An Italian couple spent just $3,500 on their dream wedding — and managed to keep it zero waste.

Anna Masiello, 28, and Diogo Linhares, 29, decorated their family’s home with vegan unpackaged candles, wore second-hand or recycled clothing and ran through a flurry of heart-shaped leaf confetti and birdseed before serving their guests a sustainably sourced, plant-based menu.

The eco-conscious couple, who met at a zero-waste event in October 2019, are both extremely passionate . . . about reducing waste.

They began a zero-waste lifestyle in June 2020 and wanted their special day to reflect their values and everyday life.

“It was amazing to just strip back the day and get married how we wanted to,” Masiello told South West News Service.

“This is the way we live day to day, so we wanted to apply it to our wedding day, and we wanted to do it our way,” she said. “I also wanted to prove everyone wrong that being sustainable doesn’t mean losing out on anything.”

Masiello, a sustainability influencer, shared the behind-the-scenes hacks of her zero-waste wedding online with her 43,100 Instagram followers.

The bridal party wore second-hand outfits, and the ceremony took place at Masiello’s uncle Federico’s garden in Trieste, Italy, all decorated with second-hand or rented furniture and decor.

Anna had her dress designed from off-cuts of factory materials, which only cost her $450.

The day didn’t go exactly as planned, with the wind and rain forcing the wedding party to relocate to another family member’s covered porch, but there were no complaints.

“It was the most special day,” Masiello said. “It was raining all day, but the sun came out when we exchanged vows in the garden. I felt like a fairy, and we danced the night away.”

The two began dating long distance after meeting in October 2019 and feeling an immediate spark. “I just felt an instant connection. I knew it was meant to be. It was love at first sight,” Masiello explained.

When the COVID-19 lockdowns began in Portugal, Masiello moved from Lisbon to Porto to be with Diogo. “If you can quarantine with somebody, you can get through anything,” she said.

During the pandemic, the couple dedicated themselves to their desire to reduce waste and committed to a zero-waste lifestyle.

The couple cut back on what they buy, so they don’t waste food or plastic. They buy package-free by shopping at a refill store, and they get fruit and vegetables from their local farmer and purchase secondhand clothes and furniture.

The eco-conscious pair produce just one black bin bag of trash every six months and live off a plant-based diet to help reduce their own carbon footprint.

After a little over a year, the couple also decided to commit to each other and got engaged in December 2021 when Diogo proposed with a ring carved from a tree in Anna’s childhood garden.

The couple was married on May 28 in Anna’s uncle’s garden where she wore a linen lilac two-piece set made from recycled fabric. “I loved my dress, and I can wear it again,” she explained. “It was so special to have it designed, and I felt so pretty in it.”

Her outfit was complete with a purple shawl crocheted by her sister and a flower crown fashioned from dried flowers grown in a local woman’s garden. Her bouquet was also made from these flowers and will last forever.

Both mothers also helped out. Anna’s mother made table decorations from upcycled old jars filled with aromatic herbs, which the guests were able to take home, and Diogo’s mother collected dried fallen leaves that were cut into hearts and mixed with birdseed for the confetti.

The wedding guests were also very supportive with some choosing to wear second-hand apparel to fit in with the day, and no one complained about the sustainable-menu options.

“Everyone expects meat and fish at a wedding, but although most of our guests are meat eaters, no one complained,” she said. “There was plenty of food to go around — we’re Italian after all.”

Videos from the day show the beautiful couple making the most of their day smiling despite the rain and dancing the night away with their friends and family.

“The wedding was way beyond my expectations,” Linhares said.

“It felt really good and even with a clear conscience to know that we were having the lowest impact we could on celebrating our union and love.”

“We managed to reflect our core believes and lifestyle on to the wedding through our choices of food, dresses, decorations, etc., and help people realize that you can celebrate your love by being sustainable and without breaking the bank and still have an amazing and memorable day.”