Ardenwood Events Brings Sustainability To Weddings / Corporate Events

As the Millennial and Gen Z generations continue to increase their buying power, more and more businesses are realizing the need to incorporate sustainable initiatives into their mission. Consumers aren’t just making eco-friendly choices in their personal lives — sustainability is also top of mind when they’re deciding where to eat, shop, and gather. 

“Sustainability is a lifestyle, and a huge part of our business philosophy,” said Lindsey Caravelli, the General Manager and Venue Coordinator at Ardenwood Events, a wedding and events company located in the California Bay Area. “We heavily highlight this part of our business in our mission statement.”

In a single week, businesses can prevent thousands of single-use plastic bottles from polluting our planet by providing paper instead of plastic. Tap water has always been the best option when it comes to hydration. But as we navigate toward a new normal following the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be situations when packaged hydration is necessary or the only option. Businesses have the ability to help their communities while saving the planet from single-use plastic and aluminum. 

Caravelli knew single-use plastic was being used heavily throughout the wedding and events industry. Saving the planet may require thinking and acting differently, but her team at Ardenwood Events knew it would be worth it - and necessary if they wanted to preserve the ambiance of Ardenwood Historic Farm. The historic venue features expansive gardens surrounded by an abundance of trees — a dream setting for outdoor enthusiasts in the market for a wedding venue or corporate event space.

“Our business is run out of a regional park and we couldn’t love the natural beauty more,” she said. 

When Caravelli’s team made the commitment to eliminate plastic from Ardenwood’s cafe, they knew it would be an investment in the planet.

“Every action we take is with consideration of how it will affect our planet,” she said.
Caravelli said eliminating single-use plastic water bottles was at the top of her to-do list. The cafe now serves Boxed Water Is Better.

“It was highly important to me that we display and sell non-plastic bottles,” she said.  “We get many comments on the Boxed Water — some of our visitors are in awe that they’re drinking water from a box. Others think it's really cool because they've never seen it before, and some buy it just because they like that carton feel (like an old school milk carton).”

Ardenwood Events has now completely eliminated single-use plastic at their cafe. They’ve also integrated compost and recycling systems and use solar-powered lighting throughout the grounds. They even partner with Repurposed Rose to recycle gently-used floral arrangements and deliver them to hospitals and community centers for people to enjoy. Caravelli said her team is constantly on the lookout for additional ways to make their event space more eco-friendly. 

“The only way to change the world is to be the change and teach others,” she said. “We feel so lucky to be operating in such a special location and make all decisions with the environment and people in our community as our first priority.”

Ardenwood Events is a proud member of the Boxed Water wholesale program. Interested in our wholesale perks? Click here to learn more.