28/03/2022
Sustainable Wedding Ideas
Article Published 14/07/2023
Sustainable or 'green' weddings are becoming increasingly popular as people are becoming more eco-friendly and consciously aware of the consumption of resources that are typically used within a traditional wedding and the impact it may have on the environment. Couples nowadays are incorporating eco-friendly and sustainable alternatives to be used as part of their wedding which may include ethical sustainable materials for their wedding attire i.e dresses/suits, creating their own DIY wedding favours, biodegradable confetti, reusable wedding decor... the list goes on!
If you are considering a green wedding, the best way is to start planning how your choices can be a difference to the environment, i'm going to give you some helpful tips for you to consider/incorporate into your own wedding planning. .
Location-Choosing your location to be more sustainable can be considered. Why not consider an outdoor wedding, the only downfall is that you unfortunately cannot predict the weather on your big day so that does need to be factored in. I would always advise a back up plan if the weather does take a turn for the worse, if you don't have a back up plan, you may not be able to relocate inside a venue as this was not agreed with the venue and you will have to go ahead with the wedding outside regardless of the weather or at an additional cost which may affect your wedding budget, should you have one. You can also ask your venue if they provide eco-friendly practices, ie. recycling or even donating leftovers from the event, food for example that may be able to be taken to a local food bank. If you can choose a location that is close by to you to reduce your carbon footprint, even better! Another factor to consider is choosing a location where you can all your wedding in one location rather than multiple venues.
Transport-If you are expecting quite a large number of guests to be invited to your wedding, why not consider the option of hiring a coach for your guests to arrive and leave on your big day? If you can arrange an electric coach hire, this is even better for the environment, reducing the carbon footprint and C02 emissions from individual guests arriving in their own vehicles instead. If this is not an option, encourage your guests to consider carsharing or even using public transport to get to the venue instead. Every little helps!
Wedding Decor-There are plenty of tips, tricks and tutorials online that can be followed to create your own wedding decor instead of purchasing brand new. Consider the option of reusable wedding decor too, places like Amazon, Ebay, Etsy or Facebook Marketplace are great places to look. Buying second hand will not only save you money in the long run but also gives you the option after your big day is over to consider selling them on again for another couple to consider using them. If you wish to consider decorating your venue with your chosen colour theme, if you have one, considering using rice paper lanterns, which can be purchased in a variety of colours and are a great alternative to using plastic balloons, you can still use balloons, just consider biogradable ones instead. Consider using biogradable confetti or rose petals, this simple hack will make an impact in itself to the environment. There is also the option to consider using glass jars with fairy lights in to be placed on the guests tables for a subtle glow or consider using candles in glass jars, which can be reused all year round. There are so many eco-friendly wedding decorations for you to consider, its just a case of planning and shopping around for ideas!
Guests-The option to consider reducing the number of guests that you invite to your wedding is also an option. For some couples, budget may not allow to have absolutely everyone attending your big day. Remember, it's fine to admit if this is the case, especially within the financial crisis we face at the moment. Again, by reducing the number of guests, this will reduce the carbon footprint.
Invitations- The use of E-invites is becoming super popular, this is a great way of branching out to your guests via email or even SMS to invite them along to your big day. Venuelook.com is one of the websites i came across, which allows you to explore templates, designs and send your invites via Whatsapp for FREE reducing paper waste and cost of sending invitations via the post.
Wedding Outfits-There are so many beautiful companies & designers out there that offer ethical and sustainable wedding attire. Places like Moss Bros, a popular high street store has sustainable suits that are available and still look very dappa and stylish! The Natural Wedding Company, OneWed & Still White are also great websites to browse to look for sustainable, ethical and second hand wedding dresses- they really are beautiful and ethically made, what's not to love?! There is also the option to consider renting your wedding attire, if you are not particularly bothered about buying your attire out right. Just be sure to return the items back to them in the condition that they were given to you, otherwise you may be left with a bill to pay for any damages.
