LEAD THE WAY Samantha Richards from A Touch of Kent (www.atouchofkent.com) says: With the UK holding close to 280,000 weddings per year the average celebration produces more than 20kg of plastic waste. That’s a lot! In 2023, as a society we’re becoming a lot more conscious of our carbon footprint and how we can reduce it. So, how can you plan your wedding while maintaining sustainability? •Use your table centrepieces as aisle ends. Whatever you choose to have as centrepieces, double these up and walk down the aisle with them too. Not only does this cut down on wastage but it saves you money too. •Use seeded paper for wedding invitations. That way, when the day is over, guests can throw their invites into the garden, allowing nature to take its course and growing beautiful wildflowers. •Use artificial flowers instead of fresh. Faux flowers are now more realistic-looking than ever. If you can’t tell the difference, neither will your guests. •Signage hire. Find a supplier who can create personalised acrylic signage for hire. That way, you can have exactly what you want for your big day and they’ll clean it and reuse it for the next couple. INTO THE WOODS Karina O’Donnell from Simply Ceremonies (https://celebrant-uk.co.uk) says: It’s so important that we all consider how to incorporate sustainability into weddings and there are many ways this can be done within your ceremony too. You could choose a green venue. Look for a local celebration space, one that uses renewable energy sources, or consider holding the ceremony outdoors in a natural setting. Celebrant-led weddings offer the chance to hold your (non-legal) “I dos” anywhere a landowner will allow, including woodland, fields and gardens. You could also consider using natural materials such as wood or stone for your ceremony arch, or incorporate potted plants to line the aisle, which could be utilised again as centrepieces at dinner, before being given to guests to take home as beautiful mementos. Finally, when considering confetti, there are many eco-friendly options to throw, such as dried flower petals, hole-punched leaves, lavender, and beautifully-scented herbs. Alternatively, get your guests to source vintage bells from local charity shops to ring as you exit as newlyweds, and blow bubbles over you instead of releasing balloons or lanterns. BRING ME A HIRE LOVE Joanne Scott from The Wedding Dolls (www.theweddingdolls.co.uk) says: There are more ways than you think to make your wedding day as sustainable as possible. Lots of small gestures can make a big impact on the environment. Don’t go out of your way to search charity shops and boot sales for décor items. Travelling around week after week sourcing items that you’ll have no use for after the wedding isn’t helping to keep your carbon footprint down. Instead, hire what you need. There’s a misconception that it’ll cost more, but in the long run buying your own styling items that you can’t reuse or resell just creates waste. Flowers are crucial to the look of your wedding day; we get that, and aren’t saying you can do without them, but you can make a conscious effort to go as green as possible with your blooms. The best way to do this is to go seasonal and go local. This will dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of flying in out-of-season varieties and it’s more cost effective too. Just ask your florist about their supply chain to make sure the blooms are grown locally, rather than provided by a wholesaler who actually gets them from overseas. Always ask your florist too whether they use floral foam in their designs, as this equates to single-use plastic and won’t break down in landfill. Guests often prefer to use their cars to get to the venue as it can be out of the way, but this will leave a heavy carbon footprint. Why not encourage loved ones to take public transport to get them close, and arrange a coach to collect them all, take them to the venue, and back again at the end of the night. It will reduce pollution and avoid the need for lots of cars to be collected the following day before your hire period runs out. A bridesmaid’s dress doesn’t have to be worn just the once. You could give your bride tribe a colour palette and let them pick a gown that’s gorgeous and glamorous, as well as being one they’d happily enjoy wearing again and again. This way, it doesn’t have to sit in the back of the wardrobe for years before being thrown out. Image courtesy of A Touch of Kent © www.candcimagery.co.uk GIVE BACK Toastmaster, Julie Lucas (www.instagram.com/julietoastmaster) says: Lots of couples I speak to are keen to make greener choices when planning their weddings, and there are so many ways to do it now, from catering to recyclable invitations and decorations all readily available. A few of my favourite ideas include swapping out a wedding favour for a charitable donation, a really nice way to make a difference and avoids buying multiple, single-use items. Another thing to be mindful of is your venue styling. Consider renting decorative elements rather than buying everything new. Alternatively, if you do buy new items, look at new ways you can donate them afterwards so that they can be enjoyed by others once you’ve finished with them. Everyone loves the iconic confetti shot after you’ve tied the knot, but as an alternative to paper confetti, why not go with a plant-based approach? Rose petals, lavender, or other fresh herbs will give your photos a stunning array of colours while being biodegradable. Once you start looking, you’ll be surprised how many little things can make a big difference to the environment when you’re planning your big day. Image courtesy of Wedding Dolls © www.sammytaylorweddingphotography.com 74
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