show that an average wedding ceremony produces over 63 tons of CO2 and more than 180kg of garbage (source: The Green Bride Guide). Although elopements tend to amass significantly less CO2 and garbage than traditional weddings, the margin won't be remarkable without an intentional effort toward a “sustainable turn”. The good news is, that sustainable wedding elopements are our expertise!

Hence, we’ve created a comprehensive guide to help you sustainably plan your wedding elopement. From hiring local vendors to reducing wedding-related purchases, let’s minimize your carbon footprint while doubling the fun!

Tips for Sustainable Wedding Elopement

The key here is to learn how to make weddings as eco-conscious as possible for the sustainability of our beloved planet. Take a look at these tips which will guide you in the right direction.

1. Plan to leave no trace

Research and forward planning are crucial, so make sure to do thorough research about your elopement destination. This will help you minimize damage to the land, waterways, and nature in general. Make plans to have your ceremony on durable surfaces. This way, you minimize trampling on and destroying vegetation and communities of organisms. This will also help to sustain the landscape and help nature survive.

Secondly, to keep material things to a minimum, bring only the things that you’ll also take with you after the wedding ceremony and appreciate for years to come. Avoid any one-time-use plastics such as confetti and replace them with more natural materials such as rice or blowing soap bubbles which will make your event so much more unique! Plastic champagne glasses never looked good anyways, so borrow crystal glasses and celebrate in style!

2. Keep it small

A characteristic of elopements is how they provide couples with the opportunity to celebrate their love as personally, passionately, and as intimately as they want. This makes for a more romantic experience, and what's more? It's a lot simpler to organize and very cost-effective! Furthermore, it has a lot less impact on the environment.

The advantage elopement weddings have over traditional settings is that they promote sustainability since they typically involve fewer crowds. Also, when taking photos avoid gathering many people in one beauty spot (including onlookers and guests). This will help leave fewer “footprints” on the environment and since there are fewer people, your elopement will produce less waste; a double win for the environment and sustainability!

3. Choose local vendors

Air travel accounts for the bulk of the carbon footprint for most individuals. Even though your dream is flying across the world to get married, you can still help to minimize your wedding’s environmental impact by sourcing as many locally available products and services.

Many small businesses are dependent on their local communities for survival. You can give back by sourcing products and services from vendors based on the location you have chosen to elope. Choosing local vendors is a more cost-effective and sustainable option for your wedding.

4. Make your elopement destination also your honeymoon location

Choose an epic destination for your elopement. While you're looking to say “I do” in a dreamy country, also ensure that it is comfortable for both of you and has all the things that will make your trip unforgettable (think food, national parks, activities, etc.) This way, your elopement destination can also double as your honeymoon which will reduce your environmental impact by a great deal!

Europe also makes it extremely easy to travel sustainably, especially when taking advantage of their public transport options such as trains, which connect all the major cities. For instance, you could elope in Paris, the city of romance, and take a train down to Costa Brava and Barcelona for your honeymoon. Or, elope on Amalfi Coast, and then take the ferry to Sicily or Sardinia, both amazing islands with pristine beaches. Options for sustainable travel in Europe are really endless and our team of experienced wedding planners will be happy to guide you and provide useful tips!

5. Supporting ethical tourism

Ethical tourism seeks to promote responsible tourism where tourists are more intentional about their actions on the environment, the locals, and the economy, and its consequences. If you're contracting a company to handle your elopement, contact one that actively supports ethical tourism as one of its core values.

6. Plan toward a plastic-free elopement

Although we are far from this goal generally, it only takes a little effort every day. We must continue to strive to eliminate or at least minimize plastic use for a more sustainable environment. This harmful material now makes up over 40% of the world’s ocean surfaces and its ingestion causes the deaths of thousands of sea creatures annually. It’s not a badge of honor or a competition, but staying plastic-free will go a long way toward saving our planet.

7. Respect locals and other visitors

One very crucial outdoor ethic is to maintain courtesy. This can leave a positive impact on other visitors around you and even cause them to actively participate in your quest for sustainability. Try to do everything considerably and in moderation. Reduce noise and pay attention to your surroundings.

8. Save resources

Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!
Refuse to use products that impact our planet negatively.
Whatever you have to use, use less! use only what you need—reduce waste.
If you can use it again, reuse it rather than get another—it is still wasteful.
Recycle items that can be reused.
Source for locally available items instead of shipping them; this will minimize carbon footprints. This will also help and encourage local businesses. Live flowers can serve as centerpieces instead of cut flowers.

9. Donate to environmental organizations

For many people who cannot actively engage in sustainability projects and so on, making donations is one way to truly support the noble course. However, you should research the charities and NGOs thoroughly before sending in your support. This is important because many dirty businesses hide under the cloak of charity organizations. Notwithstanding, there are multitudes of genuine environmental organizations that work diligently to make our planet healthier and greener.

In summary

Planning an elopement in Europe can be tricky, especially when flying in from abroad. There's so much to see and so much to do, that you can quickly forget about the impact that the trip has on the environment and our planet. Considering having an eco-friendly wedding elopement is a wonderful idea. It helps to sustain the local flora and fauna to be enjoyed by more couples after you.

If having an eco-friendly wedding is something that speaks to you, make sure to get in touch with us! Planning sustainable weddings is one of our core values here at Somewhere Crazy.

We invite you to consider a sustainable wedding elopement over the traditional option. Together we can make a positive impact on the wedding industry.

The choices you make can create a long-lasting impact on the environment. You never know, your wedding might just inspire another couple to choose an eco-conscious wedding elopement instead of a traditional wedding, meaning your impact can help to save waste for years to come.

We would love to help you plan your sustainable elopement in Europe! You deserve an eco-friendly wedding ceremony that synchronizes with your principles and values, not one that conflicts with them. We are experts in organizing beautiful, mindful, and sustainable outdoor wedding elopement ceremonies, and we’d love to help you plan your dream eco-friendly wedding elopement in Europe!

Get in touch now and tell us all about your green wedding ideas! We can’t wait to hear from you! If you’d like a daily dose of adventure elopement inspiration & tips make sure to follow us on Instagram and Pinterest!