The true green wedding would be a registry office affair with no guests, no outfit and a quick glass of organic champagne (carefully recycling the bottle afterwards). However, we recognize that this may not appeal to most people... In reality, it isn't obligatory to serve mung beans and a dose of austerity at your wedding in order to make it greener.
Anyone can have a greener wedding simply by thinking a little creatively and by considering the impact of their day on the local economy and the environment.
Diamonds
Ethical diamonds are rocks that haven't caused conflict. There are a range of retailers who provide such stones.
Go Green on your Hen & Stag dos
Flying is an environmental 'No-no!' Why not consider having your do in the UK. There are so many options for a fun night out or a fun weekend in the UK.
The Gift List
There are lots of options for those who are getting married later in life. You could choose to use our site: www.ourgreenweddinglist.com for a range of eco-friendly and ethically sourced goods or you could choose to donate to charity instead of having material goods (www.weddinglistgiving.com or www.civilpartnershipgiving.com are both good options).
The dress
There are a whole range of sites that provide brides with the opportunity of finding a perfect second hand wedding dress. Ebay, www.thecharityweddingshop.com, confetti online all sell second hand dresses, and Oxfam even have a number of shops up and down the country that sell on donated dresses.
Stationery
You can make your own cards using recycled paper or you can try to buy wedding stationery that is printed on recycled paper or paper from sustainable forests. You can visit www.thecharityweddingshop.com for wedding stationery that is both environmentally friendly AND that gives 50% of its profit to a wide number of UK charities.
Venues
You can insist that your venue recycles the waste (bottles) and composts the food waste. There are also a number of venues who specify that they are Green Venues.
Transport
Always try to marry in the location where most of your guests are from as this cuts down on transport emissions. Try to use venues that are accessible by public transport. Suggest to your friends and family that they share cars and where necessary provide minibuses or coaches to ferry your guests between venues to reduce car emissions. There are lots of fun options as well - why not use a rickshaw, TucTuc, a horse and cart or arrive by foot!!!
Food
Why not try to have an organic menu or a menu that is sourced from local produce? You could also consider using UK wines which are getting better and better. Breaky Bottom Vineyard produces a lovely Kir and a sparkling wine and Sedlescombe Vineyard also offers an excellent range of sparkling wine.
Flowers
Surely flowers are green you cry! Well farewell flower power and hello flower miles. Most flowers are imported and this means that they are flown to the UK from all over the world adding to the problems of Ozone depletion. In some cases they also contribute to deforestation. Why not consider using flowers that are grown in the UK or wild flowers -OR even creating your own bouquets from your garden. There are a number of suppliers who will create such bouquets for you. If you plant a border specifically for your wedding in the autumn or spring you can have the satisfaction of walking down the aisle with some lovingly nurtured flowers!
When you display your flowers, why not paint baked bean tins and tie with ribbons to create a lovely country cottage look?
Favours
Sugared almonds are traditional and... QUITE environmentally friendly. But why not consider some other alternatives. Charity favours are an option (see www.thecharityweddingshop.com) or you could consider giving your guests a plant or seedling.
Confetti
Why not use real rose petals gathered from your gardens - and the gardens of your neighbours. If it is the wrong time of year you can buy petals from a number of outlets.
The honeymoon
There is no easy way to say this BUT flying just isn't green. There is no real way to make your journey greener. You could make a donation to a charity such as 'Plant Tree Save Planet' who work on the ethos of 'offsetting your carbon emissions' in order to help you to placate your guilt. There are also some companies who provide greener/eco-friendlier travel.
An alternative is to honeymoon in locations where you can arrive by boat, foot, train or bicycle. As the climate changes the UK is (unfortunately!!!) warming up so why go away when you can slow climate change by enjoying the beautiful and relatively empty beaches in Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.
