Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life, so it’s understandable that you want to make it as perfect as it can be. However, this doesn’t always sit comfortably with our desire to look after our planet and be as eco-conscious as possible.
I believe that you can have a beautiful and more sustainable wedding without compromising on style, substance or budget. In fact it can even enhance the whole experience and often save you a few pennies along the way.
Here are 9 of my favourite ways to easily add a more eco-friendly option into your wedding planning:
1. Stationery
There are so many more sustainable options for your stationery than ever before.
Make sure you are creating your stationery using recycled and/or recyclable materials.
Steer clear of the glitter and diamante embellishments and opt for more natural materials.
You can even create your invites on plantable seed paper for an added element of fun for your guests after the big day.
Our Monte Carlo collection is designed with sustainability at the heart of it. Made from 100% recycled card and natural jute string, all elements can be fully recycled. Wanting more sustainable options to match your theme? Book a consultation to discuss how we can tailor your design.
2. Flowers
This is often considered the most wasteful aspect of a wedding day but it doesn’t have to be. Here are three easy ways to make the floral decor more eco-conscious:
Pick seasonal flowers. Speak to your florist about the most sustainable options for the time of year you are getting married and work together to create a beautiful design that is kinder to the planet while still adding the wow factor you want.
Re-use your bouquets. For my wedding I asked the florist to set up 5 vases on the top table for the bridal and bridesmaids bouquets. Once we’d finished with the photos we simply popped them into the vases ready for the wedding breakfast. Not only did they add a beautiful focal point to the room, but it saved money on more unnecessary flowers and avoided my bouquet discolouring throughout the day.
Gift your centrepieces. Choose one person from each table to give the floral centrepiece to at the end of the wedding. They can then take this away with them to brighten up their home with a lovely memory of the day and saves them being thrown in the bin the following day.
4. Venue
When choosing your venue, it is often unavoidable to have some guests travelling large distances. However, it is worth considering where the majority of your guests will be travelling from and looking into locations that could minimise travel.
Also grill your venue on their sustainable credentials. Most venues these days should have a sustainability policy and should be able to provide you with ways they will be able to make your wedding day more sustainable.
These questions can easily highlight venues who prioritise sustainability and can therefore help you choose a venue that is most aligned with your values.
4. Favours
Many people consider favours to be an unnecessary waste, yet it seems to still be a firm favourite that people don’t want to abandon altogether. So rather than wasting money on the traditional sugared almonds that nobody eats, why not consider an environmentally friendly option such as a mini succulent plant or a pack of seeds that can provide a lasting memory of your wedding day.
On my wedding day, we chose to forego traditional wedding favours and opted to use the money we saved to donate to two charities close to our hearts.
5. Confetti
There is no doubt that 'the confetti shot’ can be one of the more fun, memorable and natural photos you get from your wedding day. You don’t need to sacrifice this special moment to achieve a sustainable wedding.
Use real dried petals for your confetti. Not only is it fully biodegradable, but its also smells amazing.
Also consider your packaging. Make sure you are using recyclable paper/card or glassine for your cones/bags. And allocate someone to collect up waste at the end to ensure is it properly recycled.
View our full eco-friendly confetti collection here.
6. Decor
Think about what decor elements you need/want at your venue. Use elements such as boxes, crates, candle holders, photo frames that you will want to repurpose around your home after the big day is over.
Why not create a box/crate for your cards that can be used for your wedding keepsakes after the big day.
If you cannot think of a way you will repurpose any element after the day is over, why not see if you can hire it from your venue/prop company rather than purchasing it?
7. Menu
Food is such a special part of your wedding day and is one of the most obvious ways you can reduce your carbon footprint. You do not have to compromise on quality here either. In fact, requesting food to be more sustainably sourced by your caterer, often means you are getting better quality and fresher ingredients.
Speak to your caterer/venue about what sustainable options they can incorporate into your wedding menu. Many caterers may already be choosing to use local farms and other suppliers which reduces the carbon footprint while supporting the local economy.
8. Suppliers
Do some research into the sustainability credentials of the suppliers you use for your wedding day. This is a reasonable question to ask of any supplier and they should be able to quickly and easily respond with the steps they are taking to be more environmentally friendly.
Are the wedding gowns ethically produced? Where does your cake makers get their ingredients from? How does your stationer reduce waste? Does your hair & make-up artist use ethical brands?
These are all questions every supplier should be able to easily answer and it can guide you in making more ethical choices when selected your suppliers that are aligned with your passions and priorities.
9. Honeymoon
There is no getting away from the fact that travel is one of the least environmentally friendly aspects of a wedding. But I certainly don’t believe that you should have to have a staycation on an eco-lodge in the UK (although that would be equally incredible if that is what you choose to do!)
There are however, several things you can do to reduce the environmental impact of your travel. Consider what area of the world you want to travel to and do some research into sustainable travel companies in that area. They can help you to create your dream trip while reducing aspects you may not even have considered.
Look at supporting the local economy you are travelling to. Stay in hotels run by the local community, eat out at local restaurants etc. To really immerse yourself in the local community why not look out for volunteering opportunities? There are many incredible life experiences available with just a little more research into your chosen area.
How can I help your with your sustainable wedding?
Want to discuss how I can help you achieve your dream sustainable stationery? Send me an email on info@ellbespokedesigns.com or book a consultation below.
What is your top tip to reduce the environmental impact of your wedding day? I would love to hear what steps you are all taking to better look after the planet while still planning your dream day.
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