One topic we should speak more often about is sustainable weddings. I know "zero waste" has had its moment in 2017 and it's not trendy anymore, but that shouldn't stop you from thinking about the impact your wedding will have on the environment. And if you could care less about that, then do it for your photos - most sustainable options are more beautiful, so there's that. 😉

Some obvious categories for sustainable choices are your outfits and invitations. For your outfits, you could choose to go vintage, find a sustainable brand, or have something custom-made from sustainable fabrics. And for your invitations, you could opt for recycled and/or recyclable materials, or even growing paper so your guests could plant your invitation in their gardens. That would be a lovely reminder of your wedding.

But there are some less evident categories as well. For example, hair and makeup, flowers, food, locations and decorations. Perhaps you're wondering why you should care about these things when it's just one day or weekend in your life. Well, for you it is, but all those vendors you're working with do this for a living. Some locations host up to 300 weddings a year. That could be 300 weddings with single-use cups and plates, food and decorations that harm our planet, and spaces that are cleaned with toxic products. Those things add up. I'm not saying that you have to do everything perfectly. But I do ask you to take a couple of things into consideration. Think of seasonal flowers, so they don't have to be shipped halfway across the world, go for glassware over plastic - and if your location doesn't provide glasses and tableware, look into renting it -, and choose a beautiful location that doesn't need much in terms of decorations.

So, if I make you think about all of those things, I only find it fair to have you ask the question back: what choices do I make in my business to make it more sustainable? Quite a few to be honest. If I have to travel, I choose public transport - trains, buses, boats, etc. If this is not an option, I drive an electric car. For my equipment: I own a basic set of camera gear and rent items I need specifically for your wedding. For my harness and bags, I chose sustainable brands. When delivering your photos, I send them to you through an online gallery because I find it wasteful to send you prints and a USB stick that will end up in a cupboard. However, I do believe in printing your photos, so I included a small gift album with all of my packages. These albums come from printers that also care about sustainability. In my portrait work, I work with flowers that I grow in my garden - free from pesticides.

What a sustainable summer wedding could look like? Have a look through the photos below to get an impression of how beautiful it can be: a sustainable suit, a vintage dress, minimal decorations that were re-purposed throughout the day, and seasonal flowers. To name a few things. And if you need help in planning your sustainable wedding, know that - as your photographer - I'm happy to help.