Zero Waste Wedding Dresses

I was so excited to go wedding dress shopping! Then I actually started shopping for my wedding dress. Hello, overwhelm!

Shopping for an ethical wedding dress wound up being difficult because I couldn’t really try any on. Most of the ethical wedding dress options are only available online which is a bummer.

I went to a few wedding dress shops so I could get an idea of the styles that I liked, but honestly just wound up being pretty confused. I had NO CLUE what type of dress I wanted…. other than wanting it to be white… Pretty narrowing criteria for a wedding gown, eh? 

When I went dress shopping, I was honestly pretty flabbergasted by the price and quality. Most of the quality on the dresses was terrible and the national average for bridal attire is almost $1,500. I just couldn’t justify spending that much on a dress that looked like it was about to fall apart and that I would never be able to wear again.

$1,500 cost more than the 4 star hotel we honeymooned in for a week! Speaking of honeymoons… check out our Zero Waste Honeymoon to Maine!

I honestly had no idea what type of wedding dress I was going to end up with so I rounded up some eco-friendly, ethical options I checked out in my quest!

I was hoping that I could make my purchase even more sustainable by figuring out a way to wear the dress again. I mean, I know everyone says that… and I’m not sure if anyone has found a way to re-wear their wedding dress, but I would love to know if you have?

Being able to re-wear clothes again and again definitely makes them more sustainable! Have you heard of the #30Wears project? It would be amazing to do that with something like a wedding dress!

If all else fails, I have no qualms about selling my dress. I’ll feel better knowing that I can recoup some cost and pass it on to another bride to love wear!

1. heirloom:

Do you have a family dress? If it’s a classic shape, it might be really special to wear it on your big day. My mom’s dress was VERY 80s, but it had a beautiful slip underneath that would have made a gorgeous simple slip dress. It looked very 1920’s glam.

The only problem was it was really, really tight. And, it would have been difficult to find a matching fabric to have the dress let out. It’s much easier to take something in than it is to let it out. It’s a bummer because I would have loved to have had my mom’s dress!

2. thrifted:

Before you think I’ve lost my marbles, let me tell you - I have found some stunning wedding dresses at thrift stores! Several friends have actually picked their dresses up off the rack for B-A-R-G-A-I-N-S! Like $30 for an amazing wedding dress.

Hey, it’s worth a shot to go look, right? You never know what you’re going to find.

3. consignment:

There are several wedding dress shops that offer consignment gowns. It's the full wedding dress shop experience, but with second-hand gowns like Emerald City Gowns in Berkeley, CA.

If you don't have a shop like this near you, there are tons of websites full of second-hand wedding dresses for a fraction of the cost. Preowned Dress and Newlywed both have some great options. 

My goal is to go to a shop, figure out what styles, designers, and fits I'm looking for. Then equipped with that knowledge, shop online for the perfect gown. 

4. reformation:

Reformation is an awesome company in LA. They're a certified B Corp and 75% zero waste. I am in love with the hestia dress. I spoke at Reformation’s headquarters and while I was there they were working on this dress.

Had they had this dress been available before I got married, I probably would have bought it. Reformation is very reasonably priced for wedding dresses with most of them coming in under $500. Here’s a few of my other favorites.

• Rosey Dress - For the easy, breezy, beautiful bride

• Minverva Dress - Slap on a bejeweled belt or hair piece and it would be perfect for that old hollywood glam look.

• Poppy dress - Perfect for an outdoor wedding!

5. rent the runway:

Rent the Runway’s selection has seriously blossomed over the last few years. They have some amazing selections. Whether you’re using it for your big day or all of the surrounding events like the bachelorette party and bridal shower!

Gosh, scrolling through their amazing selections has me REAL close to signing up for their unlimited package.

I’ve rounded up a few of my favorites!

• Monique Lhuillier White Ruffle Jumpsuit

• Alexis White Lace Luxe Dress - lace, ruffles, opulence!

