10 Ways You Can Achieve a Sustainable Wedding

The wedding day is one of the most important days in a couple’s life. From the dress to the cake, there are many decisions to be made when it comes to your big day. One of the most important decisions you will need to make is how you want your wedding to have an impact on our environment.

Many couples are choosing green weddings in order to have a minimal environmental impact on their guests and ensure they can enjoy their wedding for years to come. Here are some ways you can help achieve a sustainable wedding.

Choose an Ethical Bridal or Groomsmen Designer

One of the easiest ways to limit your environmental impact is by choosing an ethical designer. This means choosing someone who uses eco-friendly materials in their gowns, suits, or other items you might need for your wedding day.

Fairtrade is an initiative that has become more important in recent years as more people realize the importance of supporting people who are marginalized by the fashion industry. Make sure to support designers who pursue fair conditions for garment workers and get fabrics from the supplier who support fairtrade. You should also make sure that the designer has a responsible production process.

You can either purchase a vintage wedding dress or a second-hand dress from a charity bridal shop. Don’t forget that you can also swap, re-wear, recycle or donate your wedding gown after your big day.

Carefully Choose Your Wedding Venue Location

Whether you are going by car, plane or another mode of transportation, you should consider the environmental impact that you and your guests will be making during the journey to the wedding venue.

Having a venue in a remote location means more car travel and a destination wedding means it racks up the air miles for guests. Obviously, you can have your wedding wherever you want (its your special day to remember) but if you have a few options that you can’t decide on, take a look at where the majority of guests are coming from and choose a location that reduces the car or plane journeys.

Get A Eco-friendly Menu

One of the most important considerations for a sustainable wedding is food. Did you know that more than 1/3 of all food produced in the world goes to waste?

The good news is, there are some amazing eco-friendly catering companies that offer delicious and sustainable menu options. It’s easy to find companies that offer vegan, gluten-free, and organic options. You can cut down on the environmental impact of the wedding meal by offering a menu that’s at least 50% vegetarian. However, if you want to be as eco-friendly as possible, aim for a full vegetarian and vegan menu.

If you’re not sure where to start with your green catering search, talk to your venue or caterer about their eco-friendly options or hire a green coordinator who can help you plan your perfect menu.

Pick Eco-friendly Invitations

Invitations are one of the first things that guests will see on your wedding day. They set the tone for the entire event and can also help you show your environmental responsibility.

There are many eco-friendly invitation companies that specialize in helping couples create invitations that will not leave a negative impact on our environment. From recycled paper to biodegradable ink and even digital wedding invitations, there are many ways to make sure you’re choosing eco-friendly invitations for your big day.

One of the most popular methods is using recycled paper as opposed to traditional cardstock. This is an easy way to reduce your carbon footprint and save trees. You can also choose to use biodegradable ink instead of regular ink, which will ensure all of your materials will be environmentally friendly and completely compostable at the end of your big day.

Use Reusable Decor

One way to ensure your wedding is sustainable is to use reusable decor. There are many stores that sell items such as table runners, centrepieces, and more. Items like these can be used in all sorts of different weddings and events. They also come in a wide range of colours and patterns so you can find one that fits with your theme. These items will save you money because you won’t have to buy new decorations each time you host an event. Plus, they will help the environment by not having unnecessary waste from decorations ending up in landfills.

Choose Biodegradable Materials

You and your partner should consider using biodegradable materials for your invitations, flowers, and decorations. Biodegradable materials will break down after a certain amount of time and won’t create any waste that will stay around to cause problems. Examples of biodegradable materials include:

• Eco-friendly paper products such as recycled paper or bamboo paper
• Jute cloth bags
• Biodegradable confetti
• Biodegradable rose petals

Ask Your Florist To Select Local Flowers

Buying local flowers will ensure that they are in season, thereby saving you money. It will also help your florist find the perfect flowers for your wedding. Local flower selections might also be in season for an extended period of time. This is helpful because when flowers are in season, they are cheaper than when they are not in season.

Additionally, because they’re in season, there’s no need for them to be shipped in from another country which can contribute to greenhouse gases. Instead, your flowers will grow closer to home and save on gas emissions.

Plan An Ethical Honeymoon

One of the biggest contributors to a sustainable wedding is what happens after. If you’re going on a honeymoon, make sure it’s ethical and eco-friendly. You can do this by staying at a hotel that has sustainable practices or choosing a resort that supports the environment. Plus, if you choose a hotel that has a green policy, you’ll be helping us encourage other hotels to adopt green policies too.