5 Ideas for an Eco-Friendly Wedding
We’re not negative people here at Wild Fork West, but although your wedding will be one of the greatest days of your life, it’s likely it could be the most wasteful, too. The little details that provide the perfect finishing touch to your magical celebration are often disposable single-use items, and even if they’re not, they’re unlikely to be used again. As well as throwaway décor, excess packaging can feature heavily in wedding set-up, and your guests travel will no doubt increase the carbon foot-print of your big day.
It's a relief that globally we’re becoming more aware of our impact on the planet. But as an industry, weddings have a little way to go! It’s a nice day for a white wedding… but our 5 ideas below will have you on your way to making things a little greener.
A Wedding Caterer that shares your Ethos
You might stumble across your dream wedding caterer on Pinterest, but can you justify their two hour journey to and from your wedding venue? If your wedding caterer shares your planet-preserving values, they’re likely to only commit to shorter journeys. Often bringing an army of waiting staff and equipment, your catering team’s journey can have a big impact on the carbon footprint of your wedding day.
Low food miles aren’t just achieved between your caterer’s kitchen and your venue, by choosing a caterer that opts for local, seasonal produce, you can create a menu with a conscience. When crafting your menu with your chosen chef, chat with them about how you can introduce the season into your dishes to minimise the environmental impact. Wild food such as venison, pheasant and foraged fruits and vegetables will reduce your impact even further!
2. Earth-friendly Wedding Favours
When googling ‘wedding favours’ your search list will be flooded with single-use items, dressed to the nines in unnecessary packaging. We’re going to let you in on a little secret… most favours end up in the bin unless they’re edible or a house plant. So if you don’t want to opt for something your guests will consume on the day, opt for longevity with an item that can be treasured for years to come, such as a polaroid memory.
Edible favours that are mass-produced on online shops often come wrapped in plastic, with a shiny plastic ribbon for good measure. By choosing a local artisan to create your favours, you will lower your food miles and limit the packaging required. Decorative sugar cookies placed onto the saucer of your tea cups removes the need for packaging, and with the addition of your guests names piped on, these can double up as place cards too! We love Biscuiteers selection of intricate sugar cookies!
3. Give a Gift to the Planet
With less and less couples asking for wedding presents from their guests, there is ample opportunity to give back to our planet. If you’re opting for a gift-less wedding, why not ask your guests to donate to your chosen sustainable charity. Alternatively, point your guests in the direction of a tree-planting scheme and for every guest that joins you at your wedding, you will have peace of mind that a tree has been planted to off-set the carbon produced.
4. Stationery with Sustainability at Heart
Have you noticed that weddings come with a lot of paper? Save the dates proceeded by invitations with maps and RSVP cards… Then, on the day itself, you’ll have a table plan, table numbers and place cards to think about.
We’ve already spoken about doubling up your favours and place cards, but all of the other elements of your stationery can have a limited impact too. Wedding stationers are beginning to implement ways of increasing their sustainability: we love the idea of seed bomb paper. This paper features hundreds of tiny seeds within the paper which once planted and saturated with water, will begin to germinate! Just don’t forget to let your catering team know not to throw away your paper.
Read more about eco-friendly wedding stationery on Lou Paper’s website.
5. Florals with a Conscience
Although it may be unrealistic to have a completely British-grown bouquet, with an array of British flower farms bursting into bloom over the last couple of years there are a lot more options out there for adding a little locally-grown beauty into your wedding bouquet. Rather than flooding your florists emails with images you’ve seen on Pinterest, let them explore what’s in season before building your chosen look.
It's not just which flowers you use, but how you use them! Lots of florists are beginning to ditch Oasis, a synthetic foam that holds flowers in place. With moss and chicken wire, these incredible craftspeople can put together the most beautiful displays, from floral arches to hanging installations. Don’t be afraid to ask florists what materials they use before you make your decision, but remember that it’s only the beginning of the sustainable floristry revolution and no one can be a model student just yet!
Lindsey from The White Horse Flower Company is a florist paving the way to a greener future for floristry, with a humorous, open and honest commentary.
Ready to begin your quest for an eco-conscious wedding day? Get in touch with us now to discuss how we can craft a menu
with our planet in mind.