Nice Day for a Green Wedding: Celebrate Your Big Day Sustainably

If you’ve decided to tie the knot – congratulations! You’ll be looking forward to this momentous occasion with great delight. But, in all the excitement, it can be easy to forget that these events often have a hefty carbon footprint, from food waste to emissions through travel. Then there’s the potential impact of packaging, the meat if you serve it on the day, imported flowers and new clothes.

But there are many ways of celebrating in style while being gentle on the planet. And your big day can also be a way to flex some consumer muscle while showing what really matters to you, and highlighting your beliefs. It’s perfectly possible to have a gorgeous wedding that doesn’t cost the earth.

Clearly, if you pick a location for your nuptials that’s near where most of your guests live, you reduce transportation, one of the biggest sources of emissions at weddings. Equally, if you have the ceremony and reception and take photos at the same place, this also brings down the occasion’s carbon footprint. Try to discourage anyone from flying to your wedding if at all possible, while encouraging lift-sharing.

You may also want to ask potential venues about their policies on waste reduction and sustainability.

You minimise transport emissions still further by going for locally based caterers who source seasonal food. Additionally, you’ll be supporting the local economy. (But be prepared to be flexible if the weather affects seasonal availability.)

Clearly the most ethical wedding feast will be vegan or vegetarian. But if you do serve meat, you can minimise waste by asking if guests can take home leftover food, or whether the staff can eat it.

Locally grown blooms will always be more environmentally friendly than imported flowers. Plus there may be a wider range from which to take your pick than you realised. Consider renting silk arrangements or potted plants, or combining local greenery with a small number of imported blooms. Finally, think about how you could recycle your bouquet after the event.

Wearing eco-friendly clothing doesn’t mean abandoning style. Think recycled materials, vintage and pre-loved garments. Your bridesmaids don’t have to be dressed the same way, and could either wear something they already have or that they’ll use long after the wedding.

As for your rings, diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but they come with a number of potential social and environmental pitfalls. Source yours ethically and, again, consider vintage.

For your wedding favours, try not to opt for single-use plastics or give items which could end up in landfill. Think instead in terms of recyclable packaging and gifts of seeds which people can grow, or perhaps some home-made sweets or cookies.

Likewise, with décor, consider rice-paper lanterns, cotton bunting or decorations made from ribbon which guests can take home.

Talking of gifts, could can ask for unpackaged or sustainable presents, or request donations to an environmental charity of your choice instead.

You can have gorgeous-looking wedding stationery that’s entirely digital – for example invites, which will also save on postage costs. Anything you do print can be produced in fully recyclable materials.

You may not previously have thought about this, but even your photography can be environmentally friendly.

There are many low-waste ideas which are still creative. Outdoor settings, for example, don’t require artificial lighting and provide the perfect backdrop for your memories. You can also have recycled or upcycled photo albums to record your special day. You could incorporate natural props or sustainable themes into your photos, as you capture every magical moment to perfection.

By using digital-only imagery, and telling your guests about this beforehand, you eliminate single-use disposable cameras destined for landfill. Meanwhile, maximising guest photography rather than hiring a photographer means having one less person travelling, thereby reducing your wedding’s travel-related emissions.

EventsAlbum lets you do all of the above by providing an online album where guests upload their pictures. They simply scan a QR code to do this, which you set up easily in advance. There’s no need for people to download an app or create an account. You then have all your images in one place, and by having multiple photographers, you won’t miss a moment of your day. Plus the cameras on most modern smartphones yield excellent results.

You can show all the pictures via a rolling live gallery as they’re uploaded, heightening the excitement and making the occasion more interactive. (Approve the shots in advance if you prefer.) Afterwards, you’ll have a year to download all the photos in high resolution.

Find out more about wedding QR codes

Call 01252 958 214 or email [email protected] if you have any queries.