Many couples interested in having a Milwaukee green wedding choose to host it at Schlitz Audubon for its ambience and natural beauty. But not everyone realizes that weddings at our venue also help us preserve the beauty and health of the land. There are also many features people can incorporate into a wedding at the Center that make it even more environmentally friendly than it already is. We’re the perfect venue for couples who want to make their wedding not just a celebration of their love, but also of love of the environment.
Your Green Wedding and Beyond
Weddings held here support our mission, including conservation efforts, our focus on environmental education, and providing nature experiences for all people. They help care for the local habitats on our 185-acre property and keep the Center beautiful, so everyone can enjoy it for decades to come.
If you’re interested in creating a living legacy to go along with your special event, we offer a unique service – the tree ceremony. We provide a Bur Oak to couples to incorporate into their wedding, often as a part of a unity ceremony. This ceremony consists of family members pouring soil on the base of the tree to symbolize the joining of the couple and the new life they grow together. Considered a donation to the Center made in the couple’s names, the Bur Oak is then planted on the property where it can grow for up to 400 years, supporting local habitats.
Wedding couples can also include a Meet & Greet with our owls, hawks, falcons, and even a Bald Eagle. Guests mingle during cocktail hour and learn from our raptor handlers about these magnificent creatures. It’s an opportunity to support our Raptor Program, which cares for rescue animals and trains birds for educational outreach.
More Green Features
With so much to think about, the energy impact of your wedding day often falls by the wayside. But at Schlitz Audubon, we will keep your wedding energy efficient. Our sustainably-designed building uses an environmentally friendly geothermal heating and cooling system to keep our visitors comfortable all-year-round. Also, while dancing under the glittering string lights or listening to a DJ play their song, couples can feel good knowing that their electricity use has less of an environmental impact because our building uses solar panels.
Another simple way to reduce your environmental impact is by renting reusable items rather than buying new ones. Tableware, glassware, linens, and décor items like lanterns, tree cookie slices or mantelpiece settings can all be rented. All of our approved caterers are full-service and can provide most of these items for you, while florists and decoration rental companies, like Relics Vintage Rentals, can help dress up the space. Our bar service also has the option to rent glassware for cocktails, wine, or champagne, which can help reduce the amount of single-use plastic at your event. Our staff makes sure that we recycle plastic when it is used. They are committed to reducing bar service items like straws, reserved only for guests who specifically request them.
Earth-friendly Decorations and Favors
While our venue works with our caterers and Compost Crusader to compost what we can from weddings, there are other sustainable options. Petals for Patients offers a takedown service of centerpieces and delivers the flowers to area hospitals for use beyond the single event. One couple used potted plants instead of floral arrangements for their centerpieces, which could then be planted in the garden of their future home. More than one couple has given away personalized native seed packets as wedding favors, and one even gave away pine saplings to their guests. Imagine not just one tree planted for every wedding – but one hundred. That kind of thoughtful planning that goes into a green wedding can have an impact on the environment for the better.
Sustainability and weddings are a perfect match. As couples build their future together, they can also build a better future for the earth.
