If you’ve popped the question, or had it popped to you, then it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of moving into the next big phase of your life with the person that you love. However, you may be well aware that weddings can be wasteful affairs that can support a lot of unsustainable industries, and some downright unethical ones. Here, we’re going to look at how you can make sure that your wedding (and everything leading up to it) fits your sense of environmental and social justice.

Get to know your eco-friendly dress brands

Choosing a wedding dress (not to mention the groom’s suit, and the groomsmen and bridesmaid’s outfits) is a major part of planning for any wedding. However, you can choose it for more than fashion alone. You can, for instance, ensure that you’re choosing outfits that are not only more naturally biodegradable but don’t use as much water or environmental destruction as some fabrics too. Hemp, linen, and organic cotton are two popular options as of late,

Mind where you get your jewelry from

Diamonds and other precious gems have become synonymous with the rings that we wear as a sign of your commitment. However, whether you’re choosing from the top engagement rings or you’re picking your wedding bands, you should make sure that they’re ethically sourced. A lot of gemstones used in modern jewelry can come from some deplorable practices. Ethically sourced and artificial diamonds do exist, however, you just have to make sure that you take a closer look at the brands that produce them and their methods so that you can rest easy.

Be mindful of the venues that you choose

Your venue is going to play a huge role in the environmental footprint of your wedding, as they are the ones who will have to deal with all of the waste, but they may also be able to offer sustainable wedding packages that can offer things like low-carbon dining and recycled wedding decorations. You should also be mindful of the location of your wedding venue, as the more that you’re going to need people to travel to it, the bigger that carbon footprint is going to be. Of course, you can’t control the location of every guest, so try not to worry too much about that aspect.

The flowers

Flowers often make a huge part of any given wedding, helping to make the space extra gorgeous and special to the occasion. However, wedding flowers can also be one of the most unsustainable parts of a wedding, given how much water and soil are required to grow them. Eco-friendly flowers can address this concern, however, allowing you to use products that make displaying them a lot more environmentally conscious, and focusing on flowers that are a lot less resource intensive to grow.

There’s a growing market for sustainable and ethical weddings, so you shouldn’t have to look too long before finding the help that you need. Here’s hoping the tips above help.