Sustainable events — what does that actually mean?
Numbers, not buzzwords. Shares, kilometres, tonnes of CO₂. And a few areas where we deliberately do not present ourselves as greener than we are.
Where the footprint is actually created.
An outdoor wedding or a corporate retreat can appear inherently sustainable at first glance — nature, fresh air, a regional aesthetic. When you measure honestly, the picture is more nuanced. Three levers determine over 90 percent of the impact.
1. Travel (60–75% of the carbon load)
By far the largest line item. A 60-person wedding in Bavaria typically generates 3 to 5 tonnes of CO₂ from guest travel alone; a destination wedding involving flights more like 10 to 18 tonnes. What we do in practice: shared shuttle solutions from the nearest train stations (Munich-Holzkirchen, Toulouse, Olbia), a recommendation for rail travel, and a transparent CO₂ overview in the welcome letter.
2. Catering (15–25% of the carbon load)
Three adjustment points: the share of regional produce (target: over 70 percent by spend on goods), the share of plant-based courses (target: at least one substantial plant-based main course), and minimising food waste (quantity planning with an 8 percent buffer, not 25 percent).
In practice: our partner caterers document the origin of every supplier. On request you receive a breakdown by event — this is not a marketing gesture but part of our standard post-event report.
3. Materials management (5–15%)
Rental furniture instead of single-use, cloth napkins instead of paper, glass bottles instead of plastic. Floristry exclusively without plastic floral foam — we work with floristry partners who use seasonal flowers sourced locally (exceptions: certain wedding flowers such as peonies out of season, which are then transparently labelled as imported).
What greenwashing looks like.
When a provider claims to be "climate neutral" without stating the actual footprint — greenwashing. When "regional" is used without defining a radius or percentage — greenwashing. When CO₂ is offset via projects that are difficult to verify and have no certification standard — greenwashing.
We offset exclusively through Gold Standard or Verra projects and clearly state the remaining, non-reducible CO₂ balance — before offsetting it.
Where we deliberately do not present a green picture.
- Le Bétet and Sardinia are only realistically reachable by air — we do not conceal this, and we recommend multi-day formats to reduce the per-day footprint.
- Air conditioning in Sardinia runs in high summer — we use it rather than pretending we can manage without it.
- We offset CO₂, but treat it as a last resort, not a solution. Reduction comes first.
More on sustainability in practice: Sustainable Events at Thrive Outside. Wedding cost range: Outdoor Wedding Bavaria.