Eastlife Summer 2020 (Web)

Weddings
Mindful &
Sustainable
Written by Katrina Otter | www.katrinaotterweddings.co.uk
Whether you’re cutting down on your use of plastic, changing
your diet or adjusting your lifestyle in some way or another, most
of us are making an effort to be more environmentally conscious.
TV programmes and news reports have highlighted so many
things from palm oil to food production methods and we’re all
paying a lot more attention to the world around us. Mindful and
sustainable weddings are, quite rightly, becoming more and
more popular and it’s thankfully easier to make ethical choices
for your own big day, as I’m about to explain.
Let’s start with bridal fashion because we all know that ‘fast
fashion’ causes huge problems for the environment so it makes
sense that your wedding dress might ‘tread lightly’. There are
designers, such as Sanyukta Shrestha, who work specifically
with environmentally friendly fabrics (including vegan options)
and also support the communities that produce the fabrics
themselves. Alternatively, you might want to support a British
designer who produces all their dresses here in the UK.
Another significant part of your wedding will be your food and
drink and there are plenty of adjustments you can make here
too. For starters, you can choose a menu that’s full of local,
organically produced and seasonal food so that you support
local producers and avoid air-freighted foods.
Look for the specialities of the area to really give your wedding
a sense of place and opt for local drinks too. Wines, spirits and
even non-alcoholic cordials are great choices and if this is
something you’re serious about, then ask your caterers if they will
recycle bottles and other packaging wherever possible.
Seasonal and local flowers are another sustainable option.
Speak to your florist to find out what flowers will be available for
your wedding and then plan your floral scheme around them.
Again, avoid air-freighted options and look at British grown
flowers instead. Another good idea is to agree your colour
scheme with your florist and talk about flowers that you like, but
then give your florist free reign to choose the exact blooms when
they go to buy for your wedding. This means that you’ll get the
best flowers possible at the best price too.
It’s become very clear in recent years that the traditional florist’s
foam is not at all environmentally friendly, so a foam-free
wedding should (if possible) be on your list of wedding musthaves.
Floral foam, commonly known as Oasis, can’t be recycled
and doesn’t break down. Micro plastics end up down the
plughole and larger chunks go to landfill. Floral foam can also
contain formaldehyde so overall, it’s something to be conscious
of and avoid where possible.
Having mentioned micro plastics, you might also want to think
about an entirely plastic-free wedding and if Princess Eugenie
can do it, so can you! There are easy swaps such as replacing
plastic straws with paper straws (or going without straws
altogether) and avoiding decorations and details that can’t be
recycled. Also, think about waste – I can’t even begin to tell you
how many times I’ve seen favours left behind by guests which
is such a shame when couples put a lot of effort and energy into
choosing them. Instead, consider making a donation to a charity
because this might do more good than a stack of discarded
wedding favours ever could.
If you’re going plastic free, why not go paper free too? Electronic
save the dates and wedding websites are a great option (and
they make it easy to collate replies too) and on the day itself, use
large signs to display menus, table plans and timings instead of
printing lots of pieces of paper. Re-purposing items rather than
buying new is certainly the sustainable choice and you’ll find
heaps of ideas online. Mirrors with calligraphy, pallets and even
old ladders can all be used with great effect if you want to avoid
or minimise paper.
Lastly, think about your wedding venue because this is likely to
have the biggest environmental impact of all. Lots of venues,
such as Gaynes Park, are taking huge steps towards being more
environmentally friendly so if this is something that’s important
to you, don’t be afraid to ask your venue for details. The more
requests there are for eco and ethical weddings, the faster the
industry will have to adjust and that can only be a good thing –
for us, for couples, for our future and for the whole world.
Katrina Otter is a Cambridgeshire based wedding planner and
event organiser with over 10 years experience. Find out how she
could help you plan your wedding day at
www.katrinaotterweddings.co.uk
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