If limiting your carbon footprint and saving the planet is up your alley, then you’re in the right place! Sustainability-conscious couples are looking for eco-friendly wedding ideas to make sure their Big Day has ethics at the heart. If that’s you, take a look at some practical ways you can incorporate these eco-friendly wedding ideas and some suppliers who can help you do it.
Related: Vegan Wedding Ideas Even Non-Vegans Will Love!
Shop local
Buy your wedding cake from a local wedding cake maker. Order your flowers from a local wedding florist. Or get married at a venue that’s local to you! Not only will you reduce your carbon footprint by limiting travel, but you’ll be supporting a hardworking and independent business. This is a fantastic way to boost your local community!
Be thoughtful with food and drinks
Consider the source of your food. Is it from a local farmer or is the food being shipped from across the world? Are the ingredients organic and less harmful to the environment? If you are choosing a caterer or food truck, find one with ethics at the heart. Choose somebody who selects seasonal ingredients, sourced locally. Then find out what their plan is for leftover food. Will they donate to a local charity or homeless shelter?
“Because I am an artist before I am an invite designer, I thought why not design the invitations in a way that the guest receives an art print that they can later get framed and hang on their walls, or if the budget allows, give them a framed artwork along with a small page of the invite. This kind of invite is sustainable and also reusable by the guest, and a wonderful keepsake of the beautiful memories a wedding holds. All the invites I design have a sense of sustainability.” – Suruchi from Pale Pink Studio
Sustainable supplies
When it comes to decor, instead of buying everything new, why not consider hiring as much as you can? There are brilliant companies who also hire out things like crockery, cutlery and glassware! See if you could go paper-free with your wedding invitations, or hire a stationery designer who is passionate about creating something your guests can display in their home (no more invitations ending up in the bin!)
Reuse and recycle
Consider what you’ve already got at home before purchasing or hiring in new decor items. Have you already got beautiful vases, glass jars or bunting you could use? Alternatively, when making a purchase, consider how you might use it in your home after the wedding. Once your wedding is over, sell what you can to couples looking to buy preloved items (you can do that here!). This includes decor, attire and anything else that’s still in good condition.
Related: Our Facebook Group for Buying and Selling Preloved Wedding Items
Gifts and favours
There’s nothing worse than giving your loved ones a gift that they end up leaving behind or throwing away. You’d be surprised at how often that happens! Instead, why not donate to a charity in their name? Other great eco-friendly wedding favours include wildflower seeds, succulents, lovely edible treats or reusable items like coasters or tea towels.
Cardboard Creations designs and manufacture wedding and event props at an affordable price. All of their creations are made from heavy-duty gloss-coated cardboard which is sturdy, reusable, flat packed for easy storage and delivery but also 100% recyclable and eco-friendly. This means you can party with a guilt-free conscience.
