To 2025 and Beyond: Trends and Sustainability
A fresh year is traditionally a good time to look around and take stock of our world, and how we want to make it better. One issue I’m looking into this year is how we can create beautiful, trend-forward weddings in a more sustainable way. Trends can move lightning quick, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth engaging in. At JRE, we love playing with new styles and finding ways to explore and experience trends in the industry. So, as much as it may sound like an oxymoron, there are so many creative (and easy!) ways to design an event that belongs in 2025 and that you can feel good about for years to come.
As a floral designer, I may be biased, but fresh florals are often a focal point of wedding designs. I have heard so many people lament the fact that all those beautiful flowers just go to waste after the wedding is over. While it is true that fresh flowers can’t stay fresh forever, that doesn’t mean they have to be a waste. A tried and true way to give your flowers a second life is to donate them to retirement homes or other places where they can be enjoyed longer than just one day.
Another way to make your flowers friendly to the environment is to work with foam-free designs. Floral foam is a great resource for designing and sustaining the life of fresh flowers, but it’s unfortunately not great for the earth. Working with your designer to avoid floral foam can create unique and stunning installations with natural materials.
Our team made both of these ceremony statement pieces completely foam free! All the structures used to create them are reusable many times over.
Photo credit: 1 - Jace Dewald, 2 - Jenna Heckel
It can take a whole bunch of individual items to create one cohesive event. Rather than buying everything you need new, look into rental options or see if you know anyone who already has the items you are looking to use. At Jane Rae, we update our inventory at least once a year, which means there might be ten or twenty (or more) couples who can use a certain item over the course of a year. Think of rental items as the base which you can mix and match and then add to to create a custom design. Then, after the event, not only are you not responsible for figuring out what to do with a hundred votives you don’t need, but you have also saved money and waste for yourself and for the next people who will use the items.
Everything from disco balls and dance floors to anything you might put on a table can be rented to create a personalized design.
Photo credit: 1 - Sydney Leigh, 2 - Kelsey Ann Photography
Truly, one of the best ways to be a sustainable member of your community is to use your community. Where you can, it is a great idea to shop small and local. Sioux Falls has a plethora of incredible local vendors for almost any part of your wedding you can imagine. And, if you are somewhere else, your city definitely does too. Rather than ordering custom prints from Amazon or other corporate sites, consider doing some research about who makes prints in your area. You might be surprised how many talented artisans are your neighbors.
Shelby and Keegen used a Sioux Falls designer for the custom lettering on their welcome sign in chalk - so not only is it created by local talent, but it is reusable and waste-free!
Photo credit - Luke and Savannah Photography
A wedding is often a once in a lifetime event, so it makes perfect sense to have high expectations for how it will look. We love going big, creative and unique! The good news is, big, creative, and unique can also mean accessible, sustainable, and built up by your community.
xoxo, Rebecca
