Why We Are A 'Green' Wedding Vendor

Love deserves a hopeful future in order to blossom and grow, and that's just not possible without a healthy planet.

Recently at Watts Filmmaking, we were invited to join the Green Wedding Guild, and it was an easy "yes" for us.

As you might guess, the wedding industry can create a whole lot of waste. In fact, each wedding is said to generate an incredible 400 pounds of garbage on average.

The Green Wedding Guild is composed of wedding vendors of all kinds -- florists, planners, caterers, photographers, and more -- who are dedicated to making the wedding industry more sustainable and eco-conscious. We're delighted to join their ranks.

It's fairly easy to see how caterers or decorators can take steps to become more environmentally friendly, but what does it mean to be a "green" filmmaker?

Here are a few ways we strive to ensure Watts Filmmaking does as little damage to our planet as possible.

1. We deliver everything digitally.

From contracts to our final video files, we strive for 100 percent digital delivery.

This means:

• No printed contracts

• No mailed invoices

• No DVDs of final video files (unless absolutely necessary)

Rather, we use a digital service called HoneyBook to seamlessly book shoots and deliver quotes, contracts, and invoices with no paper waste. And videos are delivered as MP4s.

This lack of paper waste extends to our marketing practices as well. That means we avoid any print ads, glossy promos, banners, etc, and instead stick with digital advertising.

2. Our tech is reusable, rechargeable, and responsible.

• We use only rechargeable batteries: In our drone, cameras, mics -- everything -- rechargeable batteries keep so many batteries out of the waste stream. Our favorite, high-quality rechargeable batteries are the Eneloop brand, available on Amazon.

• We use rentals: When a shoot requires a special lens or light, we opt to rent rather than buy, which reduces the amount of overall tech produced. Our go-to is Lensrentals.com.

• We strive to buy from ethical brands: Not all companies are created equally, so when buying a new piece of tech, we do our research and find one that is dedicated to sustainable business practices and ethical treatment of workers.

The Sony a7SIII is our main workhorse camera. In 2019, Sony was honored as one of the world's most ethical companies.

3. We educate ourselves and align with others.

A great part of being a member of The Green Wedding Guild is the opportunity to attend regular educational events. By learning best practices and hearing what other vendors are doing, we can better keep this important issue top of mind and mitigate our damage to the planet.

A core tenet of the group is to not judge where someone else is in their sustainability journey; rather, it's about making small, feasible steps that have a big impact when done collectively.

There's always more we can be doing, which is why we're excited to continue our commitment to learning and growing, for the sake of our health and the health of our planet.

Check out a list of Green Wedding Guild members and follow them on Instagram and Facebook for tips on planning your eco-conscious wedding or event.