We have a guest blog today from one of our wonderful Unconventionals. This post was written by Willow & Rust on how to have a sustainable wedding. We’re all about keeping it eco here at UW, and this blog is full of awesome tips to have a great wedding day whilst looking out for Momma Earth. Enjoy!
Reducing Your Wedding Footprint
If you’re reading this, then you have probably already decided that you want to try and make your day more eco-conscious, which is amazing! Weddings can have a negative impact on the environment, which makes it so important that couples become more aware of the impact their day can have and what they can do to reduce it.
A completely sustainable wedding is pretty near impossible, but by looking at each element of your day and asking what you can do to reduce its impact, you can end up with something a lot more eco-friendly.
The five points below focus on the main areas of your wedding. I believe if you can nail these areas and make the most sustainable choices here, you are well on the way to an amazing eco-conscious wedding day!
Feature photo courtesy of Dani Louise Photography
5 eco-conscious wedding tips
location location location!
a sustainable wedding venue
the type of venue matters
size of guestlist
sustainable wedding stying
A Sustainable Wedding Location
When planning a sustainable wedding, it is important to think about the location. Destination weddings or weddings far from where you live are not going to be the most environmentally friendly option. Travel, especially air travel, is one of the top ways to increase the carbon footprint of an event. So, consider a location close to where you and most of your guests live, this way you will reduce the journey time for the majority of people and guests may also be able to car share if they live close to each other. Another alternative is to organise transport such as a bus to pick people up, this way you are really reducing the number of vehicles being used. Something else to consider would be to choose a venue where you can have the ceremony and the reception at the same place, reducing the need for travel between venues.
The type of wedding venue
The type of wedding you decide upon and the venue can have a big impact on how eco-friendly your day is. A large indoor venue will be much less sustainable than a garden, woodland, or barn wedding, for example. The venue will employ lots of staff, use a lot of energy to light and heat your day and there will probably be more waste. An outdoor or barn-type wedding, on the other hand, can be lit using lanterns or LED fairy lights and heated using firepits fuelled with natural wood either foraged or purchased from an environmentally-friendly wedding supplier.
The Size of your guestlist
The size of your wedding also has an impact on the footprint of the day. An Intimate or micro-wedding with up to 50 guests will generally be a lot more eco-friendly as there will be less of everything, less food, less waste, and less travel. All of this also means less cost, which is a win-win! At Willow & Rust, we specialise in sustainable, intimate, and micro-weddings and have various packages to help you plan your day.
The Style of your sustainable wedding day
The style of your wedding can make a big impact on the sustainability of the day. For example, a more natural style with a vintage feel can incorporate real flowers and foliage foraged from the local area. Props and tableware can be vintage and reclaimed pieces sourced from second-hand stores and antique markets. This will be much more sustainable than a high glam style with lots of bling, glitter, balloons, and exotic floral displays.
Timing is everything
Finally, think about the time of year you would like to get married. Taking into consideration everything we have already talked about, Summer would be the best time to have a sustainable wedding. The days are at their longest and warmest so you will need less lighting and heating for your day. There will be an abundance of naturally growing greenery and flowers so you won’t need to buy as much floral décor. Summer also has an amazing selection of produce, so sourcing ingredients from local suppliers for your banquet or buffet will be a lot easier. Also, some of your guests may be able to walk to and from your event reducing transport even further.
In summary...
There are many things to consider when planning a sustainable wedding, but knowing where to start can be the hardest part. These five areas are a great starting point, if you can find the most eco-friendly options that suit the wedding you both want then the rest should be relatively easy.
There are lots more tips over on the Willow & Rust website to help you plan the perfect sustainable day! You can also check out their Facebook group, ‘The Eco-Conscious Wedding Network‘ for more eco inspo!
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