4 tips for finding a sustainable wedding dress

How to make your wedding dress more sustainable

As eco-weddings become more popular, so do ethically made wedding dresses. It’s a trend we love to see, and one we think is here to stay! There are a few ways to shop sustainably for your wedding dress. From looking locally to checking out businesses’ ethical practices to finding ways to use your dress again. We’ll walk you through each step so you know what to look for in your search!

1. Shop local (ish)

Look for businesses and designers in your area. You don’t have to stick to your immediate neighborhood, you can look for a dress made in your city, state, or country (that’s where the “ish” comes in). Not only are you supporting a local(ish) company, but you’re also reducing the distance your items will have to travel to you.

A bonus to shopping with local designers, many sew in-house and source their fabric from local companies as well. Chances are if you buy from a local designer, your pieces will have a drastically reduced footprint. Their trip in the mail to you may be the most those materials have traveled!

2. Look for ethical outfit options

Check out companies that participate in ethical practices. They’ll usually have that info front and centre (because bragging rights).

Designers are proud of paying a living wage (or more), repurposing fabrics, and integrating waste-free practices. We have a whole page dedicated to the ethos behind Fern & Moon! And we tell anyone unlucky enough to ride in an elevator with us.

When in doubt, reach out. You can email a shop or designer directly and ask about their practices. More interest in ethical fashion means more demand, and you may even encourage more eco practices in the future.

3. Vote with your wallet

We make a handful of large purchases in our lifetime. A vehicle, a wedding, perhaps the purchase of a home (in this economy?!), my dog’s ongoing vet bills (what, who said that). It can be daunting to fork over that much cash, but it’s also a chance to have a positive impact.

Purchasing from companies that align with your values encourages their growth, and also shows the industry that ethical practices are a good investment. When it comes to the notoriously unethical fashion industry, voting with your wallet (when you can) makes a big difference. It’s very hard for small businesses to compete with major companies, but they can far outshine them in sustainability.

4. Wear it again!

Turning a one-use item into something you will use again is one of the best ways you can have a sustainable wedding. We love bridal separates for just this reason! Wear your bodysuit with jeans after the wedding, and put your skirt on for your first-year anniversary.

It’s also easier than you’d think to alter your pieces so you can wear them again. Extra points if you can think of ways to use the leftover fabric from your alteration for quilts, art, ornaments or baby clothes. Alterations support your local community and transform your outfit into something you can wear again!

Shop the Fern & Moon collection to build a look you’ll feel great about, inside and out!

Photos:

Photography /@fernandmoon

MUA & Hair / @blunt.hair
Model / @claudiabakehouse