Weddings are rarely environmentally friendly events. It’s no secret that weddings generate a huge amount of waste. Throw-away decorations, lots of items bought specifically for the day that will never be used again Favours bought that end up forgotten about, left on tables and of course the packaging. Not to mention the carbon footprint of all your guests travelling there. There is such a pressure to have the perfect picturesque day and that often comes the desire to buy lots of items to make your wedding more beautiful. However, each of those items is contributing to larger issues. Growing landfills and higher carbon emissions. But, having eco-friendly weddings are very achievable.
I like to think of myself as a bit of an eco-warrior and I have recently made massive changes in my home and to my family’s lifestyle. We have dramatically changed the amount of waste we produce and have moved to a much more sustainable way of living. And whilst this lifestyle is not for everyone, if everyone could make just a few small changes the world would be a much better place. I am a firm believer that everyone should be doing something to save our beautiful planet. Weddings are a huge part of the throw away culture we live in and a lot of it is avoidable. The good news is eco-friendly weddings are on the increase with many couples choosing to be more environmentally friendly and less wasteful.
And more good news… not only could you have a more sustainable wedding that will minimise your big day’s impact on the planet, but it could be a lot more affordable too. Double win! And even better news, you don’t have to compromise on style for sustainability. An increasing number of couples are looking at ways of having an eco-friendly wedding or adopting a few eco-friendly ideas to make their wedding day that bit more sustainable. If you have been considering a more earth conscious wedding, (or maybe you hadn’t but would now like to consider it) I have compiled a list of things for you to consider.
First and foremost, consider if you really need something. If the answer is no, then consider not having it all. If you can’t do without then consider buying second-hand, reusing items and then donating or selling-on items to be re-used after the wedding.
Confetti
Most confetti is bad for the environment, with a lot of varieties containing plastics. Plastic or foil confetti will stick around forever. Even paper varieties have a carbon footprint attached to them and the dye on coloured paper could be harmful to our wildlife. Consider making your confetti yourself. Use dried flower petals, or use leaves and a hole punch. Other options include wildflower seeds (venue permitting), dried lavender or bubbles. You want the memories of your day to last forever, not your confetti.
Balloons
Balloons are fun and make great decorations. But balloons are hugely detrimental to our environment. Balloons and their strings can entangle, choke or kill marine life and other animals. That’s not to mention the wasteful use of helium, a non-renewable resource. You can make your wedding stunning without balloons, you don’t need them. If you were thinking of a balloon or lantern release, consider planting a tree instead. 30 seconds of “ooohhhhh” is just not worth the destruction following it.
Wedding Favours
There are so many eco-friendly options for wedding favours. Get on that Pinterest! Collect jars and you could make homemade jams, toiletries – so many options with those jars! Seeds in parcels made from bits of material cut from a dress you no longer wear. You could consider giving a charity donation in the name of your guest. Grow some plants and double these up and your place cards by labelling them up. The possibilities are endless. How about something crafted or if you’ve got time, get baking! If you’d like some inspiration, I’ve created a Pinterest Board here that you can have a look at.
Email Invitations
Most people use email regularly now. You could still have beautiful invitations, just consider sending them electronically instead and have a small amount printed for those who don’t use email. This is a big money saver as well! Or, If you want to get really creative you could record personalised invite videos or even hire a Videographer to do something really special!
Gifts
What do you need? Be honest. Most couples live together before marriage, or have lived independently. So whilst traditionally gifts would be items for the couple’s new home – these aren’t really needed anymore. What tends to happen is people get wine or personalised gifts. Whilst these are lovely, there’s only so many Mr & Mrs ornaments you want to display in your home. And besides, what one person finds lovely, another won’t and many gifts will end up shoved in the back of a drawer out of sight. It is becoming increasingly popular now to ask for money towards the honeymoon instead with a fun poem inside the invitation. Asking for charity donations is also a pretty cool thing to do!
Hiring, rather than buying
Goes for most items really! suits, dresses, decorations. It will likely work out cheaper, items are reused, lower carbon footprint – all positives.
Pre-loved
There is absolutely no shame in buying second hand. Apart from saving a fortune, it’s less items going to landfill. Facebook is a great place to find wedding decor. Charity shops are bursting with wedding dresses people have donated. It may take a little hunting time and some might be a little “questionable” but you may just find the one! Have a look on Ebay too.
I found my wedding dress on a Facebook selling site. I already knew what type of dress I wanted and it fit the bill. The lady I bought it from was more than happy for me to go and try it on before I bought it and it was perfect. As i’m sure you know wedding dresses can take a huge chunk of the budget and by buying my dress this way I saved £800 out of my dress budget. The amount of work that goes into creating a wedding dress, and the cost of them, it’s such a shame that so many of them are only worn once. Especially when after a clean they still look like new.
Bridesmaids’ and Groomsmen Outfits
Buy outfits that they can wear again and get the use out of, or donate/sell on afterwards.
Decorations
This is another area where Pinterest is going to be your best friend. You can probably decorate your entire wedding without really buying anything if you really put your mind to it. Make bunting out of old patterned fabrics. Grow your own flowers and put them in jars, tins and containers you’ve collected. You could make your own candles in teacups sourced from charity shops. You can really have fun with this. I’ve created another Pinterest Board for inspiration for you. Sell/donate your decorations afterwards to be re-used or use them around your home.
Food
It’s a lot easier to control your food choices if you are using independent caterers. If you are using a caterer, choose a company who sources local produce. I have also recently read about weddings catered for by waste food companies such as The Real Junk Food Project, which uses food otherwise destined for the bin reducing the amount of perfectly edible food going to waste.
Couples tying the knot at indoor venues such as hotels may find it more difficult to go for Eco options. However, there are still a few things you can do. Opt for a menu where any fruit/veg is in season and is grown in the UK. If you are having a separate evening party where a second meal or buffet will be served, cater for less guests than you need. Many guests will still be full from your wedding reception or only want something small. This goes for your cake too, not everyone will have some cake. If you do have left over cake, distribute it out afterwards or freeze it, don’t waste it!
Flowers
Local flowers! Imported cut flowers have a massive carbon footprint. If you’ve got green thumbs It could also be an option to grow your own flowers, if you have the time and patience. Personally, for me I wouldn’t be able to. I’m not good with anything gardening related but for some it could be a really good option! Ask your florist to not wrap your flowers in plastic and to find a more sustainable option.
Have you considered artificial flowers? Silk flowers can be really beautiful and of course will last unlike real flowers. I had silk flowers from Silk Floral Art in Riccall. 2 years on and my wedding flowers are still as beautiful as the day I bought them, my bridesmaids were able to keep their bouquets too. Her work is stunning and I would recommend her any day. Whilst admittedly, I am not entirely sure about the carbon footprint attached to silk flowers, afterwards you will have an arrangement that you can keep forever.
I have recently discovered an amazing site that can pair you with some amazing suppliers that will help you on your journey to having an eco-friendly wedding. It’s definitely worth a look and you can find it here.
Would you like to hear more about my wedding photography? You can hear all about my packages and see my portfolio here. I’d love to hear about your wedding.