Say 'I Do' to a Green Wedding

Climate-smart weddings start with your venue and carry forward in smart and subtle ways

Whether you’re a Portland couple or coming to Portland for a destination wedding, you’ve considered your options for all different types of weddings and how they would work best with your personality and style. Another growing concern, and hopefully a trend that will stick, is how your wedding can impact the climate. Have no fear, Ecotrust is here. Ecotrust Events strives to help power a more equitable, prosperous and climate-smart future. We deeply believe that equity, prosperity, and the environment don’t have to be mutually exclusive ideals. We manage multiple properties with a passion for helping our clients host the wedding of their dreams and do it within a values framework. Over the past 20 years, we’ve hosted hundreds of weddings, from intimate groups of 10 to parties of 200. Check out the tips below for things to consider as you plan a purposeful wedding day--one that showcases your social and environmental principles with impeccable style.

Venue

Photo By: June Lion Photography (Ecotrust Front Doors with Native Greenery and Rooftop Glimpse)

One of the first steps toward a green wedding is selecting a venue that’s both built green and employs green management practices. If you’re reading this and considering one our spaces, you nailed step one. You’ll see our commitment to green building practices everywhere you look. Sustainable FSC-certified wood cladding graces the walls of the Redd on Salmon Street; lush rainwater absorbing, pollution fighting bioswales surrounds the Ecotrust parking lot- you’ll find that we take our environmental practices to heart. Rooftop solar panels supply much of our renewable energy at both properties. Whether your event is on our Rooftop Terrace taking advantage of natural light or inside one of our other venues, you know, your wedding on a sustainable path.

(TIP: Learn more about Ecotrust’s work Here)

Catering

Photo By: @ArtemisFoods Photo By: @HuntAndGatherCatering Photo By: @VerdeCocina

We believe that procurement is powerful. Our procurement policies seek to support businesses owned by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Ecotrust Events makes our commitment clear: Our approved catering list consists of 80% women and BIPOC owned businesses who care deeply about sourcing regional ingredients. Our catering partners work directly with local farmers, ranchers, fishers, and foragers to bring you the most delicious, local and seasonal meals available. Food from local producers equals fewer miles traveled and a lower carbon footprint. Plus, we ask them to follow our guidelines for avoiding single-use plastics such as water bottles and dinnerware. If they are needed, committing to buying biodegradable dinnerware is the next step. Ask your caterers what they do with the leftovers to further reduce your wedding's waste.

TIP: Artemis Foods highlights their commitment to sustainability Here

Weddings Not Waste

Photo By: Bryan Rupp (Ecotrust’s waste management program has developed greatly overtime)

It is estimated that an average wedding can generate anywhere from 400-600 pounds of waste. Because we know taking out the trash and cleaning up should definitely not be on the list of required activities for your big day we’ve got your recycling covered! Not only do we have trash procedures drafted into our contracts with the caterers for clean up, we are committed to minimal waste company-wide. Our catering partners are also committed to venue standards for minimizing energy use and food waste. This includes providing leftover food to people experiencing food insecurity. We have our own on-site recycling and composting program that comes standard with each rental. Check out the tips below for more information about w you can minimize the waste at your wedding by getting creative with your wedding decor.

Decorate with Purpose

Show off the personality of your partnership with decor. There are many ways to make your wedding eco-friendly while making your aesthetics shine. We provide our clients with helpful guidelines to minimize your waste footprint and utilize unique decorations while making sure our unique and historic buildings are protected. We encourage guests to source their decor locally within a 150-mile radius, using seasonal and organic products for centerpieces and floral arrangements. (Local TIP: One of our favorite local florists is Solabee Flowers). We do not allow glitter, plastic confetti, balloons or birdseed as it usually contains non-native plant seeds. Our venue spaces carry so much history and visual appeal that we encourage you to do a walkthrough of our spaces with all vendors to see how you can use our venue design aspects as part of your decor. Check out these photos below, how past clients have incorporated the venue focal points as part of their visual experiences.

Photo By: Evrim Icoz Photography Photo By: Lauren Kay Photography

Use our Rooftop Terrace fireplace as the focal point for your ceremony backdrop and enhance it with floral arrangements or our terrace lighting. All planters on our Rooftop are on wheels and can be moved to add more or less visual appeal.

Photo By: Evrim Icoz Photography Photo By: Colleen Amelia Photography

Let greenery outside influence the mood inside. The spring vines outside the windows in the Billy Frank, Jr. Room frame a lush interior.

Photo By: John Valls Photo By: Julia Green Photography

Save on waste by using existing structures for unique decor displays. Here, the vertical metal grates in the Irving Street Studio transform into a lush bar backdrop or a photo booth collage.

Photo By: Lauren Miles Photography Photo By: Julia Green Photography

Look for spaces that have unique photo-friendly features that can double as decor infrastructure. The Irving Street Studio’s focal piece is the massive floor to ceiling metal ‘X’ in the space that many clients use as a backdrop for their ceremony or head table.

Planning for the future It shouldn’t be a burden to take your wedding’s carbon footprint into consideration. With our team’s support, you don’t have to sacrifice a thing. We’re ready to share tips and tricks that will make you feel as good as you look. If you are in the market for a wedding at Ecotrust, feel free to reach out via email to our Wedding and Events Sales Manager at Weddings@ecotrust.org.