Sustainable Wedding Practices in the UK

At every wedding, there has always been something magical about ‘something old.’ A grandparent’s handkerchief, a lucky sixpence, a strand of heirloom pearls, each piece tells a story and brings a personal touch of a couple’s history to their wedding. For this reason, and several others, modern couples are reaching back into the archives of their lives to plan their wedding.

Sustainable weddings are becoming the wedding trend of 2020 weddings in the UK and beyond, and couples love the creative flexibility of planning one.

Wedding professionals and vendors in England have been eagerly anticipating the trend of eco-weddings. From offering meatless menu options, or sourcing ingredients from local farms, to doing away with single-use plastics, wedding vendors are often incredibly proud of their sustainable methods and thrilled when couples choose to implement them.

Collectively our goal is to create a day where love is celebrated, and memories are made instead of large carbon footprints.

More and more couples are choosing to use floral arrangements from florists who design with locally grown, seasonal flowers. Foraged flowers give a wedding an aesthetic edge, often perfectly accenting wedding with a rustic-chic trend.

Eco-credentials are boosted when couples use living trees or plants creatively planted in ceramic pots or funky containers in place of fresh flowers at their wedding.

After the event, these can be planted in the yard of their first home, or at the homes of their friends and families, the perfect way for your love to grow and be celebrated for many years to come.

A passion for all things antique is well suited to an eco-friendly wedding. There is no end to the amazing dresses you can find at a local shop, or even in your grandmother’s closet. Wedding dresses worn by loved ones or close friends can have a new life when you have it altered to suit your own personality and tailored to fit you.

Better yet, why not have your bridal party wear dresses and attire previously worn in another wedding? A rainbow of bridesmaids, each with their style, could make for some truly unique and fabulous wedding portraits.

Pursuing an eco-wedding can also be a way to add a personal touch to your day.

Instead of paper place cards, have custom cookies baked and decorated with the guests’ name: yummy, elegant dual-purposed dessert! Take those foraged florals and use mason jars as your table centrepiece, attaching a family recipe for a homemade strawberry jam to the jar with an accenting ribbon for the perfect reusable favour.

Remember that awesome signage from your co-workers’ wedding or those fantastic table clothes from your friend’s anniversary party? You would be surprised how many people would love to pass on those accents for you to incorporate in your wedding day, so just ask!

Often, planning an eco-friendly wedding not only saves the environment but the pocket-book as well. Be creative, be personal, and put your own spin on the day while helping to preserve the planet for future generations.

For further reading on sustainable and ethical weddings, we recommend the following article:

• The Guide to Sustainable, Zero-Waste, Ethical Weddings by 77 Diamonds