These days, couples are increasingly thinking about eco-friendly weddings. Hosting a sustainable wedding is surprisingly easy – after all, we’re now used to planning our everyday transport, energy use and meals more responsibly.
Here’s how you can scale up your daily sustainable lifestyle to create a greener, gentler type of wedding.
Start as you mean to go on with digital save-the-day cards and wedding invites. You’ll save paper and delivery miles, as well as a considerable amount of your own time! Digital invites can still be pretty and reflect the style and palette of your wedding.
How many invitations need to be sent? It goes without saying that a smaller, intimate wedding is more eco-friendly than a lavish celebration with hundreds of guests. However, it’s not always possible to pare weddings down to a short guest list. We’ve gathered together tried-and-tested tips that help make weddings of all shapes and sizes as sustainable as possible.
Finding a venue whose values chime with yours is the first step when planning a sustainable wedding. You don’t have to get married in a field or a yurt to have an eco wedding: the venue’s location is one of the most important elements of a responsible celebration.
Getting the location right is two-fold. Are guests able to travel by train or share a short car journey? For example, are country house venues short taxi rides from railway stations. Is everything on one site? Having the ceremony, reception, party and accommodation in the same place cuts down on a lot of local travel.
Outdoor ceremonies and celebrations are more energy efficient, making the most of natural light and (hopefully) the warmth of the sun. Light-filled spaces like the Victorian Orangery at St Audries Park are the perfect compromise if the weather’s less certain.
Have a chat with potential wedding venues about their approaches to sustainability. Questions to ask can include:
There are lots of stylish ways to make sure that your white wedding is as green as possible. While it’s a common convention for the groom and his party to hire their wedding outfits, we’re now seeing an increase in brides renting their dresses, too. Hiring designer dresses is a lot more cost-effective than buying them, so you can really upgrade your outfit.
Pre-loved wedding dresses are another eco-friendly option, from vintage Victorian lace to absolute bargains from your local charity shop (organisations like Oxfam even have an online bridal shop). Pass on your outfits afterwards so another party can enjoy them.
If you do buy new, look out for clothes made from ethical and sustainable materials, such as GOTS-certified organic cotton or recycled fabrics. Support local dressmakers or manufacturers, or look out for accreditations such as B-Corp status, which make sure that sustainable practices are used at every stage of production.
Locally sourced produce not only cuts down on food miles, it helps to support local farmers and producers. At Country House Weddings, our in-house chefs use seasonal ingredients wherever possible, giving you beautifully fresh food that hasn’t been force-grown or transported thousands of miles. Vegan and vegetarian menus have a lesser environmental impact than meat dishes, which is something else to bear in mind.
Local drinks are a great way to treat your guests without racking up the food miles: cider and apple juice always go down a treat at our Somerset and Gloucestershire venues. Let’s also raise a glass to English sparkling wine, which is getting better and better.
There’s a lot of details to think through when you’re planning a wedding. How do you make sure that you’re ticking all the sustainable boxes?
We’ve already talked about using local suppliers and choosing a single-site venue. Cut down on your own carbon footprint by choosing a venue that’s easy to get to from your home (you’re going to be going there a lot in the run up to the wedding!).
Think about your honeymoon destination. Do you need to fly somewhere exotic, or would a luxurious holiday cottage in the UK be just as romantic? However, if you’re really looking forward to a break somewhere sunnier, there are also an increasing amount of eco-friendly holiday packages, hotels and resorts available worldwide. Many airlines offer carbon-offsetting schemes, while travel agencies can advise on the greenest flight options.
With ceremony, reception and party spaces and accommodation all on one site, our country house estates are perfect for thoughtful weddings. We believe in sourcing seasonal produce and working with local providers, and all our houses have robust recycling programmes in place.
To find out more, please take a look at our portfolio of wedding venues and get in touch with our expert planners.
