Why I love eco-friendly weddings
Over the years, I’ve gone through various personal transformations — as it should be. After all, that’s what growing up means. Sometimes, growing also means feeling stuck, and that calls for significant change — within ourselves and in our lives.
For many years, I was a bit afraid of minimalism, but now I wonder how I ever lived without it. Instead of adding more, I simply started taking things away.
As a wedding photographer, my job is to observe — without missing a single detail. And sometimes, I’ve seen things I didn’t really like. So I decided to write this article to talk about it openly, in a kind of free-flowing way, without a set structure. But I felt it was important, so here I am.
I don’t like waste — of any kind.
I don’t like when weddings become a showcase for ridiculous amounts of food that inevitably gets thrown away. Just like I don’t like when all the flowers from the decorations end up in the trash. I’ve seen weddings where the couple asked guests to take home leftovers or pick a few flowers to bring with them. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that — in fact, I think it’s wonderful.
I don’t like clutter.
I don’t like when wedding favors become just another dust-collecting ornament. I prefer consumable gifts — like honey, seeds to plant, wine, or olive oil.
Something that doesn’t cause inconvenience and is easy to use or dispose of.
I don’t like when vendors (like caterers, florists, photographers) are treated as just vendors.
I value human connection. I like treating people as people, even when they have a professional role. That role should never mask their humanity. That’s why I always recommend choosing the right people. There should be a beautiful atmosphere between the couple and their vendors.
I don’t like when the venue feels like a wedding factory.
That’s what I call them — wedding factories — the kinds of venues that recycle the same setups over and over, sometimes even for multiple events at the same time. No thanks. The perfect venue, for me, is family-run. It should offer seasonal, local products, high-quality raw ingredients, and a story behind it all.
