WHOLE WEDDINGS // ZERO-WASTE Plantable Seed Wedding Invitations & Stationery

A week or so ago I had the honor of spending some time on the phone with Kendra Meany from Whole Weddings! She is leaving a huge mark in the wedding industry by bringing zero-waste, sustainable wedding invitations to the table. I absolutely LOVE invitations and all the paper products that come along with weddings. The menus, programs, escort cards…I love it all. But with all that paper can come a lot of trash. Enter Whole Weddings. She prints all of her products on plantable seed paper that will bloom into gorgeous wildflowers!

She can work with clients in person, or remote as well! She’s based in Connecticut, but don’t worry, you can also work with her no matter where you are! To learn more about her design process, visit her “Process + FAQ” page! And to just learn more about her company and movement in general, visit her WEBSITE, and be sure to check out her INSTAGRAM as well!

Annnndddd….last but not least, she is offering 20% OFF thank you cards when you mention “SIMPLY SWEET WEDDINGS” when placing your order!

Check out a quick 3 minute video of the samples we received in the mail!

Plantable seed paper wedding invitations - sustainable, zero waste

BLOOMERENT // Bringing SUSTAINABILITY & Cost Savings To Wedding and Event Florals

We are obviously all about ways to bring in more sustainability into weddings and events. As we all know, flowers are one of the most wasteful parts of an event. They are gorgeous AF, but it just kills me that they get tossed in the trash just a few hours after.

Well, one company that is doing their part (and also bringing you cost savings) is Bloomerent. Bloomerent was started by Danit after she was planning her own wedding. Her friend Julia happened to be getting married the next time and they ended up sharing their centerpieces! They used the same florist who picked them up from Danit’s wedding, refreshed them, and used them for Julia’s wedding the next day.

Ok, so how does it work? According to Bloomerent,

“Flowers have a shelf life of 3-14 days, depending on the flower, and are usually discarded after a 5-hour event. We match two events in close proximity and allow them to share their flowers and save money, just for going green.

We know that finding a florist for your event is a task in itself so we curated a community of florists for our customers. These florists are top-rated and responsible for renewing centerpieces overnight and delivering them to your event the next day. This allows event hosts to save money for going green and work with a great florist. Your centerpieces will always be delivered in top condition no matter the circumstance (i.e., wilted flowers, broken vase, grandma took home a centerpiece or two, etc.).”

You have the choice to be the “First Event” or the “Second Event”

First Event:

1. Find the Bloomerent florist that fits your style

2. Get a quote after your consultation

3. Book your florist (just like you would any other florist)

4. Your event gets listed on Bloomerent and if someone chooses to be your “Second Event” you will get 10% back

Second Event:

1. Search your event date and location to see what’s available and save 40-60% off retail pricing!

2. Connect with the florist and decide what you want to reuse, any minor changes, and any other additions you need

3. Pay your florist directly at a staggering discount of 40-60% off!

I think this concept is just so freaking cool!! And…that’s not at all!

Bloomerent has been SO sweet to offer our readers a discount of $50 is you use code ECB50A when you place your order!

So, tell me what you think of this awesome way to bring some sustainability into the world of wedding and event florals. And more, importantly, I’m dying to know…what kind of bride are you? FIRST EVENT or SECOND EVENT??

RENT THE RUNWAY // A sustainable approach to wedding attire

Spoiler Alert! There’s a discount especially for YOU at the bottom of this post!

I’ve been RTRing way before I ever started caring about sustainability and going more zero waste. I like to always wear different outfits to events, but I don’t want to spend all that money on something I’ll likely only wear once. Years ago I hadn’t even considered the fact that I was doing some good for Mother Earth!

According to Rent The Runway, the retail industry is the second largest polluter in the world, behind oil. Every time you RENT, you’re saving the water, electricity and emissions used to manufacture a new piece of clothing. RTR continues with the fact that the average woman throws away 82 pounds of clothing per year. Renting the items you only wear a few times is the sustainable answer (REDUCE). And finally, Rent The Runway will continue the life cycles of their garments through sample sales or donations to organizations like Operation Prom (REUSE).

Not only are you creating less waste by renting your garments for one time occasion like your wedding, bridal shower or bachelorette party, but here are 5 more reasons you’ll want to support Rent The Runway.

1. REUSABLE SHIPPING: Instead of disposable boxes, they ship items in reusable vinyl garment bags. They have saved 900 tons of shipping waste since 2015!

2. SMART BUYING: RTR ensures to invest in high-quality designer pieces that last many seasons, rather than fast fashion that falls apart and ends up in land fills

3. PLASTIC RECYCLING: They ask customers to return their dry cleaning bags for recycling

4. FAUX FUR: As of Fall 2017, RTR no longer carries real fur or feathers

5. RESPONSIBLE DRY CLEANING: They use non-hazardous, non-phosphate oil-based cleaner.

Ok, so obviously you are convinced you want to support RTR, but they have something you’ll actually want to wear, right? Well, don’t worry…they live up to everything you could possibly want, no matter your style. The website now has a whole section dedicated to weddings. There are bridesmaid dresses and accessories (think about how much your babes will love you by saving $$ and renting a dress!). There is category for Bridal Showers, Bachelorette Parties, Rehearsal Dinners, Bridal Accessories, and “Little White Wedding Dresses.” And don’t forget the Moms of the Bride and Groom too!

But wait, there’s more! They even have wedding concierge packages that include personal styling consultations, easy try-on mailings at home and so much more! Annnnddddd, you get a personalized code for 20% off rentals to send to all of your guests! I mean, does it get any better than that??

ANNNDDD….to top it off, you can get $30 off your first order! Click HERE to get your discount!

I honestly wish this would have been around when I got married so I could have rented all these fun pieces I probably never would have bought!

Which wedding events would you rent for?? Tell us below!