The Future Is Eco for Weddings in Wales

26 Mar 2010

With the wedding season fast-approaching, many couples will be planning their big day with a budget in mind.

Waste Awareness Wales (WAW) have put together some simple, easy steps to help couples keep costs down and enjoy a greener day that reduces the amount of waste produced.

Rachel Jowitt, Head of Waste Support at said: "With celebrities like Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds opting to get married at an eco-resort in Canada, the trend for green weddings is now well underway in Hollywood, and like any hot new celebrity trend it will soon be followed, so the future looks bright for environmentally-friendly weddings.

"An increasing number of couples are putting their wedding on hold because they simply cannot afford them, but we’ve put together some advice for green weddings which will help save money and reduce the amount of waste produced from the big day. For example, by holding your ceremony and your reception in the same location you immediately cancel the need for transport.

"These eco friendly, cost effective tips are easy to incorporate into your wedding whatever your theme, and not only this, but they may encourage your guests to live a more waste-aware lifestyle."

Tips for a greener, cost effective wedding:

• Invitations - Why not send out e-invites? Not only are these incredibly cost effective, but by being creative, they can be really personal. Why not record a video clip and include weblinks? Why not use social networking sites such as Facebook to create your own wedding event page. This could be used to invite your friends, and encourage them to swap stories and photos and get to know each other ahead of the big day.
• The suit and dress – Wedding outfits can cost a small fortune, especially as the dress is only worn once. There are countless hire companies and websites which offer hire of everything from your wedding dress, suit, to shoes, accessories and even venue decorations. Vintage fashion is also still all the rage on the catwalk so why not search the charity/vintage shops and sites for the perfect, affordable wedding attire.
• Venue - Think beyond traditional wedding venues. Look into unique locales such as botanical gardens, museums, art galleries, or historic buildings for an eco-friendly, affordable venue. Try to choose a venue where your ceremony and reception can be held in the same location to cut down on transportation emissions and costs.
• Food and drink – Ask your caterer avoids disposable plates, cups and napkins, which will cause extra waste, and to reduce food miles, support local producers by planning your menu around foods that are in season. And ask if you they will lay on recycling bins for all those glass bottles at your reception.
• Travel - 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.
• Cards - 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
• Gifts – Instead of asking people for household items you may already have, why not ask guests for travel vouchers or, if your feeling generous, to donate money to your favourite charities? Or for a living remembrance of your wedding, why not ask guests to plant something that lasts for years and years, while adding a bit of fresh oxygen to the air, like plants, trees or flowers.
• Confetti – supply your guests with biodegradable confetti, which is readily available now in stores. Natural substitutes, such as flower petals collected from a local florist that would have thrown them away, make an elegant alternative to traditional paper confetti.
• Flowers – The waste and pollution caused to transport imported flowers can be cut down by using locally grown flowers from farmers markets, and if you have a few months to plan, you can even plant bulbs in your home garden. For any cut flowers that are left over after the big day can enjoy a meaningful afterlife if given to a local hospital or residential home.
• Wedding photos - Put your wedding photos on a CD rather than paying to have them printed endless times or better still upload them on photoshare websites. This way you avoid waste and extra costs by sharing them via email or uploading them to web sites like Flickr - www.flickr.com, and look for Fairtrade or recycled paper/card wedding albums.
• Green wedding favour ideas – Rather than presenting your guests with gift boxes of chocolates why not give them something quirky. Here are some ideas:
• Bulb wedding favours: Tuck bulbs in an attractively textured bag (try unbleached muslin, hand-dyed jute or burlap, and stencil a monogram or picture of the flower in front).
• Potted Flowers. If you can track down some clay pots or small containers you can try growing your own flowers for your wedding such as poppies, morning glories, shasta daisies, marigolds or mexican sunflowers. These gorgeous blooms will beautify your reception and make for irresistible favors. Give any leftover pots to friends, family or your neighbours.
• Seed Packet Wedding Favors: design and print your own labels.
• Tasty favours – Why not buy hand baked and personalised decorated wedding favour cookies. They could also double up as quirky nameplace settings and gifts.