How you can make more Eco-Friendly and sustainable choices on your wedding day?
A wedding day can have a tendency to be not very eco-friendly at all. There are generally lots of items which end up in landfill after your big day has been and gone.
In this blog post we want to give you 5 ideas on how you can make more eco-conscious decisions for your big day. Even making one or two small, eco-conscious changes could make a big difference if you're trying to be more environmentally friendly.
(Hooray to that!)
1
Consider not buying a brand new dress!
Eek! I know the thought of this may make many a bride wince but there are many different options you can think about when deciding on your wedding gown. There are so many gorgeous second-hand or vintage wedding dresses available to buy.
Purchasing an amazing, £3000, brand new dress may be the dream but in the long term, think about whether or not it’s just going to end up stored in a box in the loft for the next 50 years and whether you're okay with that. We know you’ll look JUST as incredible in a re-used dress and I bet if you didn't tell anybody, nobody would even question it being second-hand. Still White is a website where you can buy gorgeous second hand, preowned or sample pieces.
If buying a second-hand dress isn’t really your vibe, maybe you could upcycle a dress from a member of your family? Your mum, nan, auntie, sister, cousin…they might have something incredible stashed away from their big day. Use a local seamstress or small business to tailor a dress to fit, or even just use an element of it within your own outfit.
If a brand new wedding dress is a must for you, you could think about sustainably sourced materials or recycled fabrics. Organic cotton, silk and hemp are more environmentally friendly materials which make gorgeous wedding gowns. Indie Bride London, Reclamation Rolling in Roses make some gorgeous, ethically produced pieces and have a great eco-friendly ethos.
Or maybe check out Coop Couture - this amazing company source vintage silks and hand make bespoke dresses with sustainability in mind and a zero waste ethic.
If you or your partner will be wearing a suit or tuxedo on the big day, perhaps hire rather than purchase especially if it is the type of suit you wouldn’t really wear again.
Maybe you could wave goodbye to ‘tradition’ and ask your bridesmaids and groomsmen to wear something smart which they would potentially wear over and over again in future rather than single wear items. We absolutely love this mismatched gingham shirt and dickie bow vibe on these groomsmen.
2
Try to avoid single use decorations.
There can be so much waste when your wedding day is over when you have no use for any of the decorations. Some may be sold on but most will end up in landfill.
To avoid too much waste you can start by looking for a venue which requires minimal decoration. A gorgeous venue will need only a few personal touches, no need to go overboard. Some of our local fave, gorgeous wedding locations include Mitton Hall, Bashall Barn, Eaves Hall, The Out Barn, The Wellbeing Farm, and many more!
How about up-cycling some bits to use as centrepieces or if you’re crafty enough you could have a go at making your own wedding signage or dinner menus out of up-cycled mirrors or frames etc. A bit of chalk paint can turn an old frame into a chalkboard ready for you to write whatever you wish! This bride upcycled the majority of her decorations for her DIY wedding and we think it all looks awesome. She used paint pens directly onto vintage mirrors and hand wrote her place names and menus. Dreamy!
Potted plants as a centrepiece for your table make a great alternative to expensive floral arrangements which may be thrown away after the event. A double bonus is that you can give them away (or keep for yourself!!) to your guests as a little lasting memory from the wedding. Who doesn’t love a good plant?
3
Wedding Favours which people actually want!
Minimise the number of items ending up in landfill by offering your guests a wedding favour they will love. Think outside the box – we mentioned before, a cute little potted plant is something your guests could keep for years to come; a succulent is totally easy to look after and look awesome as a table display, too.
Or what about something yummy to eat? Something that ends up in your bellies rather than ending up in the bin, you can't go wrong...! We can personally vouch for how yummy these Cake Pop Wedding Favours are, from Polka Pops.
How about some ethically made cosmetic goodies? We love Tilda’s Tribe Goats Milk Soaps for example.
Basically, the best way to avoid wastage is about making a conscious thought of, “are my guests going to love/use/keep this favour or are they all going to be left on the table at the end of the night?”
4
Choose local, support local.
A great way to reduce your carbon footprint is to choose local suppliers. Whether it be choosing a venue that is close to home rather than a long drive or abroad for you and your guests or simply choosing your wedding bouquet with seasonal flowers rather than your florist having to ship flowers from abroad. Small things make big changes in the long run. If you choose local businesses, you support local businesses too.
5
Biodegradable Confetti (obviously!)
We can't finish this post without mentioning biodegradable confetti. Confetti is a must-have in our eyes. Make sure you choose earth friendly and guilt free so there are no repercussions on the environment. How about sprinkling some of our natural petal confetti or paper confetti on your tables instead of the typical plastic celebration confetti that we still see too much of nowadays. You can keep your confetti packaging free and simply pop it in a reusable basket or container; or you could choose from a range of recyclable cardboard cones or biodegradable and compostable packets! So much choice.
Good luck and happy wedding planning! If you have any other hints or tips you think we may love, pop a comment down below!