Having a Sustainable Wedding? Tips on how to have an environmentally friendly wedding!
If you think you won’t be able to avoid plastic, try to hire things instead!
Are you one of those people who’s considering more eco-friendly solutions to your everyday life, but don’t know where to start with weddings? There’s a lot of waste people don’t consider from weddings — leftover food, decor, plastic packaging, not to mention all the confetti and the carbon footprint coming from your travelling guests. In 2018, Sky Ocean Rescue found that a typical UK wedding generates approximately 18 kg of plastic waste where the typical offenders are plastic cups, water bottles, disposable decorations, gift bags, fake confetti and wrapping paper. As well as this, 77 Diamonds found that as many as 14.5 tonnes of gas will be created during an average celebration. With roughly 250,000 weddings taking place yearly, a staggering 3,625,000 tonnes of gas is emitted yearly in the UK.
So what can we do to make a difference to our environment and improve our planet, while also having the best day of our lives? You don’t have to give up the luxuries and traditions to have your dream wedding. No one’s suggesting you need to cut down on the things you’ve been dreaming of — that dress you want and those favours you thought of will still be amazing. We’ve got some great ‘green’ suggestions to help you save the planet while you enjoy your big day!
Firstly, try to cut down on single-use plastic for your wedding. Keep an eye on any confetti that you give out to your guests; it’s been proven that plastic doesn’t biodegrade; it’s thrown on the floor, washed down drains, tossed into landfill and sometimes, ending up on beaches. Instead, how about some paper confetti, or reusable fabric confetti? You could buy some fabric-made confetti that matches your theme; autumn leaves for an autumn wedding or flowers in the spring. Fabric made means it’s easier to clear up and collect for future events, and it’s easier to biodegrade. Of course, paper biodegrades much faster, which is why it’s great for an outdoor ceremony. Paper is always a great replacement for single-use plastic, even including wrappers for sweets! There are plenty of special caterers providing sweetie carts for wedding events, but there’s always the chance they’ll have sweets wrapped in plastic wrappers that just end up in the bin and eventually landfill. Why not talk to these caterers about replacing these sweets with something else, or providing an open pick and mix with paper bags? That way everyone can have their own choice and still have a great novelty! You can also look into caterers who promote themselves as environmentally friendly, and local caterers in your area who can help you with your green ideas for your wedding.
If you think you won’t be able to avoid plastic, try to hire things instead. You can avoid waste from things you’re just going to use for one day, such as your wedding dress (as much as you might want to keep it!). There are pre-owned dress shops scattered around, just give it a good internet search to see what you’d like! You can always go to a charity shop like the Oxfam bridal store or check places like eBay for people personally selling their dresses. If it doesn’t fit perfectly, there are tailor shops around to help adjust the clothing to your size. Then, once you’re done, you can donate it to someone else who might be less able to get a designer dress or someone who had the same idea as you! You can also hire out decorations and bouquets for the different sections of your day, allowing them to be taken away and reused time and time again for more events. Real flowers are beautiful, and we aren’t proposing you choose between real and reusable — we’re simply adding more ideas to the list of things you can choose from for your wedding.
If you’d like to add more to the Zero-Waste list, consider sending e-vites out to your guests instead of paper invitations. If you still feel like you’re missing that personalised unique feel, have a search for artists that are currently taking commission orders. There are plenty waiting for customers like yourself to contact them and help you create the perfect image to invite your guests. If you like the idea of bespoke wedding invitations, why not talk with your stationer about what materials they use? Avoid plastic-based embellishments like tiny jewels, and ask for their suggestions on how to create the invitations you want. Another waste that isn’t often thought of is all of the photos that are printed out. We are living in a digital age, where technology is constantly in our pockets! If you or your family/guests want photos from your wedding to keep, why not discuss with your photographer about printing off a select few photos, then keeping the rest on a memory stick? That way anyone else wanting photos will have easy access to them!
Also, try to investigate the suppliers closest to you and your venue. This not only cuts down on the carbon footprint for them is travelling, but also puts money back into your local community! To go one step further, check with your caterers if they use local ingredients from your area. Cake makers included — eggs and milk can be readily available at local farm shops with the same benefits, and if you’re looking to have vegan or veggie options, do some research into caterers around your area to find ingredients and menus that would have a perfect home on at your wedding dinner. Have a check with your family and friends to see if there are any connections you can use to find a great cake baker for your wedding — after all, one of the main points of marketing before the internet was word of mouth! If you’re working with a local planner or décor supplier, why not ask for their advice on zero-waste/environmentally friendly wedding favours? You could provide wildflower seeds that people could plant; the flowers that bloom will be a constant reminder of your wonderful day for your guests. Or you could wrap some small jar soy candles with a scent that people will forever associate with your big day!
When you arrange to request for money instead of gifts at your wedding, you can often end up with bottles of alcohol you didn’t ask for (champagne, etc.), so why not set up a wish list of things on your invite/e-vite that you don’t mind being bought, such as donations to charities that you love? Alternatively, you could always set up a money pot for those who feel obliged to bring a gift, and arrange for your guests to have easy access to it; either at the event on online through a payment service.
When you do have your honeymoon, you could always consider more environmentally friendly options. If you’re fond of a warm holiday, how about ditching the airport and heading for a cruise instead? There are loads of destination options and all-inclusivities available for you both to be pampered without worrying about your carbon footprint. Though if you’re wary of costs, there are countless options in your own country! A train to a holiday town, or even a train to a camping holiday! Now I know at least one of you reading this has upturned your nose at camping for a holiday, but have no fear — there’s an alternative called glamping, which brings the novelty of having a tent with all the amenities of home brought/given to you! Comfy blankets, refreshing air, heating, hot tubs, kitchens, showers, toilets — sounds great right? Of course, there are also holiday resorts in the UK such as Centre Parcs that aren’t just for family holidays but also provide that wonderful romantic feel with the comfort of knowing you’re helping save climate change and restoring the planet that we all inhabit.
Let us know if you have any more ideas for how to create your green wedding, especially if it includes zero-waste ideas!
See you next week.
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Photo credit: @wesnerrrodriguess, @doitfordavid_(insta), @daisygiggles (etsy), @LittleGreenWedding (etsy)
