It’s no secret that the world is in greater need of eco-friendliness than ever before. Each year brings a host of new and alarming scientific findings – from the pace of global warming to the amount of plastic in our oceans, we are quickly reaching a crisis point. 

From recycling our waste to using a reusable coffee cup, we’re all familiar with some of the sustainable behaviours we can adopt in our everyday lives. But what about when it comes to larger events, such as weddings? Although it may seem like a mammoth task, with the right planning in place it’s easier than you might think to have an eco-friendly wedding. Here are some of the aspects you could consider. 

Sustainable tableware

It may sound obvious, but items such as cups, plates and cutlery should be your first port of call when planning an eco-friendly wedding. Plastic may be the easy option, but it can take a thousand years to biodegrade – and plastic waste is one of the biggest offenders at weddings. According to research, almost 5,000 tonnes of unrecyclable plastic was used at British weddings in the last year alone. 

The good news is, you’re not short of alternative options. Bamboo is an increasingly popular material, for example, and you may have already come across it in the form of a reusable coffee cup. Wooden materials are more pleasing to the eye than their plastic counterparts, too, meaning that you can be friendly to the planet and enhance your aesthetic at the same time.

Eco-friendly outfits

Speaking of aesthetics, wedding outfits play a massive part in creating the look and feel of the big day. Whether the groom is looking to rock a brightly coloured suit, or the bride is going for an unusual wedding dress, there are sustainable options aplenty in this department too. 

To make your choice of outfit as eco-friendly as possible, make sure you check out the company’s website for their sustainable credentials. Hiring an outfit instead of buying a completely new one is another eco-friendly option too – especially if you suspect that you may not be wearing your outfit a lot in future.  

Keep it local

If you’re looking to lower your wedding’s overall carbon footprint, choosing local companies can make a significant difference here. Sourcing local supplies wherever possible will cut down on the transportation time that would otherwise be required. You could even go one sustainable step further by narrowing down your choice of local companies to those who are committed to sustainable practices. 

For those who are truly committed to making their weddings as sustainable as possible, this local principle can also extend to the location of the wedding itself. Choosing a location close to your guests will cut down on the carbon footprint of your event even further. 

If you do have your heart set on a sunny wedding abroad, however, you could choose to offset this larger carbon footprint by cutting down in other areas of your wedding instead. 

Cater carefully

For many people, food is understandably one of the highlights of a wedding. Wedding days can be long, after all, and it’s crucial that guests have enough to eat to keep them going long into the evening. With that being, said, however, it’s also important not to over-cater. At many weddings, vast quantities of lovingly prepared dishes are simply thrown away once the big day is over, so it’s important to plan your catering carefully to ensure that you don’t end up contributing to this waste. Some companies have a food waste policy in place for just such a situation, so this is another aspect you could look into when choosing your caterer.

These are just a few of the ways that you make your wedding more eco-friendly, and there are many other options that we haven’t discussed – such as eco-friendly jewellery, confetti, and even flowers. It’s impossible to ever have a perfectly sustainable wedding, but by exploring even a few of the options above you’ll be well on your way to reducing your big day’s impact on the environment. 

By Jessica Kelly