• Halston Heritage White Wrap Jumpsuit - it’s perfect!

• Badgley Mischka Vision in White - the cutest dress for city hall!

6. saldana vintage:

Saldana Vintage is made in Los Angeles with vintage lace. Their dresses give off a very 60s bohemian vibe! The price point is really reasonable for these dresses too. I’ve rounded up some of my personal favorites below.

• Helen - a very sweet cap sleeved dress

• Elizabeth - very classic long sleeve, laced dress

• Colette - FRINGE baby!

7. etsy:

Etsy has a great selection of vintage and handmade pieces for weddings. I bought my wedding top from etsy.

• open back wedding dress - lace, tulle, and an illusion neckline

• vintage lace wedding dress - sexy, vintage vibes!

• fit and flare - a lacey a-line

• wedding accessories: belts and hair clips

8. Leanne Marshall:

My dream dress was a Leanne Marshall. I’m not embarrassed to say that I’ve had a wedding pinterest board years before I was actually engaged. My dream dress was unfortunately not available once I got engaged, but it was a Leanne Marshall dress.

I had no idea that Leanne Marshall was a sustainable designer, but their dresses are handmade and they use sustainable practices. I’ve rounded up a few of my favorites, but honestly their dresses are probably my favorite. They’re all classy, romantic, and feel like what an eco-friendly Grace Kelly would wear.

• Eliza

• Stella

• Flynn
  

I wound up buying a vintage corset and a wedding skirt secondhand.
Check out my Zero Waste Wedding for pictures.

I'd love to hear stories about your wedding dresses! Was it a hand me down? Brand new? Did you have any regrets? Or was it just perfect? 

Love a Lonely Banana: A Song About Food Waste

I'm very excited to finally be introducing the Lonely Banana Song. 

Lonely bananas not in a bunch are typically thrown out by grocers. Since, bananas most likely have a lot of air miles/a large carbon footprint to get to you, buy lonely bananas. 

To help you remember, I wrote a song.  

With all those lonely bananas you can make my bomb banana muffins! 

I know it might seem sill to harp on something as small as a lonely banana. I want to remind you that the goal of zero waste is NOT about fitting your trash in a Mason jar. 

That would make the movement elitist and exclusive only to those with amazing co-ops living in affluent downtowns. 

No, zero waste is a movement that should transcend all boundaries and into all walks of life. Everyone and I do mean everyone can make simple changes that have large impacts.  

Even if that small change is picking up a lonely banana instead of a bunch. You can make a difference today and no matter how small it is, it's a step in the right direction. 

It's not about perfection; it's about making better choices.  

Zero Waste Valentine's Day Ideas

I find you either LOVE or HATE Valentine's Day. I've met very few people who feel indifferently. I love Valentine's Day, but probably not for the reason you think...

Valentine's Day is the one day of the year it's socially acceptable to use really bad puns to tell everyone around you how much you care about them.

Growing up, I would always look forward to making Valentine's Cards. In fact, I would easily forgo Christmas cards to send Valentine cards instead. 

I think everyone can agree that 12' tall oversized teddy bear and other holiday themed junk destined for the landfill isn't too desirable. But, that doesn't mean you can't be festive! You can still have so much fun without cheaply made junk. 

gift ideas for significant others:

a nice meal:

Whether you go out or stay in, I still think spending quality time with your loved one over a delicious meal is the perfect way to celebrate anything.  

a shared experience:

Get your significant other the best gift of all... spending time with you - duh. 

