gen z + the crowdsourced wedding
It all started during the pandemic, out of desperation to innovate so that my persistent “vision” of my now three-year-old son approaching me at 18 yrs. old asking “why didn’t you do more?” (read: to save the planet) would subside.
BAM, the thought of crowdsourced wedding decor came crashing in.
The simple idea is this: The same venue books a wedding on a Friday, another on a Saturday and a third for Sunday brunch.
All three weddings share the same floral + decor - let’s say it’s based off of the national wedding guest average (pre-pandemic) of 120 guests. Each couple pays 1/3 of the price - and they get triple the amount. I.E. they each pay $10K but they get the benefit of $30K in shared decor. They would all be privy to the color palette, mood board + style. It would be sourced locally, so as to avoid those pesky international flight emissions, and refreshed for each soiree. It would also be organic so as to be fully compostable; and - therefore - essentially carbon neutral.
It’s not that complicated. It gets even better when all three weddings utilize the same menu from the same sustainable caterer who sources all plant-based, local goodies which are delicious and astronomically different (in the best way) emissions than the beef option, which averages a whopping 93% more emissions than plant-based meat; let alone simply plants. This way, they are supporting local farmers, communities and also mitigating massive emissions - and the pricing can also be pleasantly reflective of all these positive traits.
I have floated this idea to many an event expert. Many agree that it’s smart, disruptive, innovative. Others don’t want to admit it has any merit. If you are a venue itching to orchestrate on a sustainability pilot program like this, drop me a line and I’ll help you to navigate the right collaborations to innovate and bring sustainability into your operations.
Young millennials + gen z are the most fervent champions of positive change; I believe this type of thinking is the future of the weddings + social events industry but obviously I am eco-friendly biased.
