How I organised my conscious and community-driven wedding

Do you dream of having a big fat wedding? Or do you prefer to keep your special day more intimate, budget-friendly, and community-driven? 

In this article, Annelies, copywriter at COSH!, shares her experience in organising a meaningful wedding day using local and more sustainable clothing, decorations, and food. She and her husband planned it all in under 3 months! Focusing on what mattered most to them and what felt natural. Keeping it minimal and to the essence: marking the start of our marriage and celebrating our partnership together with our favourite people.

The outfit of the bride

My dress, overskirt, poncho, tiara, and heels all came from Uit Liefde in Tilburg, a shop that resells wedding dresses donated by bridal stores and individuals. It is run by the nicest volunteers, and the proceeds go to charity. A talented friend took in the length so the dress fit perfectly. For the reception, I swapped my heels for my beloved clogs.

In terms of beauty, I did my own make-up. A friend who runs a nail salon did my nails, and my regular hairdresser styled my hair, which turned the morning into its own small self-care moment and celebration.

My jewellery, a necklace and earrings, were all birthday gifts from my groom over the years. Each piece carries a memory, so there was nothing new to buy.

The outfit of the groom

My husband first found a thrifted wool suit. But our wedding landed on the hottest day of the year, so two days before, he switched to a 100% linen suit in navy blue, his favourite colour. It was the right call. He survived the 38 degrees and can restyle and rewear the suit for years, instead of leaving it in the wardrobe after a single day.

The rings we’ll wear forever

We wanted to find rings we would love for as long as we are married, forever. So we did not choose a matching set. Instead, we each picked a ring that suits our own style.

We had them made at Nico Taeymans in Antwerp, the same jeweller who made my engagement ring. They are gold and handmade in their own atelier in the city. We love their organic shapes and finishes inspired by nature.

The location and our guests

We spent the whole day in our own neighbourhood in Antwerp, with every stop within a 15-minute walk. We started with a first look and photo shoot in the park, then a simple ceremony at the city hall. Lunch was on the terrace of our cosy local Spanish café, where the owners cooked everything themselves, including some very delicious cakes.

We invited 25 people, our closest friends and family only. A small group meant we actually got to talk with everyone, and it kept the day affordable.

There was no dress code except for ​“summer-proof”, so guests could wear what they already owned and felt good in. We asked everyone to bring their own fan to stay cool.

Flowers, decor and details

My bouquet and the groom’s corsage were made from seasonal, locally grown flowers from Wilder in Antwerp, tied with leftover fabric from shortening my dress. During our honeymoon, I dried them upside down so we could keep them.

We DIY’d the rest of the decor together with dear friends and family. We turned thrifted fabric and ribbon into a garland we will reuse at future celebrations. As table decoration, we got secondhand vases from local thrift stores and the platform 2dehands. We filled them with dried flowers that guests could take home afterwards. The tableware came from the café itself.

My grandmother made the artwork for our invitation, which we sent digitally. We printed the design at the local and sustainability-focused printer zwartopwit so we could write handwritten thank-you cards. Friends and family took all of our wedding pictures, and a POV app captured the day from everyone’s angle.

The sweetest honeymoon

For the honeymoon, we drove our secondhand white hybrid car to the south of France.

We filled the days with local seasonal food, wine, small villages, markets, ceramics, and enjoying nature. I lived in my favourite Supergoods dresses, with sunglasses from Moose in the City and carried all my outfits in a Vaude travel bag. A friend lent us a Polaroid camera, so we took one photo a day and made an album afterwards.

Photographer credits

The main photoshoot is done by Yelena Hessels. The photos under ​‘The location and our guests’ are taken by Mathis Bergmann.

Frequently asked questions

Q: How do you plan a conscious wedding on a small budget? A: Keep the guest list small, use secondhand and donated pieces, and choose local makers you can reach on foot. We planned our conscious wedding for 25 guests, kept it under €5,000, and put it together in under three months by focusing only on what mattered to us.

Q: Where can you find a secondhand or donated wedding dress? A: Reuse-focused bridal shops resell dresses donated by brands and individuals. Mine came from Uit Liefde in Tilburg, a volunteer-run shop whose proceeds go to charity. 

Q: Is a linen suit a good choice for a summer wedding? A: For a hot day, yes. My husband swapped a wool suit for a 100% linen navy suit two days before the wedding, and it kept him cool. Because it is a classic colour and fabric, he can restyle and rewear it on different occasions afterwards.

Q: How do you keep wedding flowers after the day? A: Dry them. We hung my locally grown bouquet upside down during our honeymoon and it held its shape. We also used secondhand vases and let guests take dried flowers home to keep.

Q: What is the easiest way to make a wedding more local? A: Keep everything within walking distance, this is convenient for your guests and you also support local businesses by doing it. Ours ran from a park first look, to the city hall, to a Spanish café, all within a 15-minute walk, which cut out travel entirely. 

Looking for more tips for a more sustainable wedding?

Find more inspiration in this article.