Cultivate Your Look:

Everyone wants to look their best when they get married. For many that means spending hours at boutique clothing stores searching for something special, often relatively expensive, and new. But it doesn’t have to be this way. For the couple looking to minimize their environmental impact, there have never been so many accessible ways to find sustainable attire and jewelry that can reduce waste, save time, and maybe even trim a little bit off the overall wedding budget.

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Estate Sales

Estate sales can be great places to find a vintage ring for a proposal or other unique statement pieces to complete a look. The search for a perfect piece can even be something a couple does together; turning a traditionally expensive, sometimes stressful part of the marriage planning process into a unique, bonding activity that will create new memories for years to come.

Heirloom Restyling

Bethany Spence, with wedding accessory boutique August Veils, recommends asking friends and family for heirloom pieces as well. Whether it’s gifted or simply “something borrowed,” incorporating items from those you love allows couples to carry the memories of friends and family with them on the big day and beyond. It’s also a poignant and touching way to incorporate sustainable attire into your wedding.

Heirloom pieces that seem dated and old-fashioned still have their use, even if they don’t fit into the wedding’s style. August Veils’ heirloom restoration service is one of Bethany’s favorite ways to work with clients. She takes veils and headpieces that have been passed down from previous generations and repurposes them – fixing or disguising any imperfections and updating the look to suit the bride’s unique style and vision.

“One of my favorite ways to be eco-friendly is through heirloom restyling. I love being able to transform a treasured family item into something that compliments the bride’s current style. Not only is this a very sentimental way to keep a loved one close, but it also creates less waste,” Bethany says. “Other times brides will purchase an item from a vintage shop and bring it to me for repair or restyling. When making a new veil, there is often waste from excess fabric, threads, ribbons, etc, and although I do recycle as much textile waste as possible, there’s significantly less waste when fixing and restyling a vintage piece.”

Bethany isn’t alone. Heirloom restoration services have become increasingly common with many stylists and designers specializing in dresses or accessories.