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Something old, new, borrowed and...green?

With invitations already starting to stack up on mantlepieces across Wales, the key wedding season is definitely approaching – and this year people are finding the most stylish weddings around can be both special for you and kinder to the environment.

Waste Awareness Wales have launched an ‘eco-weddings’ campaign, urging couples who are tying the knot to make a few simple changes to their wedding plans and a huge difference to the environment.

Here Anna Richards, manager of Waste Awareness Wales explains why the campaign has been launched:

"Your wedding day is a very special moment, and everybody goes to great lengths to make it extra-special. However, with just a few small changes the day can be just as perfect but also that little bit greener to help reduce the huge impact weddings can have on the environment.

"With all that paper used for the invitations, metres of fabric for the dresses and hundreds of flowers for the bouquets and floral displays, not to mention the travelling to and from the ceremony, it’s easy to see what a significant impact your special day can have on the environment.

"However it’s easy to reduce the amount of resources a typical wedding will use. Whether it’s a vintage wedding dress, recycled paper or email for your invitations, or composting your flowers afterwards, there are plenty of steps we can all take to ensure the key colour at this year’s weddings is green."

Waste Awareness Wales’ top tips for making your wedding better for the environment:

• Consider invitations made from recycled paper or even better, email your invitations to your guests and ask them to RSVP via email.
  
• Ask guests to send their messages of congratulations using an e-card to save paper. Take a look at Waste Awareness Wales’ website for engagement and wedding e-cards – www.wasteawarenesswales.org.uk/e-cards
  
• To try and reduce food miles, meet with the venue coordinator before booking to see if they can use food and drink suppliers which are on your doorstep.
  
• How many toasters does one couple need? Create an eco-friendly wedding list including gifts such as a donation to charity or chickens or goats to help people in developing countries.
  
• If you have a more traditional wedding list, ask guests not to gift wrap your presents, or alternatively, wrap them in brown paper and ribbon that can be reused.
  
• If your guests have to travel to your wedding, arrange car sharing or suggest that they use a more environmentally friendly mode of transport such as the train. Cut down travelling on the day by choosing a reception venue close to your ceremony.
  
• Use traditional glasses, cutlery, plates and napkins at your reception rather than disposable plastic and paper versions.
  
• Consider using potted flowering plants for centrepieces and give them to guests to take home as reminders of your wedding – and remember to compost any cut flower decorations afterwards.
  
• Save paper by putting your wedding photos on a CD and share them via email rather than printing out all your photos.
  
• And when it’s all over, enjoy an eco-honeymoon. Offset your carbon emissions created by travelling to your destination, and stay in a place that practices environmentally-friendly practices such as recycling.