Eco Friendly Wedding

The Eco-friendly wedding!

Weddings and being kind to the environment, are probably not two themes that are often thought of in the same sentence. Think of the décor and packaging, the food waste, the carbon footprint of the guests travelling and that’s just for starters
With our throwaway society and oceans filling with plastic constantly in the news, a growing number of couples are looking for ways to have an eco-wedding or at the very least make their wedding a little more sustainable.
You might be looking for your day to be completely green or just looking for some simple eco-friendly ideas that will get your guests talking and thinking about the impact we all have.
Here are some ideas which could give a fantastic reduce, reuse, recycle theme to your wedding, the key to these ideas is that they should be rewarding not a chore!

Eco Friendly Venues

Having your wedding ceremony and reception in the same place will not only save you money, everyone and everything is in one place reducing carbon emissions!
Choose a local venue and ask about their recycling/energy efficiency policies. You could go completely green and have your wedding in the great outdoors with no cover or opt for the more practical happy medium and hire a wonderful marquee delivered by a local marquee supplier. You can rest assured your marquee will be re-used time and time again.

Wedding Marquees

Eco Friendly Wedding Stationery

Save the Date cards, Invitations, RSVP’s, Order of Service, Menu, Seating Plans are just some of the stationery produce for the big day!
This means a lot of paper and potentially a lot of waste.
Using e-invites web-sites will save trees and money, and still gives those wanting an invite for the mantlepiece the option to print.
There are heaps of creative ways to send e-invites, including videos, photos, and as they are delivered via e-mail it can mean you will get your RSVP’s quicker.

Alternatively make sure your invites are fully recyclable, anything stuck to the stationery, glitter, ribbon, glue etc make the paper impossible to recycle.
Choose invites that are made from recycled materials, plantable wildflower seed paper not only looks stunning but your guests and the bees can enjoy the wild flowers long after the big day is over!
Take all this one step further and use overhead screen presentations for the order of service and table plans!

https://plantableseedpaper.co.uk/eco-weddings/

Eco Friendly Catering

Search around for a local catering company that has a strong eco-ethos and at the very least uses local produces and farmers.
Carry out some research and look out for seasonal dishes and produce, this will help to reduce vegetables and fruit having to be flown in from around the world
If you are not already, you could offer a completely vegetarian or vegan menu, you will need to consider your guests carefully and how they may react!
Think about the cutlery and crockery being used, does the venue require that only plastic glasses can be used outside is there a compostable alternative. Bamboo knives, forks and plates are being used more and more and a good disposable option.

https://www.littlecherry.co.uk/Party-Tableware/Biodegradable-Cutlery

Eco friendly Wedding Flowers

Most brides would consider flowers an essential part of any wedding theme, and therefore not having them is probably not an option!
Like the food at your wedding the key to reducing the environmental impact is opt for seasonal flowers that are actually grown locally, not that just come from a local wholesaler. Where possible look for flower farms that you can visit.
Here is a list of seasonal flowers:-
Spring: Tulips, white daffodils, lilac, ranunculus and guilder roses.
Summer: Peonies, larkspur, nigella, sweet peas, sunflowers and roses.
Autumn: Dahlias, calla lilies, hydrangeas and snapdragons.
Winter: Hellebores, berried ivy, jasmine, narcissus, poinsettia and anenomes.

The florist foam, commonly known as the oasis florists use for their flower displays, is considered the equivalent to single-use plastic and doesn’t break down. Look for creative alternatives, flowers/herbs planted in pots, or vintage tea-cups.

Eco Friendly Decorations

Keep your “reduce, reuse, recycle” theme in mind when planning your decorations and theming your reception.
There are lots of ideas on Pinterest and Etsy, ask friends, family and neighbours for tablecloths, bunting and if balloons are a must check if they biodegradable.
Recycle old bottles and boxes, drawers and cans, and fill them with flowers as centrepieces instead of using newly-bought glass vases. (Or use recycled glass?) Scatter flower petals or leaves as an aisle runner. Hand-make your own banners and bunting. Incorporate wedding favours into your decorations by using them in the reception but allowing your guests to take them home.