3 Tips to an Eco Friendly Wedding Meal

Are you a self-proclaimed foodie? Is food one of the most important parts of your wedding day? Heck, food might be one of the most important parts of your every day. And if that’s you, I see you and I’m right there with ya!

Food is one of the central parts of a wedding. Couples want guests to enjoy a delicious meal and believe me, guests want to enjoy a delicious meal, too! I’d be willing to bet that what no one wants is to have hundreds of dollars worth of food scraped into a trash can at the end of the night. It makes me sad just thinking about it! Keep on reading to hear my three best tips on how to make sure that you are being eco friendly in the way you approach your wedding food. 

#1 Trust Your Caterer

Just last Fall, I had one of those wedding moments that will be burned into my memory forever. I was working with a couple who was concerned about their guests getting enough food. The caterer made their serving recommendations, but the couple was still nervous about the quantities. In the end, the couple decided to order almost twice the amount of food that the caterer had suggested for their guest count. At the end of the event, I almost cried a few tears watching the platters full of food get thrown into a trashcan.

When you’re talking with your caterer about menu options, serving sizes, etc. it’s important to trust their input. They know how many servings of mac and cheese a crowd of 150 typically eats, so trust their numbers. Caterers typically do multiple events every weekend, so they know their stuff! Making sure that you aren’t over ordering on your wedding menu is key for reducing waste at your event. Caterers don’t always allow you to save your leftovers due to food quality standards, so it’s likely that food will get thrown out if it isn’t eaten.

Trust the numbers and quantities given to you by your caterer. After all my years in the wedding industry, I haven’t ever had a wedding where there wasn’t enough food.

#2 Select Locally Sourced Food

Do you know where your caterer is sourcing their food from? Locally sourced food is a more eco friendly option when it comes to catering. When a caterer is sourcing some or all of their food locally, it helps support local land, keeps local money in the community, often costs less than conventionally produced food, and builds community relations. Sourcing food locally also means that it will be seasonally grown which is less harsh on the environment. Having seasonal food can help set a food theme for your wedding as well! All of these things help support our local community in an environmentally friendly way. As you search for a local caterer, be sure to ask them where they are sourcing their food from.

#3 Feature a Beverage Station

I’m probably not the first one to tell you that single use plastics, like plastic water bottles and plastic straws, are not great for the environment. Ditch the single use plastic and opt for a drink station instead. Having your caterers provide reusable beverage dispensers is a great way to reduce the amount of plastic waste at your wedding. Guests can drink their drinks out of glassware, which can be used again for future events. You can spruce up your beverages by adding some fresh fruit to the water or herbs to the lemonade!

Is your stomach growling after thinking about delicious wedding food?! Because same. When planning your wedding menu, make sure you trust your caterer, select locally sourced food, and feature a beverage station. You’re taking three giant steps towards having a more eco friendly wedding and I’m giving you a virtual high five! If you love these ideas and want to hear more about how to have an eco friendly wedding, click the link below and let’s set up a time to chat!

xo,

Joelle

Photos: Sarah Coffey Photography Venue: The White Crow Catering: Reid’s Catering

Vintage Dinnerware: Miss Match Rentals Placecards: Pretty Words by Erin