Do you know the choices you make for your wedding day matter to a clean world to live in happily ever after?
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You have been dreaming of your wedding day and planning everything in detail. With this quick guide, you can make your eco-friendly wedding come true.
Why An Eco-friendly Wedding And How To?
Your wedding, your style. However, when it comes to living green some small choices have the potential to make a big difference. Weddings last one day but take a considerable amount of preparations, as well as travelling, buying a huge variety of supplies and shipping too. To help you cut your carbon footprint as much as possible and make your dream wedding a happy day for the future of the planet, we have collected some eco-friendly suggestions. From your wedding venue to guest favors, here are our advice for sustainable and ethical weddings that will not cost a fortune. Find the inspiration and add your touch for memorable celebrations.
Sustainable Engagement Rings And Wedding Rings
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It all starts with a ring and the promise to be forever of each other. Shopping for engagement rings is thrilling and it needs its time. All in all, this ring is like no other!
Your radar might miss it but, due to the precious nature of these accessories, sustainability and ethics should be considered before doing your proposal. The perfect engagement ring for your eco wedding should be traceable, made from conflict-free diamonds and stones, and crafted solely under fair working conditions so that you can be sure neither the planet nor humans have been exploited in the making of a happy piece of jewellery.
Your wedding rings can be sustainable too! You can choose recycled precious metals, vintage pieces or heirlooms to pass on to the next generation.
Where To Find Your Green Wedding Venue
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Finding your perfect wedding venue is a very personal choice. It must match your style and wedding mood board – if you have one ready – and be in tune with your love story. You might need some first-hand research because sustainability in the hospitality sector applies to different areas of how the business runs.
An eco-friendly location could use renewable energy, choose only the best of km 0 and seasonal produce, reduce waste and recycle where possible, have a smart usage of water and so on...
Moreover, some structures may pay extra care to the safeguarding and promotion of the environment and local heritage, as in the case of historical mansions.
You might find some helpful lists of UK-based eco venues, start your own research in your area or choose the great outdoors for a boho-chic touch.
Zero-waste and Sustainable Décors
Décors have the power to transform a venue every time, playing an important role in the overall feel of the surrounding. Cut flower arrangements, paper lanterns and balloons might look romantic and airy but they are short-lived. The good news is that sustainable alternatives are always available. Think of potted plants and flower bushes, soy candles, fabric ribbons and so on...
To The Venue: Alternative Ways Of Transport
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On your wedding day, you will be in different places: your accommodation and the wedding venue, and sometimes a different location for the reception. This means that you, your partner, both sides of the family and friends might travel a lot, especially if your destination is remote.
Travelling by common petrol cars is the least sustainable choice for your wedding, and generally in your daily life. A convenient solution could be planning a comfortable meeting point, such as the hotels where each party is staying, and travelling in groups with hire EVs or electric vintage vans for an extra creative touch. Match your guests by "travel groups" because your wedding should not be a drama day.
How To Choose Your Sustainable Wedding Dress
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Some little girls sketched their wedding dresses while daydreaming about their wedding. Your wedding came true but you are not a stylist, what to do? Of course, you will visit bridal stores to find the perfect fit for your wedding gown but to make your outfit more eco-friendly you can always go for sustainable maisons that craft their dresses with eco-conscious materials and ethical approaches; buying a vintage wedding dress, or buying a second-hand piece and having it a professional makeover done.
A Beautiful Bride In Green
The bride-to-be will be at the centre of the attention on that day and the days or weeks before because your wedding skincare, makeup and updo need to be tested and tried beforehand. Ask your makeup artist and hairstylist, if possible, to prefer vegan, bio and eco-friendly products to complete your green look, head to toe.
Ideas For Eco-friendly Accessories For The Bride, The Groom And Their Company
No wedding outfit can be complete without accessories. The traditional accessories, such as hair decorations, bouquets for the bride and bridesmaids, and boutonnière for the groom are made of cut flowers. Go unconventional with matching eco-friendly paper flower bouquets and boutonnières: they will last longer than flowers as a good omen for your newly knotted relationship.
Save The Paper: About Save The Date, Invitations And Menus
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If you look around, paper is everywhere on your wedding day from the very beginning with the traditional save-the-date cards. Formal invitations, menus, and so on can become either a souvenir of the big day or a big waste. Although the electronic version of your invitation is nothing but romantic, you can stick to paper with recycled sheets, seeded plantable paper or alternative supports such as repurposed fabrics.
Exit Toss The Environment Likes
Exit tosses sound fun but, if you look closer, they are far from being eco-friendly. Traditional confetti and shower of rice simply add extra litter that you can easily avoid with alternative paper bits, biodegradable confetti, petals, and lavender...
Meaningful Guest Favors
Gifting your guests a little present is a kind gesture and something everyone is secretly waiting for. You can have plenty of fun when it comes to deciding what your perfect sustainable guest favours will be. Edibles, such as artisanal confectioneries and local specialities, plantable gifts and small handmade creations are all a great starting point. You can also do an extra step and choose charitable presents so that your favours will be doubly meaningful.
Can Your Wedding Registry Be Green?
It is time for the fresh couple to ask what they would love to receive to inaugurate their new life and home. Your wedding registry can certainly be sustainable if you choose eco-conscious and ethical brands for your gift list. It could even be not selfish at all if you go for charitable donations instead of gifts for you and your partner!
What Is On The (Sustainable) Menu?
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Another part that your guests are very looking forward to is the wedding reception with its fun, music and, especially, food.
The wedding menu should be in line with the style and the preferences of the couple, without forgetting any dietary requirements of the guests.
To make sure each entry on the table ticks the sustainable square box ask the chef to go with the season. Out-of-season fruit and vegetables are either grown in greenhouses or imported. In both cases, their lush appearance has a price: pollution due to transportation, gas emissions, water overuse and a certain lack of real flavour. Follow the season and discover what the local farmers have in store for you.
Any Sustainable Cheers?
Ph. Tied The Knot
No celebration is complete without toasting. Pop a bottle of prosecco for the cut of the cake and choose low-carbon footprint drinks for the reception. Mix sustainability and local production with a glass of gin&tonic with a romantic story behind it. "Tied The Knot" is a limited-edition gin developed by Spirit of Manchester Distillery and Craft Gin Club. It celebrates founders Seb and Jen's "yes" after 9 years of unexpected starts and stops.
Spirit of Manchester Distillery's wedding gin has a summer profile with juniper notes, followed by refreshing citrus and floral notes of elderflower and hibiscus. This gin is also a happy match with your sustainable wedding: a transparent production, low-impact packaging, and bottles to match Manchester’s mission to be carbon neutral by 2038.
There is so much to plan ahead of a wedding! With this guide to eco-friendly weddings, we hope we gave you enough tips to enjoy the preparations with the right spirit and say "yes" to sustainability on your big day.
