Top 4 Tips for a Sustainable Wedding | 2022 - The Year of Sustainable Weddings
Can a Wedding Be Sustainable?
Although big traditional weddings can be beautiful, they often wreak havoc on the environment.
It’s estimated that between 400-600 pounds of garbage and 62 tons of CO2 is produced for every 2.5 million weddings that happen per year.
We all need to do our part in reducing the number of greenhouse gases that are released, and waste that is sent to landfill as a direct result of the wedding industry.
Top 5 Tips for a Sustainable Wedding
Below are our tips for planning a eco-friendly wedding in 2022.
1. Source Locally-Grown Flowers, or Replace Them Entirely.
Flowers when bought from non-sustainable sources can be incredibly wasteful and harmful to the environment. It’s a great idea to look into eco-friendly options such as locally-grown tulips, hydrangeas, or wild daisies. You could invest in seasonal flowers, or those that are grown locally rather than treated with pesticides or imported from abroad.
Alternatively, there are many non-traditional wedding trends for 2022 that include sustainable floral replacements such as mason jars with fairy lights, paper accessories, and potted plants for guests to take home with them.
2. Sustainable & Local Catering
If you’re looking to plan a sustainable wedding, we’d definitely recommend either creating a gorgeous vegan menu, or buying locally sourced meats from UK farmers if you do want that meat element.
Another great idea is to reduce waste by avoiding the all-you-can-eat buffet, and opting for a set menu according to your guestlist, to ensure there is no unnecessary throw-away. If you’re thinking of napkins, try to get your hands on biodegradable napkins and other sustainable/recycled accessories.
3. Rent Your Wedding Dress
There are hundreds of reasons why you should hire your dream wedding dress, not buy it. Most wedding dresses are incredibly wasteful. You buy it – and wear it once.
The fashion industry already has an enormous impact on the environment. With over 3,000 litres of water used to make a single t-shirt, you can only imagine the impact an entire wedding dress has.
So, why not rent your wedding dress? You can find beautiful pieces to suit every style to make sure your particular look is unique, while saving money and the environment.
4. Cruelty-free makeup
It’s a great idea to check which brands are cruelty-free, and then have a conversation with prospective makeup artists about the brands they use, and their views on sustainable and animal-friendly products.
Cruelty-free makeup products generally use less plastic, chemicals, and leave a smaller carbon footprint.
Apart from the obvious – Cruelty free makeup at your wedding will save animals - they will support eco-friendly, sustainable brands and encourage non-sustainable ones to be so. You’ll be slowly but surely changing the world.
Why Have a Sustainable Wedding?
An eco-friendly, green wedding will save your money – and the planet. Paper tends to have a classier, more tasteful feel than plastic anyway, and will make a great addition to your theme regardless of its countless benefits.
Small weddings will already become popular in 2022. Why not jump on the band wagon by joining thousands in turning their weddings sustainable.
Sustainability in weddings really does make your big day unique. Especially if you opt for locally sourced food, flowers and festivities. So, what are you waiting for?
