Vanity Fair, Bella Design + Sustainable Weddings

In honor of last week’s Covering Climate Now initiative, Vanity Fair interviewed me about our company’s work for climate change and sustainability in events. I was so honored to speak to them about a subject I’m incredibly passionate about! But I’m even more excited that an outlet as widely respected and read as Vanity Fair has taken notice of our industry and has begun to champion sustainability within it.

So how do we help? First we have to look at the reality. Weddings are celebrations, full of abundance and joy. But there is so much waste in that celebration, from excess food product at stations to the flowers that are cut and tossed at the end of the night, even flight and transportation effects from destination wedding guest travel. Every detail of a wedding can impact our planet. It’s not easy in an industry of excess (and travel) to be kind to Mother Nature, but it is possible. I don’t claim to have all the answers or always get it right, but my team and I are dedicated to constant improvement in what we do and how we approach our weddings. From educating our clients to sharing resources among our industry peers, there’s a lot we can do to make us all more conscious during our event decision making processes. And ultimately, those intentional decisions our clients (and team) make, can make a real impact. From sharing a tent with another wedding on the same weekend to providing group transportation for our guests instead of individual cars, it’s the collective effort that makes a difference.

As individuals, purchasing carbon offsets is an easy way to support change. Or perhaps you forgo an interior and an exterior envelope for your invitations and seek an invitation company that works with recycled goods. We often look to our partners to help! We try to support properties that recycle and compost or work at sustainably-focused event venues like Knapp Ranch. They are dedicated to sustainable practices in everything they do – including farming and catering for their events.

There may be much work to be done but there is so much work that can easily be done. If sustainability is important to you as you start to plan your wedding, start by thinking of ways you can repurpose or share, support like-minded companies and venues, and how you can limit instead of overproduce. These intentional decisions really will reduce the impact your big day has on our planet. And we’re always happy to share with anyone who wants to learn more about reducing their waste in events. It starts with a conversation. So thank you Vanity Fair for including us in such an important message and wonderful story!