the conscious edit.

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Photography: Gabrielle Desmarchais

Planning a wedding that feels both deeply personal and environmentally conscious isn’t easy—but it’s possible. Last August, I got married on a vineyard next to a château in a tiny ski town in Quebec, just over the border from Vermont. After a long thought journey through different vibes and venues, we ultimately landed in Canada at a spot that would allow us to work with any vendor we chose, that was BYOB, and that felt equally European and quaintly, quirkily Canadian.

From the beginning, my husband and I were aligned on what mattered most: we wanted our wedding to feel warm, personal, and intentional. We didn’t want to follow the traditional wedding playbook just because “that’s how it’s done.” And we wanted to make choices that were kinder to the planet without sacrificing the joy and beauty of the celebration.

Here are the ten conscious choices we made—choices that not only reduced our environmental impact but also made our wedding feel more meaningful and memorable for everyone involved.

1. We hired my cousin as our caterer (and built a menu around local, seasonal ingredients)

One of the first big decisions we made was to hire my cousin, a chef and restaurant owner who runs a meal prep business called Preppi in Burlington, Vermont. She primarily sources her food from local farms, so we knew our menu would be fresh, seasonal, and rooted in the region.

We designed the entire menu with her—every dish centered around ingredients that were in season and sourced within a few hours of the venue. Not only did this reduce our carbon footprint by eliminating long-distance food transport, but it also meant our guests were eating the best possible version of each ingredient. There’s something special about knowing your wedding meal directly supported local farmers and reflected the landscape around you.

2. We Designed and Printed All Our Own Signage

My husband is a talented digital designer, so he was able to create a cohesive “visual grammar” for our wedding—from save-the-dates to table numbers to welcome signs. We used Canva’s design and printing services to bring everything to life, which allowed us to control the materials, avoid overproduction, and ensure everything felt personal rather than generic.

Each table number wasn’t just a number—it was one of our favorite “tables” we’ve sat at in the past. From our favorite restaurants in NYC to the college bar where we first connected to our childhood homes and our grandmothers’ dining tables. Our guestbook was a tablecloth that everyone signed, so they could “be at our table forever.”

The bottom line: DIY signage gave us creative control, reduced waste, and made every detail feel intentional.

3. My Grandmother Made Our Wedding Cake (Well, Pies)

My grandmother is 94 years old and too off-balance to travel the few hours it would have taken to attend our wedding. Instead, we signed our marriage certificate with her the day before we left for the weekend—at the lake, under the same tree where my parents took their wedding photos over 30 years ago.

I’ve always wanted a mélange of desserts at my wedding anyway, so instead of a traditional cake, we served two pies: tarte framboise (my husband’s favorite dessert, which I always had waiting for him when he arrived at my apartment during the year I lived in Paris and he lived in NYC) and Sucre Crème, a Canadian classic that I grew up eating on special holidays and occasions, always made by my grandmother.

Needless to say, these pies were precious cargo to bring across the border. But having them at our wedding meant my grandmother was there in spirit, and every guest got to taste a piece of our family history.

4. We Skipped Bridesmaids and Groomsmen and Created an “Officiant by Committee”

Instead of the traditional bridal party structure, we incorporated our closest friends into the ceremony itself. We called them our “Officiant by Committee.”

My husband’s oldest childhood friend and mine spoke together about who we are as individuals. The mutual friends we met through in college spoke about how we met. And my brother and sister-in-law officiated the rest, speaking about how we’ve become each other’s family.

This approach felt more authentic to us—our friends weren’t just standing beside us in matching outfits; they were actively participating in one of the most important moments of our lives. And it eliminated the pressure (and expense) of asking friends to buy specific dresses or suits.

5. We Threw a 70s Disco-Themed Party the Night Before (The Highlight of the Weekend)

When we were touring the hotel where we hosted our welcome reception, one of the staff members asked, “Have you seen our disco room?” Upon setting foot in the retro bar in the basement—adorned with velvet furniture, a stone fireplace, and a completely light-blue-tiled bar—we knew we had to take advantage of the space.

Almost everyone rented, thrifted, or borrowed their outfits from places like Depop, Poshmark, Nuuly, or Rent the Runway. It became a whole event in itself—friends texting photos of vintage finds, swapping accessories, raiding their parents’ closets. The night ended up being one of the most talked-about parts of the entire weekend, and almost no one had to buy anything new.

The bottom line: Themed events are a great excuse to embrace secondhand fashion and make pre-wedding celebrations just as memorable as the big day.

6. We Reused Our Ceremony Florals to Decorate Indoors

Our florist agreed to move our floral arch from the outdoor ceremony site into our dining hall around the fireplace while everyone enjoyed cocktail hour outside. This simple logistics shift allowed us to save money, reduce waste, and ensure that those beautiful blooms were enjoyed for the entire evening rather than just one hour.

The bottom line: A little coordination can double the impact of your florals without doubling the cost or waste.

7. Our Favors Were Actually Useful (and Biodegradable)

Have you ever heard of Tim Hortons? When we were brainstorming welcome bags and favors, we knew we had to make them Canada-themed. So one morning, my husband trekked to one of the only two Tim Hortons locations in all of NYC’s five boroughs and paid $5 for 80 TimBit boxes (those little cardboard donut boxes). We then filled them with consumables that people actually wanted—and distributed them in those easily biodegradable boxes.

Here’s what we included:

We went around to every hotel and emailed our guests’ Airbnb hosts to coordinate having their welcome baskets waiting for them upon arrival. The response was overwhelming—people loved the thoughtfulness, and we didn’t contribute a single unused favor to a landfill.

8. We Crowdsourced Furniture, Cake Stands, and Decorations from Family and Friends

Instead of renting or buying everything new, we asked family and friends if they had items we could borrow. The bathroom baskets came from my mom’s attic. The cake stands came from my friend who’s a baker and her friend who had a collection gathering dust.

This approach didn’t just save money and reduce waste—it made the wedding feel even more like a community effort. Every borrowed item had a story, and returning everything afterward became its own series of sweet reunions.

The bottom line: Your community probably has more of what you need than you think. Just ask.

9. We Used Compostable Disposables for Cocktail Hour

For the items we couldn’t rent or reuse (mainly for cocktail hour), we purchased compostable plates and utensils made from plant-based materials. They looked elegant, held up well, and could break down naturally rather than sitting in a landfill for centuries.

The bottom line: When disposables are unavoidable, compostable options make a difference.

10. We Chose a Venue That Let Us Be in Control

This might be the most important choice we made: finding a venue that allowed us to bring in our own vendors, our own alcohol, and our own vision. This flexibility meant we could prioritize local caterers, sustainable choices, and personal touches without being locked into a venue’s preferred vendor list or forced to use their in-house (often less sustainable) options.

If sustainability and personalization matter to you, look for venues that give you creative freedom.

Final Thoughts

Planning a conscious wedding doesn’t mean sacrificing beauty, joy, or celebration. It just means being a little more intentional about the choices you make—and often, those intentional choices end up being the most meaningful ones.

Our wedding wasn’t perfect, and we didn’t get everything right. But we tried to make decisions that felt aligned with our values while still creating a weekend that our guests would remember. And honestly? The things people still talk about—the disco party, the personalized table numbers, the homemade pies—are the things that were the most personal and the most sustainable.

If you’re planning a wedding and want to make it more conscious, start with the choices that matter most to you. You don’t have to do everything. But every thoughtful decision adds up—for the planet, for your budget, and for the story your wedding tells.

Cheers to celebrating love in a way that honors the world we want to build together.