Your wedding day is probably going to be the biggest and most exciting day of your life, but with so many options to choose from when planning your big day, it can easily become one of the most wasteful too. If being sustainable is important to you as a couple, read on to discover some top eco-friendly wedding tips from Entertainment Nation that will not only help save the planet, but will also be kinder on your purse strings!

1. Plan Your Wedding Locally

Save everyone some petrol money (they’ll definitely thank you for this!) and keep carbon emissions as low as possible by choosing a venue that’s close by to as many of your guests as possible. When booking live entertainment, think along similar lines. If you can find a band you love who live just down the road, they won’t have to travel across the country to reach you so you can reduce their carbon footprint and also save money on their travel expenses. Win win!

2. Choose a Sustainable Dress

It’s such a shame when so much effort and energy has gone into creating a stunning wedding gown for the dress to only be worn once then stored in a cupboard for the rest of time. On top of that, many wedding dresses are not made using environmentally-friendly materials or processes. It’s becoming a popular choice among planet-conscious brides to either choose a gorgeous second-hand vintage gown or a dress that is produced by a sustainable supplier. Before buying a new dress, contact the designer to find out if their production process aligns with your values. Even better, you could choose a non-conventional outfit that you love and know that you’ll wear time and time again. It’s a much more ethical decision and you’ll remember your wedding day every time you wear it!

3. Choose Any Flowers Wisely

Flowers are an integral part of any wedding and there’s no reason they shouldn’t be included in an eco-friendly celebration. There are factors to consider when choosing your flowers if you want to make the most environmentally-friendly choices. Firstly, make sure that you choose flowers that are in season at the time of your wedding to ensure they don’t have to be imported or grown using harmful pesticides and plastics. If you’re unsure, ask your florist what they’d recommend. If you have your heart set on a certain bloom that isn’t in season, dried flowers not only look incredible, but will last up to three years after your big day. No wonder they are such a popular choice! Finally, you could always create your own flowers out of fabric – a sustainable idea that will last a lifetime!

4. Scrap Excess Stationery

Save the dates, invitations, itineraries, placeholders, table plans and more – the list of wedding stationery is needlessly long when technology is available that can relinquish the need for it all. Video emails are so much more personal than save the dates and are also a lot more fun! In place of an invitation, why to set up a wedding website (there are plenty of free ones available) and send a link to all your guests? They can reply online and you can provide them with all the information they need about your big day. The best thing about it? It doesn’t involve any paper or the postal service. If you need to use paper for place cards etc, make sure they are made of recycled materials and that you recycle them afterwards of course!

5. Go Vegetarian

Reducing the amount of meat you consume is the single biggest way to have a positive impact on the environment according to scientists. So it makes sense that having as little meat on your menu as possible is going to be great for the planet. Providing a vegetarian or vegan menu is an option more and more couples are choosing these days. If you want to provide meat for your guests, choose free range chicken or locally reared pork over beef or lamb, which have a much higher carbon footprint. If possible, choose your own food suppliers so you can check that they use sustainable produce. Always try to avoid having a buffet. They’re always over catered so there’s bound to be a lot of food wasted at the end of the night.

6. Choose Eco-Friendly Wedding Favours

There are so many cute sustainable wedding favour ideas! Seeds are a great choice as your guests can grow their own plants or flowers and have a lasting memento of your day. Succulent plants are a cheap and planet-friendly idea and will also act as a lovely souvenir. If food is more your thing, try homemade jams or marmalades or buy them from a farm shop and support local business.

7. Choose An Environmentally-Friendly Cake Maker

Choosing sustainable ingredients for your wedding cake will not only be better for the Earth but it will taste better too! Check that your baker is able to source fairtrade ingredients and ask them to use in-season fruits to ensure your cake is as eco-friendly as possible.

8. Honeymoon In The UK

The UK has some of the most breathtaking scenery in the entire world. With so many beautiful places to holiday on your doorstep, your carbon footprint can remain low and you can have a fabulous honeymoon!

9. Book Your Entertainment Through An Environmentally-Friendly Agency

We’ve already talked about how you should book musicians who live locally to reduce carbon emissions, but did you know that Entertainment Nation goes above and beyond helping you find an amazing local band? We donate a proportion of every booking towards projects that help to plant trees and offset carbon around the world thanks to our partnership with Ecologi (https://ecologi.com/entertainmentnation). It’s great to know there are companies out there who are having such a significant positive impact on the environment. If you’re in the market for a wedding band, musician or entertainment, head over to www.entertainment-nation.co.uk to check out our incredible selection!

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WE have many more ethical wedding tips in our sustainable weddings series – from looking after your mental health while wedding planning, to our top 60 tips for a more sustainable celebration.