An article by lovely Sian from Amethyst Weddings

Everyone’s been talking about eco-friendly and sustainable weddings recently. So is it a “trend” or are green weddings here to stay?

What makes a wedding eco friendly or sustainable?

By definition a wedding or event is eco friendly if there has been no harm or negative impact made to the environment. In reality it means to use services and suppliers that are conscious of the impact any product they use can have on the environment. They will have taken steps to eradicate these or have a plan in place to offset any negative effects. This can be done for example by donating to tree planting schemes or helping with local environmental projects if you have needed to use fuel for a car journey or similar.

Planning an eco friendly wedding isn’t as daunting or difficult as you probably thought.

What are the best ways to have an eco-friendly wedding or event? How do you find suppliers?

My top tip would be to choose local suppliers and those who are able to offer eco friendly alternatives. Check out local wedding supplier groups and #tags on social media such as #ecofriendlywedding #ecoweddings #zerowastewedding #sustainablewedding

Find one eco conscious supplier and they are bound to be able to provide recommendations. We’re a really friendly bunch.

Some suggestions…

Things to consider and ask your suppliers

How far will they travel for your event? How will they offset their carbon footprint due to fuel usage?

Can a disposable single use product be swapped with a reusable or 100% recyclable product?

Can they supply reusable cutlery, crockery and glassware as well as table linen and napkins that can be laundered and reused.

Will they recycle any single use plastic bottles locally?

Is food locally sourced?

Is a seasonal vegan menu an option? Vegan food is a great option to reduce the carbon footprint of your event.

Things to avoid

Anything that is designed to go in the bin after one use.

Any venue or supplier who won’t address your environmental concerns.

Any supplier who will travel all over the area and/or country.

A caterer that isn’t prepared to use quality locally sourced or seasonal produce.

So with the venue and main suppliers chosen how else can you make eco friendly choices?

You can apply the notes above to other aspects of your event like the decorations and flowers quite simply.

• What goes in the bin?
• Can the decor be rehired and reused?
• Can any of the decor be gifted to guests? For example, potted plants make great centrepieces and can be gifted to key guests as they leave.
• Are the favours useful? Will the recipient use them? Can you eat them? Can you plant them?

Don’t think that for one minute you HAVE to make your whole wedding or event totally eco friendly or sustainable. In my opinion any change is a step forward, one change or improvement will always be a better choice for the environment. We are living in a more eco conscious world now and every time you make an informed choice you are doing your bit for planet earth.

If you have any further questions about how to make your wedding or event eco friendly then please don’t hesitate to get in touch.