Today, in the world, whether at sea or on land, there are far too many problems that affect the environment and nature extremely. Therefore, there are various ways to live with the lifestyle “Zero-waste” and do less impact on nature and even have a possibility for a greener wedding. We’d love to promote this growing and so very important trend. Check out these 8 tips.
- Wedding dress
One of the most important things for every bride is the wedding dress. Instead of buying a standard dress, that every bride usually would wear once, there are different ways to get your dream dress but still keeping a greener touch to it. Find a dress maker who can help you creating your dream dress using vintage fabric and lace. This gives the dress a unique flair that makes it truly unique and as a result the bride stands out from the crowd whilst having less material waste. Another greener way could be a dress which you can wear at some other event and not only that one time during your wedding. Other options would be; to rent a dress, look for a so-called eco-wedding dress using only organic and fair-trade fabrics or re-use your mums old wedding gown and have it freshened up a bit.
- Invitation cards
In order to save costs and material, in the modern world we have the opportunity to send cards electronically. This way, the guests receive their invitations faster, you get the answers quicker, you have absolutely no paper waste and you save money. If you do prefer the conventional way, sending a beautiful card in an envelope, we recommend you to use recycled paper or recycled wildflower seed paper to create stunning eco invitations. This obviously also goes for the name cards and other printed material on the wedding day itself.
- Decoration
Each couple wishes to bring their own personal touch to their wedding. Rather than rice or confetti to throw after the ceremony, petals or natural confetti (from natural flowers) have a very unique, greener and low waste effect. Also think of re-using the decoration flowers. Move them from one space to the other, less quantity more respect for Mother Nature. Try asking for local flowers, instead of imported ones which has a smaller impact on the environment. Decorating with plants such as succulents is also an idea, and after the wedding each guest can bring home a plant for their house. We have also seen fun deco items such as lemons, eggplants or artichokes, which can also be reused after the wedding and the set up will stand out and be remembered. There are also lovely ways to decorate using recycled glass for instance. Just clean cans or jars add a ribbon around, fill with flowers or candles, it gives a lovely boho look for the reception set up. If you want light strings put up for the evening, we recommend that you go for the ones that are charged by solar energy.
If your wedding ceremony is outdoor why not skip the big flower arch and use the beauty of the nature as your backdrop.
- Venue
You have a great chance of being environmentally aware when it comes to the choice of venue or Hotel. Around the word eco hotels are popping up and many of them are ideal for celebrations like a wedding. The venues who can call themselves eco friendly or sustainable are those who meet the standards established on sustainability. Such as the use of the building material or furniture. The waste management and their food products. Some places use solar panels for water heating and electricity and uses only LED lights and low flow shower heads.
- Caterer
Part of the catering selection process should be choosing a company that is on the same page regarding environmental impact. Questions to ask include whether the company itself has different possibilities to compost food scraps or to donate food leftovers to a charity or to use the leftovers in any case for themselves. Also, here you should choose a catering who does not use any kind of plastic that cannot be recycled, or simply go with the caterer who promotes “zero-waste” altogether. In future we hope all canapes will be served on bamboo, in coconut shells and in seashells and all spoons and forks will be made from wood or porcelain. Beverages served in glass wear and for those late pool parties we have great stuff in bamboo. The napkins and table cloth should always be in fabric so it can be reused in other events.
- Transportation
Every couple has to take into consideration how guest are transported to and from the venue. With a guest list of over 100 people, you have to think about big shuttle busses or a lot of cars, the bad impact on the environment is still there but in lesser amount with one vehicle than with many so make sure to calculate the vehicle needs properly. Natural gas buses are up and coming! If you are lucky and the venue is not that far away from local transport or walking is a perfect idea. Your guests can discover the landscape and beauty of the city. In case of the location being in the city but a stretch from any local transport and too far to walk on a hot summer’s day, a zero-waste solution is using Trixi bikes. Hard to find a more relaxed and fun way to arrive at a wedding!
- Gifts
Instead of filling up the wish list with materialistic stuff that you might not even use anyway, there are the option of contributing to nature. You can for instance wish a tree to be planted in a forest in your name, which would be YOUR tree for the rest of life. Or ask for a donation in your name to your favorite charity. Both the giver and the receiver would feel very good about these gifts.
- Favours
A wedding favour is a great idea as a small token of your appreciation for their sharing of your special day. Find local things that can be consumed or planted. Cute ideas such as a small jar of local honey, jam, or oil from the area where your wedding is held, added a small personal note on each is a great idea and does not leave any big environmental footprints and you support the local business. Or how about a bag of seeds which can be planted once your guests are back home, it’s a way of creating something green and also a way for your guests to remembering your wedding by.
