🎧 Listen to the full episode here: The Throw Away Culture of a Wedding - DIP into it with Kate Assaraf
In a recent episode of the Mind Body Planet Podcast, Kate Assaraf, CEO of DIP, opened up about her own experiences planning a wedding and how she confronted the wasteful expectations built into the process.
Weddings are supposed to be about love, family, and the joy of building a future together. But somewhere along the way, they’ve also become about waste, mountains of it. From single use décor and extravagant dresses to uneaten food and “must-have” Instagram moments, the industry has trained us to equate love with excess.
The Hidden Waste Behind the Big Day
Research shows the average wedding produces 400 pounds of waste. That’s before you even count the carbon footprint of travel, packaging, and fast-fashion gowns worn only once.
Kate admitted she felt torn while shopping for her dress:
“I loved it for the little girl in me who wanted this, but realizing this very expensive garment is only going to be worn once… it tore me apart inside.”
From polyester gowns priced at $8,000 to boutique pressure tactics that feel more like ultimatums, the dress industry alone reveals how weddings push couples toward overspending and overconsumption.
Redefining What a Wedding Looks Like
Instead of a one day blowout, Kate and her husband Jonathan made their wedding more like a road trip of celebrations. They skipped the massive floral arrangements, avoided wasteful favors, and chose terracotta potted herbs as long lasting centerpieces.
They also kept the guest list intentional, focusing on quality time over quantity.
“We wanted food we didn’t have to throw out and time with people that mattered,” Kate shared.
Their wedding included a sunflower for each niece and nephew to carry down the aisle and Moroccan lanterns to honor Jonathan’s heritage. Small details that held meaning.. without excess.
Beyond Instagram Moments
In today’s culture, weddings often become performances for social media. But Kate challenged that:
“We’ve turned weddings into this performance. At the end of the day, as long as you’re marrying someone kind, that’s what matters.”
While social media pressures couples to create “Instagrammable” weddings, the most memorable moments often have nothing to do with décor. For Kate, the most meaningful part came later. Realizing her wedding gave her the last family photos with her mom before she passed away.
Lessons in Love and Sustainability
Kate’s story is both a critique of the wedding industry and a reminder of what really matters:
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Keep it intentional. Ask: does this detail truly add meaning, or is it just tradition/pressure?
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Reuse where you can. Décor, signage, and even attire can live beyond one day.
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Limit waste. Avoid single use favors and over ordering food.
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Honor what matters most. The people, the love, and the memories will last - the stuff won’t.
The Takeaway
At its best, a wedding isn’t about the dress, the flowers, or the Instagram feed. It’s about love, community, and creating memories that last. As Kate puts it:
“It’s not worth it. It’s about the people, not the things. When you know it’s not about the things, it’s just so much nicer.”
