Budget savvy brides everywhere are looking to save a buck, eager to DIY their wedding decor and turning to nature for those much sought after “free” materials. This can be good or bad depending on how you look at it. Mother nature, now more than ever, could use the attention to get people back to appreciating nature and all it has to offer. Lets just hope it’s not a short lived trend, what with global warming and excessive waste only getting worse.
But nothing is ever free, my friends. We may save on cost of decor, but natural spaces may be paying the price. That is the main drive behind Natural Impressions Event rentals. Coming from an environmentally conscientious background and as a bride once myself, I saw an opportunity to put my knowledge and skills to use by offering sustainable and affordable, nature inspired decor for small-scale weddings and intimate events.
Through my natural curiosity and college studies, I have become increasingly aware of the complicated web of ecosystems large and small. I have learned that everything in nature serves a purpose in keeping that interconnected system balanced. When a natural space is disturbed, say by a thrifty DIYer searching for wood or moss, it may not bounce back so easily if its fragility is not taken into consideration. This may seem of no concern as mother nature appears to provide such things in a forever giving way, but her pockets do have their limits as do ours. However, if such materials are harvested and consumed in a thoughtful and sustainable manner, they may be regenerated and admired, ideally, forever.
If renting nature inspired event decor from me shown here paired with complementary accessories here, is not an option for you, please take these tips into consideration when harvesting your own natural materials.
- First borrow any items you can from family and friends or your community. What you can’t borrow, rent or buy local and second-hand. Be flexible and don’t try to match everything. Miss-matched items, when in a collection, can look really good and is a growing trend. Recycled, repurposed and shared items all help to reduce waste and unnecessary spending brought on by weddings and other events.
- Harvest natural materials from your own property, or that of family or friends. Many publicly accessible natural spaces are protected and any intentional harvesting may be illegal. Some forests do offer permits for certain materials though. Carpool and limit trips, this will cut back on CO2 emissions and your event’s carbon footprint.
- Buy fresh and support local business and the environment. If you wish to have fresh flowers or foliage for your event make sure they are indeed fresh by sourcing them locally. Not only will this guarantee a longer vase life but you will be helping local businesses and pollinators.
- Plan ahead and only harvest what you need. Ideally, you should take less than 30% of what’s available, and try to leave more than 70% to aid rehabilitation and avoid creating a stripped-bare look. Try to return the natural materials you took after the event, minus any crafting/decor material. Even better return the favor by planting a new tree, donating to a forest rehab project, or gifting seeds or saplings as favors to inspire sustainability and stewardship of nature in your guests.
Sapling evergreen wedding favors - Be reasonable when assessing what you need. Blogs with inspirational photos of moss dripping from every table look fantastic and dreamy but are not practical or Eco-friendly. Opt for small touches of nature instead, I can assure you, your guests will take notice and appreciate it all the same. If you have a great photographer they can make even the smallest details pop.
- If you have a green thumb, grow your own flowers or plants. Many developing nations have been cutting down forests to produce mass crops of flowers for the floral industry that die within a few days. Pollinators world-wide have been decreasing in numbers, possibly due to lack of connected patches of plant diversity. Getting a little dirty in the garden will:
- save you money while making your yard more beautiful and the envy of your neighbors
- offer an alternative to supporting the non-ecofriendly mass growers who may use toxic pesticides or fertilizers
- provide a haven for bees, migratory butterflies and birds by increasing the number and variety of micro-ecosystems.
EVENT RENTALS & GIFTS 