Whether you're planning a lavish, expensive wedding or a simple celebration in your back garden, your Wedding Day is one of the most magical days to remember and we all want to make it the wedding of our dreams. Unfortunately, weddings create a staggering amount of waste for just one day of celebrations.
On average, one wedding can produce as much as 20Kg of plastic waste, not to mention on average £488 is wasted on food at every wedding! Planning a sustainable wedding doesn't have to be hard and often it works out much cheaper. We have a few small changes you can easily incorporate into your wedding planning that will make a huge impact to the environment.
SUPPORT LOCAL
Luckily, weddings and wine are two of our favourite things! When sourcing your alcohol we suggest opting for some local wineries, distilleries and breweries. This means that your drinks don't have to be flown or shipped over to you which is much more eco-friendly. Not only is this a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, but it also helps support your local businesses that have been unable to trade for the past year.
FLOWERS
Seasonal flowers are a great way to reduce the environmental impact on your wedding day, plus they will usually be much easier to source and less expensive. Check with your florist to make sure the flowers you choose are grown locally. Also think about what you could do with your bouquets after your big day. Your flowers can be pressed into a book or dried out and preserved to be kept as a special keepsake. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex gave their flowers to a London hospice following their wedding which is a great way to reuse your flowers and spread a little joy to someone else. Here are some of our favourite flowers for each season.
Spring: White and yellow daffodils, primroses, pansies, tulips and hyacinths.
Summer: Hydrangeas, Begonias, roses, sunflowers, dahlias, and cosmos.
Autumn: Chrysanthemums, lilies, Chinese lanterns, lavender and pampas.
Winter: Snowdrops, winter berries, heather, winter cherry and winter jasmine.
Summer: Hydrangeas, Begonias, roses, sunflowers, dahlias, and cosmos.
Autumn: Chrysanthemums, lilies, Chinese lanterns, lavender and pampas.
Winter: Snowdrops, winter berries, heather, winter cherry and winter jasmine.
DÉCOR
Wedding decorations are the biggest offender when it comes to waste. We all love the big balloons and bunting to make our venue look extra special but inevitably, they all go straight to the bin. There's no need to cut out all these beautiful additions, simply try to source your decorations using more eco-friendly materials. Biodegradable balloons are available to purchase from most stockists and opt for dried flower petals opposed to paper confetti to shower you and your guests.
A CHARITY REGISTER
Wedding gifts are always a hot topic as not many couples enjoy sending out gift lists. We're also pretty sure that nearly every newlywed has received gifts they don't need and it can always be awkward asking for monetary contributions instead. For those couples who already live together and don't need house-hold items, why not consider a charity registry instead? This way, your guests can donate to a worthwhile cause or a charity close to your heart. For the conservationists, we have outlined a few of our favourite environmental charities based in the UK.
www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org
www.sustainableni.org
https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/
https://ypte.org.uk/
https://www.wen.org.uk/
As you can see, there are plenty of small ways to make your wedding more sustainable and eco-friendly that are easily sourced and don't break the bank. Get in touch with your sustainable wedding stories or for any dress related queries.
Dresses
@elyseebridaldesign Aurelie
@enzoani Naroza
Photography
@karengrattanphotography
Location
@Slieve_Donard_Resort
Flowers
@vintagevioletflorist