Wedding Favours- To make your wedding favours eco-friendly and sustainable, instead of having name cards on the table, why not considering having wedding biscuits and icing their names on them. This is a tasty treat for your guests and also reduces waste of card/paper used to make the name placement in the first place. Consider handmade soaps or handmade candles for wedding favours, which can be bought online from Amazon or from local stores like HobbyCraft, if you one is available within your area. They take minimal time to prepare and make the cutest wedding favours to give to guests. I made some myself and was shocked with how little preparation it took to create such wonderful gifts. Get creative by adding your own oils, smells and colours to really make them pop! Wrap them in biogradable tissue paper to finish them off! A simple pack of flower seeds to be placed on the table as wedding favours is also a great idea, your guests can plant the love when they get home and let love grow!
Wedding Food- Have you considered a vegan wedding? We all know the benefits of a non-meat diet to the environment, it may be a great way of introducing vegan food to your guests. I have personally tried vegan food and it is delicious! If this is a step too far, consider local caterers or local farms who source their meat organically. As noted earlier, be sure to ask your venue is there is a possibility that any leftover food that is fine to keep can be donated to a local food bank to reduce waste.
Flowers-Why not consider using a local florist, to support local businesses. Be sure to ask your florist to shop local and seasonally, for flowers that are in season and are grown without pesticides. Online companies also offer eco-friendly wedding bouquets to be delivered, just be sure that they arrive on time if you do consider this option. Zerowasted.co.uk is a great website to use if you are considering eco-friendly flower delivery, they offer 100% plastic free/recyclable packaging whilst also donating 10% of profits to Mental Health UK Charity, they offer a beautiful range of fresh and dried flowers which are all responsibly and ethically sourced.
Wedding Cake-Why not consider for your wedding cake, if you decide to have one, a wedding cake made with organic ingredients and decorated with fresh flowers. Consider a vegan wedding cake, whilst vegan cakes should also look to source locally for ingredients, having a vegan cake in itself will help your wedding to be more eco-friendly. As this way of living has become more mainstream, many bakeries will offer vegan cakes as an option. Be sure to sample different cakes that are locally sourced with organic ingredients with your chosen wedding caterer.
There are a number of other ideas for you to consider for your sustainable weddings but i hope this gives you an insight in how switching up some factors on the day can really make a difference to the environment.
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Green Weddings
Sustainable or 'green' weddings are becoming increasingly popular as people are becoming more eco-friendly and consciously aware of the consumption of resources that are typically used within a traditional wedding and the impact it may have on the environment. Couples nowadays are incorporating eco-friendly and sustainable alternatives to be used as part of their wedding which may include ethical sustainable materials for their wedding attire i.e dresses/suits, creating their own DIY wedding favours, biodegradable confetti, reusable wedding decor... the list goes on!
If you are considering a green wedding, the best way is to start planning how your choices can be a difference to the environment, i'm going to give you some helpful tips for you to consider/incorporate into your own wedding planning. .
Location-Choosing your location to be more sustainable can be considered. Why not consider an outdoor wedding, the only downfall is that you unfortunately cannot predict the weather on your big day so that does need to be factored in. I would always advise a back up plan if the weather does take a turn for the worse, if you don't have a back up plan, you may not be able to relocate inside a venue as this was not agreed with the venue and you will have to go ahead with the wedding outside regardless of the weather or at an additional cost which may affect your wedding budget, should you have one. You can also ask your venue if they provide eco-friendly practices, ie. recycling or even donating leftovers from the event, food for example that may be able to be taken to a local food bank. If you can choose a location that is close by to you to reduce your carbon footprint, even better! Another factor to consider is choosing a location where you can all your wedding in one location rather than multiple venues.
Transport-If you are expecting quite a large number of guests to be invited to your wedding, why not consider the option of hiring a coach for your guests to arrive and leave on your big day? If you can arrange an electric coach hire, this is even better for the environment, reducing the carbon footprint and C02 emissions from individual guests arriving in their own vehicles instead. If this is not an option, encourage your guests to consider carsharing or even using public transport to get to the venue instead. Every little helps!