• Couple's massage

• Museum tickets

• Sporting event

• Go to a festival

• Plan a pub crawl

• Take a painting class

• Skydiving

• Go see a band

• Go to a play

• Go to an amusement park

There's a common misconception that buying an experience has to be expensive. There's a lot of local shows and events you can go too that aren't super pricey.  Catching a local show or festival in town is on average $10-$20 at the door. You don't and shouldn't have to spend a lot of money to have a good time. 

homemade sweets: 

Homemade sweets are ALWAYS a big hit. Growing up if I had a crush on someone, you can guarantee that I would make my mom's famous oatmeal, chocolate chip cookies. I would bring them to school and intentionally have "too" many left over. I couldn't possibly eat them all or let them go to waste. I'd have to share them with someone... 

I would typically bring them to school in a large tupperware container, and I'd always bring the container back empty. Mission: Success

Related: How to make Valentine Truffles

gift ideas for friends:

Typically I give my friends smaller gifts if gifts at all. It was always a much bigger deal to give gifts growing up. Probably because we saw our friends every day at school.

Now that we're grown and don't see each other everyday, quality time has become the most important thing we can give each other. 

Getting together with busy work and home schedules takes a week or two of planning, unfortunately. I find simple gifts to be the best. 

cards:

I have always loved my handmade card tradition. I keep them pretty simple. I outgrew glitter and puff paint a while ago. Instead, I stick to paper and ink. Without all the extra razzle dazzle, they're compostable or at least recyclable. 

What they lack in sparkle, they make up for in puns. It's easy to drop these in the mail if you'll be away from your besties. 

coffee:

9:30 is my favorite time of day. It's earlier than 10:00 which feels like a lazy man's hour, but not so early as 8:30 so you still have a little bit of time to sleep in. I love to meet my friends for coffee around 9:30 on weekend mornings. We can quickly catch up and then start our day. 

A perfectly nice treat would be to treat a friend to their morning cup. 

drinks: 

An alternative to coffee, meeting up after work for a drink. Another simple meeting without the commitment of a full meal. It's great to catch up and easy to sneak these get-togethers into our busy schedules. 

This way I don't have to block off an entire evening, and I get to catch up with friends way more often. 

*As a note, if offering coffee or drinks or any other small get together to a gift as a friend, always offer with a date and time. That time may not work for the other person, but then it's not an open-ended invitation, and the offer will lead to a time/date negotiation. 

Leaving it vague, means the other person will have to contact you for the gift redemption. It can make things a little awkward and make it feel like the offer was an empty gesture. 

gift ideas for kids: 

Growing up we always had Valentine's parties at school. We would share Valentine cards with the whole class and sometimes small gifts. Here are some ideas I'd use if I were a mom in this situation. 

bulk candy in small mason jars:

Most grocery stores, even ones without bulk sections, typically have bulk candy. This is the most expensive option, but it would be SO cute. I would buy four-ounce mason jars and fill them with bulk candy. I'd buy the candy in a big cloth bag and then separate the candy out into individual jars when I got home. 

I'd make round tags from craft paper and place them between the rim and the metal lid so the card would show on top. I'd make a cute pun about whatever candy or treat was inside.

You don't have to limit yourself to candy. You could put homemade treats or dried fruit or nuts inside too.

• Reese's Pieces: 100 "Resse"sons I love you!

• Reese's Pieces: I love you to pieces!

• Gummy Bears: Life without you would be un-BEAR-able.

• Raisins: You're always raisin my spirits

• Candy Corn: It may be corny, but I'm glad we're friends

• Nuts: I'm nuts for you!

I'm sure you get the picture by now. 

homemade cards:

You could also do what I always did and spend an evening hand making cards. 

homemade platter:

If you could get away with bringing a large container, like a cake carrying tray, full of treats, that's what I would do. Like bring a dozen or two donuts with a big sign on the front.

(I linked to the cake tray I actually have and I'm very happy with it. But, they do make some really cool metal trays too.) 

"I donut know what I'd do without you!" 

candy in paper boxes: 

If you have to bring unopened treats in original packaging opt for boxed candy like nerds or milkduds. You can wrap cute little sayings around the box for an added little festivity. 

Do you have any Valentine day recommendations? What would you do? 

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