A sustainable wedding is a great way to reduce the impact that your wedding has on the environment. Historically, weddings have always been wasteful with lots of single-use items. Planning an eco-friendly wedding can be overwhelming.

Making your wedding sustainable won’t solve all of the world’s climate change problems immediately. However, we believe it is a step in the right direction. Picture a world where every couple did the same and how much impact that would have. Well, change starts with you; who knows, you could inspire others to do the same.

If you’re on board with the sustainable wedding plan, we’d love to help. Here are some useful ideas that you could incorporate. Please remember you don’t have to overhaul your celebration to fit all these in. Start with one or two that speak to you, and then see where you go from there. We’re so excited to be doing this with you. 

• Hire Carefully

If you pick a vendor who cares about sustainability, it’ll make your planning easier. So, when looking for a wedding planner, photographer, caterer and the like, hire carefully. Talk to them about your plans for a sustainable wedding and ensure they share your views. 

• A Small Guest List

If you have fewer guests at your celebration, your wedding will produce less waste. We know that large weddings are boisterous and fun. However, you can enjoy a small, intimate and romantic wedding too. It’ll also help your celebration to be more sustainable.

• Sustainable Wedding Invitations

One of the few positives of the pandemic is that it opened us up to electronic wedding invites. So, for your sustainable wedding, start at the very beginning and send e-invites to help eliminate paper waste.

If actual invites are necessary for your wedding, how about using recycled paper? Just keep it recyclable by not using things like glitter for your details. You can also go for the recyclable wildflower seed paper that guests can plant after getting your invites.

• Sustainable Wedding Rings

For the longest time, the diamond mining industry has harmed the environment. Thankfully, you can choose better alternatives for your special day. Lab-grown diamonds are one of these and are exactly like naturally occurring diamonds. They also cost way less. 

Another way to be sustainable with your wedding rings is to choose something vintage. This can be a passed-down heirloom from your family. Some couples have also been known to get fabulous options from estate sales.

• Eco-Friendly Wedding Fashion

While most wedding dresses are fast fashion, with a little tenacity, you can find an eco-friendly wedding dress. There’s a list of bridal designers who use eco-friendly fabrics and pay attention to sustainability. You can also get a gorgeous pre-loved dress for your celebration.

Eco-friendly wedding fashion for men can be the groom and groomsmen renting their suits. Many bespoke brands offer this service. Following this idea is a great way to reduce your wedding fashion costs. 

• Outdoor Weddings

Having an outdoor wedding is a great way to make your wedding easily sustainable. You’ll also enjoy feeling at one with nature in the great outdoors. Finding an eco-friendly indoor wedding venue can be tricky.

Outdoor wedding venues are great, too, because you won’t need to bring cut flowers. You can plan your wedding in a garden venue around the beautiful live flowers. Outdoor wedding venues also tend to come with their own décor. 

• Sustainable Wedding Caterers

Here at Arabella Reeve Catering, we understand the importance of being eco-friendly. So we can encourage and are happy to help couples plan a sustainable wedding menu. This includes everything from sourcing from local farmers to keeping the menu seasonal. 

Plant-based meals tend to consume fewer resources. As a result, many couples interested in a sustainable wedding choose a vegan or vegetarian menu. However, if you feel this is too drastic, you can aim for a wedding menu that is about 50% vegetarian. 

Other ways to make your wedding catering sustainable include donating leftovers, working with a charity to collect food waste or even composting the scraps from your celebration. You can also source your wine and alcohol from local breweries or wineries. 

• Sustainable Florals

One way to do sustainability with your wedding florals is to forgo flowers completely and go for potted greenery. However, an eco-friendly florist will have good alternatives if you love flowers as we do. Locally grown, seasonal flowers and living plants are some great ideas. 

• Your Wedding Favours

Have you ever been to a wedding where you got a wedding favour you forgot about as soon as you got home? When having a sustainable wedding, the idea is to avoid that as much as possible. Edible wedding favours are a wonderful way to achieve this. Wedding guests love a midnight snack after an evening of celebration. 

• Final Words

The world is at a point where everyone has to play their own part towards sustainability. Having an eco-friendly wedding is great for the environment and is a step in the right direction. We hope you apply the tips in this article and have a fabulous time at your sustainable wedding. Best of luck!