Sustainable Weddings, Eco Weddings, a reflection of your ethical values

How wouldn't want to do the right thing at a time in their lives ?

Your wedding should be one of the happiest days of your life. This social event brings family and friends together to celebrate your love, your life together. It is a day filled with inspirational moments, incredible musicians, plenty of food and drink and above all joy and fun. All in all a day to remember, forever!

However, will all of this it’s easy to overlook the impact a wedding might have on our planet, on our environment and community. I am sure you have hear the word "sustainability" this year, more than any other year. 2021 is seeing some of the biggest sustainable trends such as climate change, clean air acts, electric cars, zero waste, consumer habits, among others.

I believe this is the year for weddings to reflect your ethical and social values. Luckily, if this is something you want to take into account on your wedding day, you can.

So what is a sustainable, ethical, zero waste wedding? Before we find out, let's get a clear picture of the why you should be looking at planning a sustainable wedding.

"Why should I plan a sustainable wedding?"

Do you have any idea of the waste and damage to the environment traditional weddings can create?

⁠ "What people don’t see is the very end of the night. After the guests have left and the couple’s gone home, I and the reception vendors spend at least an hour cleaning up. A typical wedding takes me a half-dozen industrial-sized trash bags. I stuff each one with used napkins, discarded favors, and soggy food." ELISABETH KRAMER⁠

From the disposable decorations to the excess food; from the paper invites to the wedding favors. Not only is there a lot of waste created for one day, but all of these things add up to cost you a small (or large) fortune.

Did you know?

• over 20kg of single use plastic is produced at each wedding.

• the average food waste produced at a wedding is valued around £500 - that is £500 in the bin at the end of an event!

• the total average of combined waste at an average wedding (120 people, during a 6 hour function) is 200kg

• 15% of people would only eat one or two of their three courses

• The same number, 15%, of newlyweds would throw the remains of their cake away

• 37% of guests don’t eat edible wedding favors

So what can you do? How can your wedding reflect you ethical and ecological values?

Let's face it, having a zero waste might be a really hard thing to achieve. It requires many compromises not only on your behalf but also on behalf of your guests and your suppliers.

But there are a lot of small steps you can take to making your wedding sustainable, eco conscious, reflecting your values and your beliefs.

Here are some wedding planning tips for your sustainable wedding:

Flowers

• Organic and low-impact flowers

• Consider the carbon footprint you accrue when transporting flowers from across the world

• Question issues such as exploitation in the supply chain.

• Maybe you could grow your own, for your wedding

• Buy seasonal

• Check for certification - organisations like LEAF, the Soil Association and the Rainforest Alliance are all quality-checkers when it comes to the ethicality of flowers being sold in the UK.

Food - the key words here are sustainable and organic

If food wastage and sustainability are important to you and your partner look for a catering company who keep your interests in mind. Here are the key things to look out for:

• Locally sourced produce

• Make sure your food offer reflects your values. This is a great opportunity to inspire other with your life values and choices.

• Check the caterers food waste policy

• make sure all service wear, cutlery, crockery and glassware is reusable. Now a days there are several affordable hire companies with amazing selections!

Eco-conscious wedding attire

• choose eco-friendly materials

• consider renting

• wear something you already have

• encourage your guests to wear their favorite outfit

Ethical conflict-free rings

• research your jeweler for funding for projects in communities where diamonds are ethically sourced;supporting of initiatives which ensure the safe production of diamonds and precious gems; How open are they about where their gems are sourced?

Conscious consumer wedding registry - you have the power to choose what to list as options to your guests.

• choose zero waste or earth-friendly gifts

• fair trade

• small local businesses

There is a lot more to be said about how you can make your wedding sustainable but I hope these tips inspire you to plan the sustainable wedding of your dream that truly reflects you values and life choices.

Sustainable Wedding Workshops can help you plan a wedding that is inline with your ethical views.

Check our workshops here.