Over the last ten years, climate change has been a significant consideration in our lives. While a decade ago, we were only scratching the surface of our responsibility to create more eco-friendly solutions to our everyday lives – today many of us insist on being more responsible when it comes to our impact on the planet.
The world is suffering due to the way we live our life from the ecological impact of farming, all the way through to the pollution of our seas and draining the worlds natural resources. The population is still growing at a high rate, and our beautiful planet is struggling to keep up.
While it may not be the most romantic thought to run through your head when planning a wedding, there is no escaping that tying the knot is an expensive and wasteful process from the travel, to the food waste and flowers that are sourced, even the confetti that we throw. Our wedding traditions are no longer socially responsible, and it’s time to start thinking about the impact our big days have on the environment. Many of us now live a more sustainable life, but is it possible to have a green wedding?
Planning your wedding around the environment doesn’t mean making huge sacrifices that will affect the impact of your special day. While it may not be entirely possible to have a carbon-neutral wedding, there are multiple ways you can be more responsible and deliver a marriage that is better for the planet and still provides memories and moments that will amaze your guests and bring everyone together.
One of the best places to start is choosing the location of your wedding, depending on where your friends and family live. An eco wedding would involve as little travel as possible for everyone. This will probably be one of the hardest elements of creating an eco wedding and is why creating a completely carbon neutral wedding is so hard. If you are really dedicated to reducing your impact on the environment, then you could consider having a local only wedding. Setting a radius around the venue and only inviting friends and family from within that circle. You could use the internet to live stream the big day and explain to your guests why you have opted to get married this way. Of course, that isn’t going to work for everyone. Especially if your parents live in another country and you want your father to walk you down the aisle. The next best thing is to reduce the amount of travel involved where possible. Pull up your guest list and then look at a location which minimises the amount of travel for everyone. This will lower the carbon footprint of your wedding without you having to sacrifice your guests. You could also encourage your friends and family to offset their travel. When you send out your wedding invitations why not explain you want to reduce the impact the big day has on the planet and ask those who are travelling further distances to find the most environmentally way to travel, or to make some small changes in the lead up to your wedding which will help keep their carbon footprint to a minimum. You can even list ways they could do this, to give them some ideas. Just respect that not everyone will have the same passion you do, however, you might springboard some of your guests into making small changes in their lives!
Once you have chosen a venue, then do your research on their commitment to the environment. There are some simple questions you can ask about the way they handle the waste. You can discuss their recycling processes and even ask them what cleaning products they use. If the venue is doing your catering, then talk to them about sourcing the ingredients locally and work with them on a menu which is designed to reduce waste. Instead of having a sizeable sit-down meal where the plates are dished up by the chef, why not consider a buffet for your wedding breakfast? Your guests can help themselves to food and return if they want more, rather than being served a plate which might have too much food on for them to eat. This will encourage a less wasteful approach.
Save the Date and invitations are usually sent out in printed form. Traditionally these are beautiful notes on special paper, and a lot of thought goes into the design. However, you can help the environment by opting for recycled paper and instead of printing them, handwrite all your invitations. While it may not be possible to deliver them all by hand, consider this an option for anyone in your local area. If you want to go completely carbon neutral, you could consider doing all your wedding communications by email. Some great companies offer this service, and this will reduce all overall emissions of your big day.
You might think that your wedding dress is one area that you can’t incorporate into a green wedding. The bride’s dress is usually one of the most essential items. It is something many women have thought about for years before they even get engaged! A wedding dress is so personal to a bride that many will opt for a completely new design or might have negative feelings towards wearing a dress that was owned by another bride. There are some fantastic ways you can make your dress a little more eco friendly. If you are speaking to a dressmaker, then ask them what fabrics they can source that are sustainable or recycled materials. There are some really exciting options available that look as beautiful as more traditional materials. You could also consider taking a vintage dress and having your dressmaker restyle it for you. Of course, if you really don’t want to compromise on the dress you have in mind, then why not consider what happens after your wedding. Selling your dress to another bride could be an option and can be a romantic gesture. Alternatively, you could look at ways of repurposing your dress after the big day. Creating some beautiful items from your home that will ensure your day is a part of your life wherever you live and can be passed down through the generations of your family.
Every wedding will have flowers. Unfortunately, this can mean more emissions spent on sourcing the flowers. When thinking about your scheme for the wedding, you could put some thought into where your flowers are coming from. Finding a local florist who has a passion for their industry and for sustainability is a great place to start. They can help you find the flowers that are native to your area. You should also work with flowers that are in season and where possibly grow naturally. If you want to take it to a deeper level, then avoid using cut flowers. Potted arrangements can look stunning on the tables and around the church, they can be replanted after your wedding day so that they can live on and add a benefit to our environment. It is even possible to have a potted bouquet for your wedding. Some weddings have used herbs to decorate the tables and the church. This can give a lovely effect, and your guests can take them home after the wedding giving them a beautiful memory of your day, while also encouraging them to become a little more sustainable in the way they live their life.
One of the latest buzz words when it comes to responsible living is ‘vegan’ or, plant-based diets. This reduces the emissions caused by farming and can reduce the amount of travel for our food. Of course, trying to convince your guests that a plant-based menu will be great might be tough! Instead, try to find a balance. Make sure all of the ingredients you buy are locally sourced. You may find you have an incredible butcher nearby or cows that are reared on a farm just a few miles from you. Also remember you need to think local to the venue, not local to your home! You should also consider your wine and beers. There are so many local breweries and vineyards now. You may even find craft spirits local to the venue. This could increase the cost of your wedding; however, if you set a budget and keep everything simple, let the products speak for themselves. You might find you can use less to deliver a better experience for everyone.
When it comes to the showpieces such as the set design of the reception, photography and confetti, you can get really creative. Working with an upcycler or restoration yard is an excellent way of filling your venue responsibly. Instead of using tables, you could use stacked pallets. Instead of expensive lighting, consider LED candles or natural candlelight. Your confetti could be a seed bomb, instead of having small bits of paper thrown at you as you walk out of the church, your guests could throw birdseed. This might sound strange; however, traditional confetti was either bird seed or plant seeds. Not only are you sticking to tradition, but you are also feeding the natural wildlife and being less wasteful. You are enriching the environment around you.
Creating an utterly eco-friendly wedding can be a tricky business. Still, it is certainly possible to reduce the impact your big day has on the environment, without losing any of the magic and sparkle!
