5 ways to have an eco-friendly wedding
Its hard to ignore the environmental impact us humans are having on the world. Most of us do our bit in our everyday lives - we recycle and are eliminating single use plastic where possible. However, when it comes to weddings, we tend not to think about it. I am here to tell you that we should. Weddings create a huge amount of waste and can have a huge environmental impact without us even realising it. However, using a few smart tools and tricks, your day can be a little more sustainable and planet friendly than you might think.
Reduce the amount of paper you use. Do you NEED physical invites? If you do, maybe don’t have all the inserts in them -your guests can RSVP through a website or an email address, and can certainly get directions from Google Maps. Or, if you love stationery like I do, ensure your stationer uses card/paper which can be easily recycled and comes from a sustainable source. All the stationery at our wedding is being printed on card that was once coffee cups. We’ve also decided against things like Order of Service and printed table plans. Instead, we are using sheets of acrylic which our stationer already has, and painting the table plan on this. It can then be wiped clean, and used by another couple.
Reduce and recycle flowers, and go seasonal. There are loads of great charities out there that take second hand flowers, and use them to brighten up nursing homes for example. If you’re getting married in a religious building, perhaps donate your flowers to them after the wedding for them to use for the next few days. buying local and seasonal flowers will not only save you money (import tax on flowers has gone mad since Brexit) but will help support the local economy and reduce your carbon footprint.
Cut out single use plastics - flip flops in the bathroom, favours wrapped in plastic, straws - get rid of all of it. There are usually more sustainable options available, but of course they will be slightly more expensive.
Buy a pre-loved wedding dress. A contentious issue, I know, but hear me out. Second hand wedding dresses have usually only been worn for a few hours by the bride, and in great condition. You will save a TONNE of money because brand new wedding dresses are crazy expensive, leaving you more money to put towards the bar (or whatever else you want, of course!). You can customise these dresses in the same way you can a brand new one too, so you aren’t skimping on style. Can you tell i’m a big fan of the pre-loved dress?!
Ask your guests not to buy you cards, and allow them to buy gifts online via sites like The Wedding Shop.