If you are interested in being an eco-conscious bride, there are many ways in which you can transform your wedding day into one that is more environmentally responsible.
Choosing your location
Estimating how far your guests will have to travel to reach your chosen location is an important element to consider when trying to minimise the environmental impact of your wedding.
Destination weddings require air travel, which, of course, has a huge environmental cost. Holding your big day at a venue in a remote location will also require a significant amount of automobile travel. If you would like to minimise the amount of travelling your guests will have to do, choose a location that is relatively near to them.
You could also consider having an intimate event, maybe in the form of a backyard wedding. This will not only significantly lessen the environmental cost of your wedding, but will also you to host an intimate celebration in a familiar space.
Choosing your venue
When deciding on your venue, do not be afraid to ask its team questions regarding their environmental policies. Ask them how they dispose of their food waste, about what their plastic policy is, and to what extent do they support recycling and composting.
Sourcing a sustainable cake
One of the main attractions of a wedding celebration, wedding cakes can easily be made more sustainable. Consider asking your local bakery to source local, organic, and Fairtrade ingredients to create your cake. If possible, you could try asking them to make you a vegan cake, which would be an even more environmentally viable option.
You could even have your cake decorated with reusable adornments such as ribbons.
Creating an eco-friendly menu
If you are getting food catered for your wedding, choose a catering company with a sustainable ethos. Ideally, they should use as many ingredients that are local, organic, and Fairtrade where possible.
Aim for a menu that is at least 50 percent vegetarian, if not entirely vegan or vegetarian, as this would have a much smaller environmental impact.
Choosing sustainable décor
You could forgo paper stationary altogether, opting for digital invitations instead. However, if you would like to have some form of stationary at your wedding, an easy way to reduce waste is by seeing if you can have your invitations and place cards printed on recycled paper.
It is important to note that some décor, like balloons, have a significant impact on the environment depending on how they are disposed of. You can also rent some vintage candlesticks from your local antique store.
If you have an artistic hand, you could refurbish some mason jars from your kitchen into handmade decorations for your wedding day. This can be a fun activity, and makes for some charming adornments. Also, save the decorations you do end up using for a future event.
