Expert Talk with Dominique Erb: Sustainable Weddings

Bei Maren Jewellery, we believe that true luxury lies in awareness – in materials with origin, in decisions with attitude, and in relationships based on trust. With our Expert Talk series, we open the space for conversations with people who live exactly that: sustainable action, honest design, and deep expertise.

In this issue, we focus on a special moment in life: the wedding. Together with Dominique Erb, founder of MyGreenWedding, we discuss how to plan a wedding responsibly – and what that specifically means for you if environmental awareness, values, and authenticity are also important to you when choosing your wedding rings.

Join us in a conversation about greenwashing, material awareness, and why choosing the right ring can be so much more than a symbol: a sign of your love for the world.

Dominique Erb has with MyGreenWedding turned her passion into a profession. She is a certified event manager (IHK) with solid training and many years of experience in the sustainable wedding planning.

Dominique supports couples with a strong sense for the essentials – whether it’s in ceremony design, choosing regional and sustainable service providers, or mindful resource management. With her expertise, she demonstrates that sustainability and aesthetics are not mutually exclusive but rather reinforce each other. Her knowledge of sustainable materials and vegan concepts makes her a sought-after contact for couples who want to plan their wedding responsibly.

Dominique supports bridal couples in planning a wedding celebration that reflects their values and is resource-efficient – from choosing the location to complete event planning. She ensures a stress-free, meaningful, and environmentally conscious wedding.

Dominique: >Every couple should set priorities, discuss their respective wishes, and thus create a clear vision of their dream wedding. This prevents getting sidetracked and falling into buying frenzies. Unfortunately, that happens quickly when browsing Pinterest and the like. The number of guests is a cost driver (at least €150 per person) and also decisive for the resource expenditure of the wedding.

Only inviting close loved ones is therefore always my first tip. Planning early is my second tip. With enough lead time, it is possible to find all service providers nearby. This saves long journeys just as much as having the wedding take place near most of the guests. A location where decoration, furniture, catering, and staff are already available also saves a lot of transportation costs.

Dominique: >

• Where does he source his raw materials from?
• How does he treat his employees?
• Who does he work with?
• How transparent are its prices?
• What values does he/she represent?
• How are its reviews?
• Does it have certifications or seals?

Recognizing greenwashing is not that easy, as no bridal couple can really look behind the scenes. However, couples can still find out quite a bit through social media and direct contact. How does the service provider respond to questions about sustainability? What causes do they support? What is being posted?

However, this takes time, and when selecting a service provider, there is often time pressure because appointments are often quickly booked. On my Instagram profile, for example, there are question catalogs for individual trades that you can use to grill the service providers.

Sustainability that's how you live, it's not a business model. For example, I don't own a car, I usually vacation in Germany, and I am involved in nature conservation.<

Dominique: > That is a question you can probably answer better. For me as a bride, it would be most personal if I could be involved in the making and design of the rings. For example, if great-grandma's rings melted and become new distinctive pieces of jewelry.

Here too, couples should ask themselves where the raw materials come from and what fair precious metals are worth to us. As a guideline, couples can look out for awards such as the Fairmined label.

Dominique: > There are many regional jewelry manufacturers, mostly smaller companies, that are sustainable, handcrafted jewelry manufacture. Just browse the internet. 

For styling, I recommend vegan natural cosmetics such as those from Madara or Nui Cosmetics. Nowadays, there are also high-quality products in natural cosmetics that can withstand a long wedding day full of emotions. It's best to have your hair done by your trusted hairdresser. It's cheaper than an event stylist and usually much closer.

Packaging waste mainly occurs with gifts, decorations, and small items like the candy bar. A brief note on the invitations (e.g., Environmentally friendly gifting is important to us – please refrain from gift wrapping) prevents packaging waste with the gifts. Decorations should be borrowed instead of bought, unless already available within the circle of friends or at the venue. In most cases, bridal couples find rentals on the internet or through classified ads.

For sweet or savory treats for the candy/salty bar, just stop by the package-free store. There is a wide selection, couples can try right away, and it saves a lot of packaging waste.

When bridal couples have a guard of honor for the reception, there are often small plastic bubble tubes. With 70 guests, that's a lot of plastic waste. It doesn't have to be that way, just like plastic confetti. Beautiful alternatives are wedding wands, loose flower petals, or a large bubble machine. There is also confetti made from seeds. Always ask the venue for permission before using confetti.

FlipFlops for everyone. Nice idea, but why not let each guest bring their own? 

Sustainable weddings mean being mindful of resources, including your own, and focusing on what truly matters. 

To also support couples from farther away, I have been offering online consultations since this year. In these, I show bridal couples how they can plan their eco-friendly wedding efficiently and stress-free.