Save money and reduce your impact on
our precious planet by planning a your wedding with the environment in mind! Here is our top
five ways to make sure your wedding is eco friendly plus some
essential bride resources to help you plan the perfect
green wedding
as you go.
DIY as much as possible
OK so you may not have time or the
creativity to make the wedding favours or decorations yourself, and
that is why
etsy has become so popular, but if you are the type who
loves to cut, paste, arrange and create then an eco style wedding
will be perfect for you.
The key to stress-free handmade
creations is to ensure you plan the decorations early in the piece.
They often take more time than you think, and tend to become
stressful and unsuccessful when made under pressure!
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
To reduce is one of main principles of sustainability. When you are planning your decorations, invitations, wedding dress, floral arrangements, catering, transportation and even your wedding and engagement rings think about re-using as much as you possibly can. You will find so much inspiration on sites like
Pinterest for unique ways to re-use things like
milk bottles or
Ball mason jars for vases and drinks.
Remember to recycle as much as you possibly can to avoid landfill. If you have ever been involved in a wedding you’ll know what an impact it can have on the environment. Everything from paper products to transport to food all begin to add up in the days leading to the big event and on the day itself.
Compost the food scraps by using a
Bokashi bin. Use
compostable plates to lessen the amount going to landfill. Give away your re-cycled glass vases and drink vessels as
wedding favours. Think about everything you are using and how it can be re-used after the festivities. One couple I know used strips of long hessian fabric as their table runners and then re-used them as a weed barrier in their veggie garden.
What about choosing a pre-loved wedding dress? There is such a diverse range of
pre-loved wedding gowns, bridesmaids dresses, formal wear, flower girls and page boy outfits and accessories as well as mother of the bride dresses available now days, you've got to ask yourself if it's worth spending such a large portion of your budget on your wedding attire when you only wear it once. Take a look at what's on offer before you make a decision on what you will wear. Once the ceremony is over, you can re-sell it again for another thrifty eco-bride to wear.
Go Local
Ask your caterer where they source their fresh produce from. If they are an
organic catering company chances are they buy local, and local is always best for the environment. It's also a good idea to think about where your beer and wine are coming from. There are so many local craft breweries and organic vineyards these days that it's easy to provide your guests with the best varieties on offer. We provide a list of
organic beer and wine on
natural weddings to help you find your local suppliers.
Making your own
floral bouquets from local growers is easy by visiting the flower markets in your area, or simply ask your green thumbed friends and neighbors if you can buy or pick from their gardens. Keeping it simple is the key to natural wedding flowers these days.
Vegan and Organic is Always Best!
You may not be vegan or even vegetarian, but choosing a menu without any animal products is key to reducing your environmental footprint. Of course you will come up against the usual complaints of 'where's the meat' but if you find a good
organic vegetarian caterer, chances are no-one will even notice it's missing. At least try to incorporate some vegetarian meals into the menu. Don't forget about the cake, it too can be a
vegan wedding cake without anyone noticing. Make an appointment for a taste test before you rule it out as a possibility.
Ask for Help
Be creative and think out of the box when choosing the style for your natural green wedding and utilize students, friends and family members for their unique skills! Just remember when you are asking friends and family for their assistance, it is important to share the jobs around so that no one person is over-worked to the extent that they don’t enjoy the festivities. Use your imagination and don’t underestimate their crafty talents.
You can use local high school students for your ceremony music, hold crafting parties to create the wedding decorations, and ask your guests to
Instagram your wedding. Friends and family usually love to be involved in making your day extra special. You'll find the more memorable details are not always the expensive ones.