Wedding Decor-There are plenty of tips, tricks and tutorials online that can be followed to create your own wedding decor instead of purchasing brand new. Consider the option of reusable wedding decor too, places like Amazon, Ebay, Etsy or Facebook Marketplace are great places to look. Buying second hand will not only save you money in the long run but also gives you the option after your big day is over to consider selling them on again for another couple to consider using them. If you wish to consider decorating your venue with your chosen colour theme, if you have one, considering using rice paper lanterns, which can be purchased in a variety of colours and are a great alternative to using plastic balloons, you can still use balloons, just consider biogradable ones instead. Consider using biogradable confetti or rose petals, this simple hack will make an impact in itself to the environment. There is also the option to consider using glass jars with fairy lights in to be placed on the guests tables for a subtle glow or consider using candles in glass jars, which can be reused all year round. There are so many eco-friendly wedding decorations for you to consider, its just a case of planning and shopping around for ideas!
Guests-The option to consider reducing the number of guests that you invite to your wedding is also an option. For some couples, budget may not allow to have absolutely everyone attending your big day. Remember, it's fine to admit if this is the case, especially within the financial crisis we face at the moment. Again, by reducing the number of guests, this will reduce the carbon footprint.
Invitations- The use of E-invites is becoming super popular, this is a great way of branching out to your guests via email or even SMS to invite them along to your big day. Venuelook.com is one of the websites i came across, which allows you to explore templates, designs and send your invites via Whatsapp for FREE reducing paper waste and cost of sending invitations via the post.
Wedding Outfits-There are so many beautiful companies & designers out there that offer ethical and sustainable wedding attire. Places like Moss Bros, a popular high street store has sustainable suits that are available and still look very dappa and stylish! The Natural Wedding Company, OneWed & Still White are also great websites to browse to look for sustainable, ethical and second hand wedding dresses- they really are beautiful and ethically made, what's not to love?! There is also the option to consider renting your wedding attire, if you are not particularly bothered about buying your attire out right. Just be sure to return the items back to them in the condition that they were given to you, otherwise you may be left with a bill to pay for any damages.
Wedding Favours- To make your wedding favours eco-friendly and sustainable, instead of having name cards on the table, why not considering having wedding biscuits and icing their names on them. This is a tasty treat for your guests and also reduces waste of card/paper used to make the name placement in the first place. Consider handmade soaps or handmade candles for wedding favours, which can be bought online from Amazon or from local stores like HobbyCraft, if you one is available within your area. They take minimal time to prepare and make the cutest wedding favours to give to guests. I made some myself and was shocked with how little preparation it took to create such wonderful gifts. Get creative by adding your own oils, smells and colours to really make them pop! Wrap them in biogradable tissue paper to finish them off! A simple pack of flower seeds to be placed on the table as wedding favours is also a great idea, your guests can plant the love when they get home and let love grow!
Wedding Food- Have you considered a vegan wedding? We all know the benefits of a non-meat diet to the environment, it may be a great way of introducing vegan food to your guests. I have personally tried vegan food and it is delicious! If this is a step too far, consider local caterers or local farms who source their meat organically. As noted earlier, be sure to ask your venue is there is a possibility that any leftover food that is fine to keep can be donated to a local food bank to reduce waste.
Flowers-Why not consider using a local florist, to support local businesses. Be sure to ask your florist to shop local and seasonally, for flowers that are in season and are grown without pesticides. Online companies also offer eco-friendly wedding bouquets to be delivered, just be sure that they arrive on time if you do consider this option. Zerowasted.co.uk is a great website to use if you are considering eco-friendly flower delivery, they offer 100% plastic free/recyclable packaging whilst also donating 10% of profits to Mental Health UK Charity, they offer a beautiful range of fresh and dried flowers which are all responsibly and ethically sourced.
Wedding Cake-Why not consider for your wedding cake, if you decide to have one, a wedding cake made with organic ingredients and decorated with fresh flowers. Consider a vegan wedding cake, whilst vegan cakes should also look to source locally for ingredients, having a vegan cake in itself will help your wedding to be more eco-friendly. As this way of living has become more mainstream, many bakeries will offer vegan cakes as an option. Be sure to sample different cakes that are locally sourced with organic ingredients with your chosen wedding caterer.
There are a number of other ideas for you to consider for your sustainable weddings but i hope this gives you an insight in how switching up some factors on the day can really make a difference to the environment.
Recently engaged? Find Wedding Photographers and Videographers all in one place! See exact prices, availability, message and book safely and securely... All for FREE . Compare wedding photographers & videographers
Browse all our amazing suppliers now https://bit.ly/3bgLkFe
