As a wedding photographer, I have the privileged of being a part of many weddings, and being there behind the scenes I get to see and learn about the couples dreams - Below is an interview with one of my past brides who I was really inspired by - she made so many eco friendly wedding choices and I wanted to share her knowledge and experience!
I have summarised her words into 10 top tips for planning an eco friendly wedding, but keep scrolling to read the full interview!
1) BORROW as much as you can
Try to borrow from friends and family anything that you don’t want to keep yourself for a lifetime… this can include your shoes and jewellery, your something blue, any shawls and other wedding accessories, table decor (like any bottles/vases/jam jars) and instax cameras for your guest book.
2) HIRE rather than buy
Think about the things that you may not use after your wedding, like your wedding dress, bridesmaids dresses, groomsmen’s suits, lawn games etc.
3) If you can’t hire, BUY SECOND HAND
If you can’t hire what you’re after, try to buy second hand. You can use places like facebook market place or charity shops to find hidden gems and even beautiful antique pieces for a retro vibe!
Wedding dresses….. You don’t need to spend hundreds and hundreds (or even thousands!) on a beautiful wedding dress, there are so so many second hand options out there for you - try places like Bridal Reloved, Oxfam Bridal, Preloved, and ebay.
3) *Writing in progress*
FULL INTERVIEW
What inspired you to have an eco-friendly wedding? Was sustainability an important value for you and your partner?
As we both come from science backgrounds (I am a biology teacher and Damien is an engineer), sustainability is a very important value for us. A lot of our day-to-day decisions are eco-conscious already, e.g., minimising food waste, buying clothes from charity shops, second-hand furniture from Facebook marketplace and being vegetarian at home to reduce our carbon footprint. We were also aware that we were not having a local wedding (we live in the Southwest) and since we were asking our family to travel far, we tried to reduce our carbon footprint in other ways.
How did you incorporate eco-friendly practices into your wedding planning process?
We used Instagram and Facebook to look for and book local wedding suppliers who wouldn’t have to travel far. We also chose suppliers, where possible, who’s ethos aligned with ours to reduce the carbon footprint of the wedding and chose materials that were recyclable.
Did you face any challenges while planning your eco-friendly wedding? How did you overcome them?
I originally wanted to hire a wedding dress rather than just buy a dress I’d only wear once. However, I really struggled to find where to do this. Instead, I came across Oxfam bridal through an Instagram advert.
What steps did you take to ensure minimal waste and reduce your carbon footprint during the wedding?
I bought my wedding dresses from Oxfam and have already donated one back to them (I want to keep the evening dress for future events), we hired the suits rather than buying new suits probably never to be worn again. Damien’s shoes were from Facebook marketplace. I am selling the bridesmaids dresses. We sent digital ‘save the date’ cards and wedding invites to save on paper and reduce our carbon footprint (and save on money!). I tried to borrow as much as possible (e.g. Instax camera, fur shawl, bottles/vases for flowers, jewellery) and also used what I already had (scrapbook for guest book, clutch bag, robes for getting ready in the morning). Our wedding suppliers were local, e.g. hairdresser and make-up artist were from Scarborough, local ice-cream, florist from nearby and homegrown flowers.
Can you share some details about the sustainable choices you made for your wedding venue, decor, and catering?
Raven Hall uses local produce and we chose a lot of vegan/vegetarian options for food, flowers were locally grown (no air miles) with no pesticides to be pollinator-friendly, confetti was biodegradable, ice-cream (wedding breakfast dessert) was local, we hired lawn games rather than bought them.
Did you opt for any specific eco-friendly materials or products for your wedding, such as recycled paper invitations or organic fabrics?
We used recycled paper for wedding stationary, and the table names were made of wood.
How did you involve your guests in your eco-friendly wedding vision? Did you provide any eco-friendly favours or encourage sustainable practices?
We asked for no gifts (we feel very fortunate to have everything we need) and instead asked guests to donate to charities close to our hearts- Cancer Research and the Malala Fund.
Were there any unique or creative ideas you implemented to make your wedding more environmentally friendly?
Our wedding cake was homemade by the groom’s mother and brother using their own chicken eggs. The flowers were whatever was in season, we just suggested a colour theme and didn’t know which flowers we’d receive until the day of the wedding (a nice surprise!). Damien also designed and had laser engraved the table plan (map of the UK) and table names (places in the UK we have either lived in or visited) which were made of wood.
Did you collaborate with any local vendors or suppliers who shared your eco-conscious values? How did this enhance your wedding experience?
Yes, Thistledown Flowers – they grow their own flowers with no pesticides or other nasty chemicals to protect pollinators and other wildlife, they will only supply seasonal flowers as they do not fly in flowers so no air miles (lower carbon footprint).
Looking back, what were the highlights of your eco-friendly wedding? What message or inspiration would you like to share with other couples planning their own sustainable weddings?
Highlights included meeting lovely local suppliers who we can keep in contact with. For example, I want to go to Cara Wood at Novia salon in Scarborough in future for my hair appointments. It was great to share our favourite local ice-cream from Beacon Farm where I had been going since a young child. It was also a lovely surprise to not know what flowers we were getting until the wedding day. My advice to other couples planning their own sustainable weddings is to try to source local suppliers – Instagram is a great place to look. And you don’t need an excessive wedding to have a fantastic day with lots of fun.
Written by Becky Groves, RAW Photography Yorkshire 2023
