10 Ways to Have an Eco-friendly Wedding

With more and more couples searching for ‘sustainable wedding ideas’ and scrutinising venues and suppliers for their eco-credentials it’s becoming clear that being ethically-minded when it comes to your wedding is more of a priority than ever before. It’s fair to say that weddings can be fairly wasteful events, with all the décor, food and single-use plastics, you could end up increasing your carbon footprint without even realising it.

We’ve come up with 10 ways to have an eco-friendly wedding that won’t break the bank, or compromise on style.

1. Shop for preloved items

So many people buy extra bits and bobs for their wedding day which, as well adding to the ever-growing wedding budget, can also mean you end up with a lot of stuff. We’re not suggesting you strip it all back and have nothing fun and frivolous but instead of buying everything new why not look for pre-loved wedding items? Sites such as eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and Recycle my Wedding are a great place to start. After your wedding, continue the good deed (and recoup some pennies) by selling them on for another happy couple to enjoy.

2. Create a Wedding Website

Creating a wedding website is not only a fantastic time-saving tool, it also helps streamline your wedding planning, is a brilliant platform for your guests to engage with, AND it’s eco-friendly. Instead of using pages and pages of paper, and sending physical invitations around the country / world, host it all in one place which is accessed by your entire guest list with the click of a button. This way there's no waste, and you have digital wedding invitations that are just as stylish as a physical ones but that have cost you a lot less money. Winner winner!

3. Choose an eco-friendly wedding venue

Some venues might already advertise themselves as eco-friendly spaces and be very forthcoming about their practices. But if you’re not sure, simply ask them a few questions before you sign on the dotted line. We would suggest enquiring about their waste policies, where they source their ingredients and drinks from, ask about whether they use single-use plastics, and what kind of fuel and cleaning products they use.

4. Work with the seasons

Flying exotic flowers around the world and requesting strawberries in winter will absolutely have an impact on your wedding’s carbon footprint. Have a chat to your florist about what flowers are in season at the time of your wedding. And discuss with your caterer about what they would recommend to keep the food seasonal, and source as much locally as you can.

5. Carefully select your wedding stationery

Have a think about the stationery you think you need and then narrow it down to the bits you actually need. E-vites are a brilliant eco-friendly, no-waste option but if you really love the idea of sending a physical invitation to your guests or providing them with a menu on their place setting why not choose recycled paper or even better, seed paper. This is a biological material which will sprout flowers when planted! Eco-friendly and a lovely keepsake for your guests.

6. Research ethical bridalwear / grooms’ attire

There are a large number of ethical bridalwear designers out just waiting to be found. Many of which are small independent businesses - another brilliant reason to support them over large chains. Ditch the plastic sequins and synthetic lace for fabrics that are more gentle to the earth such as natural cellulose fibre viscose and sustainable satin. Organic cotton or choosing garments made from deadstock fabric is another brilliant way to minimise your environmental footprint.

7. Create a wishing well

Instead of asking for gifts that you don’t necessarily need, why not ask that your guests donate to a charity of your choice? Or ask for money to be put towards eco-friendly initiatives. Your wedding website is the perfect place to host this information. Either asking guests to contribute digitally whenever they like or let them know there will be a physical wishing well at the wedding to donate to if they wish.

8. Reduce food waste

It’s estimated that an average 10% of food goes to waste at each and every wedding. One way to tackle this waste would be to have your guest’s meals plated and not go for a sharing feast / buffet-style scenario. Depending on regulations you could explore the option of donating your extra food to local food banks or a homeless shelter. This must be arranged beforehand though so make sure you’re organised and get this in place before the big day.

9. Hire where you can

Following on from our first point, instead of buying everything outright which can be an expensive outlay, aim to hire as much as you can. There isn’t much you can’t hire for weddings these days! From table linen to cake stands and suits, before you take the plunge and head off on a buying spree, take some time to find out if you can hire it first.

10. Book an environmentally friendly honeymoon

Even after the wedding has come to an end you can continue all of your good work by opting for an eco-friendly honeymoon. Consider ditching the flights for rail travel. Or if you can’t imagine a honeymoon without a trip to a far-flung destination, consider hotels / resorts who value sustainability. Oh, and don’t forget to offset your flights by planting some trees.