What Is An Eco-Friendly Wedding and How Do I Plan One?

posted in Tips & Advice, Weddings

| Last Updated 04/04/2022 | Jennifer Claire | Tips & Advice, Weddings

An eco-friendly wedding in short is a wedding that has no environmental impact on the planet. Eco-friendly's simple meaning 'Earth Friendly' is a way of protecting the planet that we live on, and it's a term that you will already be familiar with. It's worth saying that there is no such thing as a perfect eco-friendly wedding day, but there are most definitely lots of ways that you can make your wedding as ethical as physically possible.

If you want to plan an eco-friendly wedding but are not sure where to start, what to look out for or what questions to ask, we're here to help. Planning an eco-friendly wedding is no different when it comes to the process but finding the right suppliers, venue and researching more ethical ways to do things is paramount in the planning process.

Here are some things to explain, in more detail, what an eco-friendly wedding is and what it entails when it comes to planning your wedding.

The Venue

If a venue is classed as ethical it will have lots of practices and methods in place. They will be proud of their eco-friendly status and should be loud and proud about it. They should have recycling policies in place, reduce or omit single-use plastic and support local businesses, reducing their carbon footprint. If you can't find a venue close to you that is classed as ethical you may consider having an outdoor wedding or hire a marquee to create your own venue in the country.

The Suppliers

Using local suppliers who in turn use local produce will help your wedding day be more eco-friendly. Suppliers that are local reduce the carbon footprint of your wedding plus if they use local produce it puts money back into local communities.

The Catering

Catering is a huge part of your wedding and it can if you're not eco-conscious produce a lot of waste. Work with your suppliers to reduce food wastage and to make sure that the food they are using is ethically sourced. If possible opt for a vegetarian menu or make sure the produce used is grown in an environmentally friendly way. Have a plan for food wastage too as there will most likely be some. Can you donate the food to a local shelter or have 'take home' boxes for your guests?

The Details

When it comes to the details be mindful of the number of things you actually need. There are lots of added extras when it comes to weddings. Can things be hired? Are they recyclable? Can you re-use things throughout the day? All of these things help towards making your wedding more eco-friendly.

The Outfits

Your outfits are probably going to be a pretty big deal and making sure they're as eco-friendly as possible is easier than you think.

When looking for a wedding dress there are multiple options. Buy pre-loved or second hand, customise an existing dress or if possible have a local designer make a bespoke dress for you. Many designers will now offer ethical fabrics and trims.

For suits, can they be hired, bought second hand or can you re-use an existing suit? If any of the above isn't an option research local tailors to have one made. If you go down this route make sure that the company you use are using or can source ethical materials and fabrics for manufacture.

We hope you found this information useful and you're more knowledgeable about planning your eco-friendly wedding! If you’re looking for more wedding advice and inspiration take a look at our other blogs here, or if you're looking for a celebrant for the big day you take a look at all our lovely ones here.