These days, most of us are trying to include eco-conscious habits into our daily lives. But it’s amazing how quickly these can go out the window when it comes to party time.
Fortunately, throwing a somewhat sustainable wedding is becoming easier by the day, and we’ve been lucky enough to be involved with plenty of Cambridge weddings and showcases where being green is at the forefront of everyone’s mind. You can now find a whole range of eco-friendly decorations, venues and services on offer for your big day.
Invites
Depending on the size of your wedding, you can easily waste a lot of single-use paper just inviting people to come along! Have a look for companies using sustainable materials in their stationery, or even write them yourself on recycled paper. If you wanna go the extra mile, digitise your invites by writing emails to your guests – then there is no wastage! Being eco-conscious about your invites will help set the tone for the type of wedding you want to have.
Venues
You’ll be spending your whole day at your chosen venue, so not only should it look great and customised to you and your partner but it should also meet your priorities when it comes to environmental impact. If the weather permits, you could go for an outdoor space – you’ll have naturally beautiful surroundings and no need for lights/air-con etc.
If you do need to be inside, it’s worth checking if the venue takes its responsibilities seriously – this could be in terms of energy tariff, water usage and recycling.
Flowers
Obviously, flowers are a cornerstone of wedding decoration! But, I’m sure you can agree, people sometimes go a bit over the top. It’s worth being aware that cut flowers are not particularly environmentally friendly – they don’t last long and are often shipped a long way. Fake plants are one way to go (not plastic ones!) or you could go for potted plants – they look just as great, last much longer and your guests can even take them home!
Don’t stop there!
Be aware of the amount of single-use material you are going to get through. There are loads of eco-conscious types of confetti – from leaf punchings to bird seed!
You could use rechargeable fairy lights to give ambience without using tons of batteries.
You could ask your guests to donate to charity instead of buying you gifts.
And finally have a think about your food – are there sustainable choices to be made in terms of menu?
You don’t need to go full vegan (although we highly recommend!), but some conversation with your supplier about their sourcing can lead you to make the choice that will leave you most at ease on your important day.
