10 Top Tips on How to Have Green Wedding

How to buy a conflict free engagement and wedding ring

We’ve all heard of conflict diamonds and the devastation they have caused in certain areas of Africa. Ask your jeweller for a Kimberley certification to ensure that the diamonds are conflict and child labour free. Its not a full proof system but definitely a step in the right direction. Or think about a different semi-precious stone – diamonds are not the only stone and you can choose one that symbolises your birthday.

Try looking for a vintage ring or get a stone from a vintage ring or even a ring from your mother or another family member made into a new ring for you by a local jeweller – I love the idea of a ring with some history of its own.

Gold mining is one of the most destructive industries in the world. It pollutes water and land and endangers the health of people and ecosystems. The production of a single wedding ring can generate 20 tons of mine waste. (source: nodirtygold.org) so try and find a jeweller who uses recycled gold or gold from an eco-sustainability programme (for example no cyanide or mercury is used), which is fairly traded.

Also I know we all love an excuse to buy jewellery but think do you really need an engagement and wedding ring? Think about your own style and what you will wear.

How to buy an eco wedding dress

Buying a pre-loved (second hand) dress is a great money-saver and many charities have wedding dress sales shops, which not only have second hand dresses but shop samples too.

There are lots of websites where brides are selling on their dresses and you may find one that is just for you .

Vintage boutiques and fairs are another place to look and the dress can easily be made to fit by a local seamstress. I personally love vintage clothing is just more unusual - you’ll never find anyone else wearing the same dress as you. Vintage dresses just ooze attention to detail! But I know its not everyone’s style. Or what about your mother’s dress, if it fits and suits you it’s a great way of giving special meaning to the day.  And remember don’t trash the dress, sell it on again or donate it to a local charity and make it a more eco option.

Bridesmaids dresses, have they already got the perfect dress? Remember to try and get something that they will wear again such as an evening or cocktail dress and make it a sustainable choice.

How to transport you and your guests in eco-style.

The best eco option for you would be a horse and carriage and it’s really romantic choice. If possible choose a venue that you can get married in and have the reception at the same place or a venue near the church so that guests can walk between the two. If that’s not possible then organise a coach/bus to take your guests, this will really cut down on the car emissions and can be a really stylish choice, especially as you can now hire vintage buses decorated with your wedding colours. Or you can encourage people to car share  – it’s also a great way to get your guests to mingle!

How to encourage your venue to be greener

Here are a few questions you might want to ask your venue - Does it serve fair-trade tea or coffee? Does it use local suppliers? Is the food organic, especially the meat?  Can they supply organic wines? Do they recycle? Do they have an environmental policy? Remember if you ask and the next couple asks then maybe we can get some venues to change theri own policies.

The average meal travels 22,000 miles to reach your plate (source: the live earth) with each ingredient; meat, fish, vegetables, spices, eggs, milk, fruit, grains all being driven or flown from where its grown to where its cooked, burning up fuel on the way. So using local produce can really bring down the carbon footprint of your wedding and supports local businesses.

How to have a more eco-friendly bouquet

80% of the cut flowers in the UK are air freighted from abroad in refrigerated aircrafts, which is unfortunately not very eco-friendly. If you are flexible with what flowers you have then you can opt for more seasonal local English flowers. If you must have lilies and roses see if your florist can find fair trade or organic flowers.

If you want flowers on your table think about having potted plants instead of cut flowers, which can always be given to bridesmaids or parents as a gift afterwards and will be a lasting memory of the day.

How to look eco-chic on your wedding day

Make your wedding day a great excuse to get fitter, try cycling to work, join the gym or do some yoga classes – it will make you feel more energised. Don’t crash diet just try and eat healthier and drink more water. Try to choose hair and make-up products that are made from natural products, avoiding harmful chemicals and are not tested on animals – they are lots of ranges out there that can suit every budget. And remember your wedding is not a time to try and become that movie star size 8 or try and live up to some contrived ideal of beauty. Pamper yourself, yes but be yourself – after all that’s is exactly who your partner fell in love with!

How to have greener Wedding Photographs

Conventional photography uses many chemicals, paper and plastic film, whereas digital photography is a great eco alternative, with no photos being thrown away – unwanted images are just deleted. So try and choose a photographer who uses on-line proofing.

Also there is a trend at the moment to have Wedding Albums shipped in from New Zealand - which gives them a huge carbon footprint. So ask about the source of your albums as there are some great ones that are made in this country.  And digital coffee table books as opposed to traditional photo albums are a better eco alternative as printed photographs use a lot more chemicals.

How to make your Wedding Stationery more eco-chic

The invitations are the first taste that your guests will get of your wedding and really set the tone, so they are a great opportunity to be eco-friendly right from the start. Use recycled paper but remember not all recycled papers are equal. Choose a recycled paper with at least 30% post-consumer waste in it (that’s paper from our recycled bins) And ensure it has A FSC certification which shows that the forests are managed in an environmentally appropriate way – better than sustainable which only replants trees for each one removed. Remember 100% recycled isn’t always best as it cannot be recycled and therefore isn’t a sustainable choice.

Try to avoid embellishments such as diamante, wires and ribbons that will make the cards unrecycable and avoid pearlised or metallic cards and print for the same reasons.

Ensure that your stationery is printed made in the UK and not being shipped from China, where unethical practises may be used and where the carbon footprint is larger. Using a UK supplier means supporting local businesses and jobs.

And look into tree-free alternatives – it is only recently that we started making paper from trees infact you can make paper from anything from cotton to beermats.

How to give eco chic wedding favours.

Its nice to show a little gratitude to your guests with wedding favours, but so many get left over at weddings unused and thrown away.  So try to have favours that people really want such as seeds they can grow, or potted flowers they can take away.  Try to buy fair trade or organic gifts, or just donate some money to a charity of your choice.

How to have an eco-honeymoon.

Try to get away without flying, we often forget that there are loads of romantic places to visit in the UK, from full on boutique glamour, to rustic eco-lodges. Or get the train to Europe, on most journeys you can book your own compartment and make the journey as much part of the honeymoon as the destination.

If you really want to go somewhere exotic make the flight worthwhile by going away for as long as possible and offset the carbon with one of the many plant a tree schemes. And you can always spend some of your time away volunteering, it will make your time away feel more rewarding.

And remember your wedding is your day. It’s a time to appreciate what is important to you and express your personality, style and ideals. But don’t let the extra pressure of being green interfere with organising what is meant to be a happy occasion, at some point you will have a conflict of interests so just do what you can. Even if you just do one thing to have a greener wedding it’s a step in the right direction.

And remember you are the consumer you have the power. Ask every supplier if they have green alternatives or a green policy. They may not but if you ask and the next couples asks and the next, hopefully we can start getting other suppliers to be greener.

And with over 300,000 wedding a year happening in the UK alone, just think if we all did even one small greener thing what a huge change for the better we could make together.