Earth Day 2024 and Eco Weddings

Earth Day 2024 and Eco friendly-ier Weddings

Yesterday was Earth Day and my instagram and Facebook was full of posts that were, quite frankly, depressing.

This got me thinking about weddings and some of the trends that maybe aren’t the best for our planet, and other ways we can make weddings a bit more eco friendly…

Things that will only ever get used once

There are so many personalised items you could get for your wedding but maybe think about do you really need them and could they be used again?

planet polluting flip-flops

I’ve seen so many posts where brides have proudly announced they’ve seen flips-flops in Primark for £1 a pair - bargain! But are they ever going to be worn once, yet alone more than once? I’ve never gone to a wedding without a pair of comfy shoes in my bag. And even if I had forgotten them I very much doubt that a pair of £1 flip-flops are going to be very comfy (they always hurt between the toes!).

This is the big one for me. Having taken part in a few beach cleans there are always certain things you always find - plastic bottles, Fishermans’ debris and random parts of shoes! If I can ban one thing from weddings it would be the basket of flip-flops for later! So PLEASE let this be a trend which disappears in 2024. (Rant over.)

Welcome Signs & Table Plans

If you are having a catered sit down wedding then you are most likely going to need a table plan, but maybe it could be combined with a welcome sign rather than having two separate items that will never be used again. Maybe your table plan could be written on a chalkboard so after the wedding it can be wiped off and used by another wedding couple or for kids?

If you do want a welcome sign then go for a card one that can be recycled rather than the banner stands I’ve seen cropping up a lot more frequently.

bridal party personalised items

PJs or robes with bride/bridesmaid written on the back. Yes they look very instagram-able but will they get worn again? Probably more likely to if they have names and maybe their role in a much smaller writing, or just get matching patterned ones instead? Same with champagne or wine glasses, go for ones with names instead.

Eco friendly alternatives

Confetti

There’s a number of eco friendly alternatives to confetti. Yes you could get biodegradable stuff but want about asking family and friends to collect petals in the run up to your wedding to use instead? Or for something different dried herbs?

What about a basket of petals that everyone takes a handful of rather than multiple plastic bags full or paper cones?

Fake or real flowers?

I suspect fake flowers are probably only more eco friendly if you hire them or buy second hand or are able to sell them on afterwards. If you are going for real flowers then perhaps consider home grown ones rather than imported? There are even places where you can cut your own so you know that they are home grown.

table decor and favours

I love to see wine or gin bottles reused to become the table centre pieces - always like to see what my couples’ tipple of choice is!

With favours, long gone are the days of sugar almonds which probably are not everyone’s idea of something nice to eat. I do like it when I see packets of seeds giving your guests something to plant is going to help offset their carbon footprint.

Hiring outfits

Quite often the men of the wedding party will hire suits, or even wear suits they already have, but it’s much less common for brides to do this in my experience. But there are many options for buying pre-owned or ex samples dresses, or you could hire a dress?

Oxfam has a good selection online but there are shops in your local high street such as Bridesdress Revisited which have a wide range of gorgeous pre-loved dresses.

For the bridesmaids they don’t all have to be wearing the same dress. Pick a colour and let them find their own pre-loved dress or hire one of their choice. Or go one step further and let them wear whatever they want - maybe a dress they already have for ultimate green credentials!

shop local

A really easy one that everyone can do that shouldn’t affect your budget is to use local suppliers! Whilst it may not be possible for your venue to be local to you, you can make sure that the wedding suppliers you use are local to the venue so they don’t have to travel miles - there’s enough of us around for you to choose from!

These are just a few, simple alternative ideas that will make your wedding a little bit more planet friendly. If you have other suggestions I’d love to hear them!