Sustainability is at the heart of Minne Floral Co.’s business

  • Donates 1% Profit to Save Pollinators

    I am committed to donate 1% of my annual profits to be shared with the environmental non-profit, Xerces Society to help “protect the natural world through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats.”

  • Buy Local + Seasonal

    I buy as many flowers as possible from local MN growers. If you’re getting married in May-September you can be sure that there will be some stunning local flowers in your designs.

  • Reuse. Recycle. Compost.

    We don’t use single use plastic or flower foam. We save our rubber bands from flower bunches and take all your spent flowers and scraps and compost them for my own flower garden to name a few things.

sustainability within floristry

There are many ways to make your wedding more sustainable — see below. Besides food and venue, flowers are one of the biggest contributors to waste on wedding day. Here are a few tips to consider —

no 1. The easiest way to be more sustainable when thinking about your wedding florals is to choose seasonal blooms. Check out my blog post (coming soon) on what blooms are available each month to get some inspiration. Luum Collective also has great resources for choosing seasonal and planning a sustainable wedding.

no 2. The second way to be have more sustainable flowers is to choose local product vs. imported blooms. For example, opt for dahlias or peonies instead of roses, which are mostly imported from South America.

no 3. The next best option is to choose a florist who doesn't use floral foam. Flower foam, also known as Oasis foam, has been a staple in the floral industry for many years. It is made of non-biodegradable, petroleum-based plastic. This means that it does not break down in the natural environment and can take hundreds of years to decompose. It’s also super bad for you to breath in and inhale while working with it. So best to avoid it all together as there are so many better alternatives.

no 4. And lastly give flowers away at the end of the night or compost them. You can pay your florist to have a flower bar at the end of the night for your guests to take the flowers home with them. You can also donate the flowers, but it’s not always the best option as most will likely die in a day or two. Lastly, if you are okay with basking in the flowers glory just for your big day, we’ll take back the blooms and compost them to feed for another season of blooms in my own garden.

Ways to make your wedding more sustainable.

Choose a sustainable team.

your vendors make all the difference. Chowgirls is an amazing caterer that works with local farms to make your meals. Realm Planning and HoneyHill are some amazing sustainable planners. PAIKKA and Glasshouse are sustainable venues, just to name a few. The term “sustainable” is trendy right now and gets thrown around a lot, so be sure to ask what practices your vendors have that makes them sustainable.

Rent whenever possible

renting candles, linens, plates, cups, decor, etc. not only give you and your family less stress day of, but can be reused more than once. No storing, transporting, or finding the perfect items for your wedding. Let the professionals handle that! Apres, Linen Effects, and Collected and Co. are a few rental companies with great inventory!

Think again about your “compostable plates and cups”

lots of times, if you use compostable plates, cups, and cutlery, they get thrown away incorrectly. Either in the recycling which causes issues at the recycling plant, or in the trash, which totally negates the fact that you purchased compostable items. Make sure they go in the compost bin!

Keep is small

just invite the 50-150 people you are closest with. No need to invite your second cousin or great aunt you never talk to. This day is about you, no one else!

Keep it local.

travel has a huge impact on the carbon footprint of your wedding day. Keeping it local helps reduce travel emissions. This can mean your venue, but where the food and flowers come from too.

Less flowers — bigger impact

reusing ceremony aisle flowers at the reception, choosing impactful installations over welcome sign flowers and corsages are just a couple ways to make a bigger floral impact without spending more and wasting more. Choosing potted plants or dried product can extend the life of your wedding design, but doesn’t mean it will be any cheaper. Just something to think about.

Do away with wedding favors

no one wants really them and usually get thrown away.