Your wedding day is one of the biggest days of your life, so we all deserve to have the day of our dreams celebrating with your new husband or wife and your nearest and dearest. But, whilst weddings are wonderful, they can be extremely wasteful – after all, it is only one day. When you think about what weddings usually entail – think food, drink, decorations – it can quickly mount up and cause excessive waste.
More and more soon-to-be-wed couples are looking for ways in which they can make their weddings more sustainable, not only for the sake of the environment but often sustainable choices can be more budget-friendly. If you’re looking for some inspiration on how to make more sustainable and eco-friendly choices in the run-up to your wedding day, let’s take a look at our guide to making your wedding day more sustainable!
Small & Intimate Guest List
One of the easiest ways you can make your wedding day more sustainable is to simply cut down on the number of guests you are looking to invite. Having a day with fewer guests is much less stressful and can save you money in your budget, but it also means that there will be less waste. By having fewer guests, you can cut down on food waste, less plastic or single-use materials and less rubbish overall. Fewer guests also mean fewer people travelling to and from your venue, helping to cut down on carbon emissions, too!
Choose Local and Seasonal
Food
Many couples when planning their wedding day might think that choosing local and seasonal vendors and accessories will equal more cost, but that’s usually not the case. By choosing local and seasonal offerings, such as flowers and food, you will likely pay less because the transportation costs will be lower and items are not having to be sourced from further afield. Food is one of the main areas where you can cut costs by choosing local and seasonal produce, so ask your caterer if this is an option, or look for a local supplier where you can tailor your menu to include these foods.
Flowers
When it comes to flowers, you may have visions of a beautiful rose bouquet or delicate peony buttonholes, but depending on the time of year you’re getting married, these may need to be flown in from abroad, increasing cost and the impact on the environment. Instead, find a local florist that you trust and speak with them about the flowers in season during the month you are getting married. Not many people realise, but choosing seasonal flowers will usually cut the cost dramatically and will more than likely fit in better with your theme and decoration choices.
Wedding Day Jewellery
When it comes to arguably the most important part of your wedding – saying “I Do” – making sure that you and your partner have chosen the right ring to symbolise your love is a given. After all, you will be wearing this piece of jewellery for the rest of your life, so you want to make sure it’s right for you. Sustainable wedding jewellery is growing in popularity and can include a number of sustainable elements, including lab-grown diamonds, repurposed metals and even the use of other materials, such as wood, without compromising on style or increasing the cost.
As well as your wedding rings, it’s important to consider your other wedding jewellery, too. So many people on their wedding day choose jewellery pieces that they will wear only once, but why not choose something that you can wear time and time again, whilst reflecting on your happy day?
Dainty huggie hoop earrings are perfect to pair with a statement wedding dress for a simple and elegant touch, but can also be worn daily after your wedding day as a little reminder. Beautiful necklaces can be saved to wear on other big occasions, whilst custom cufflinks can be a little hidden reminder under a suit worn for other occasions and events. Remember, the jewellery you choose for your wedding day doesn’t need to be stored away – wear it time and time again!
Photo Photos by Lanty on Unsplash.
