FORGET a big, fat Greek wedding – more and more couples are looking to celebrate their special day with a big, fat green wedding instead.
Whether it’s a pot-luck gathering of friends in the local park or an organically catered event at an eco venue, a green wedding celebrates love while respecting the planet, too.
With the average white wedding costing more than £20,000 and emitting 15 tonnes of CO, rethinking some of the wedding rules could help you – and the Earth – breathe a little easier.
“A wedding is one of the biggest single expenditures you can make in your life, so it should reflect the way that you and your partner intend to continue living your lives as a couple,” says Rosie Ames, founder of Green Union (www.greenunion.com), an online database that unites couples with sustainably-minded wedding suppliers.
Whether the two of you are the greenest people on the block or just like the idea of sending out e-vites rather than paper ones, how green your wedding gets is entirely up to you, says Mireya Navarro, author of Green Wedding: Planning Your Eco-Friendly Celebration.
“A green wedding is wise in its choices, but still tailored to suit your dreams,” she explains.
“Ultimately, it should stand against waste and excess and get you to rethink every aspect of the big event, from the number of guests who have to fly or drive long distances to the usefulness of plastic trinkets as party favours.”
With a bit of research, you’ll find that by sourcing local flowers or choosing a local venue, your green wedding will be cheaper than a white one, especially if you are a little creative in your decision-making.
THE VENUE
Gone are the days when green weddings signified barefoot pagan rituals – today, you can still be eco without skimping on beauty or luxury.
“You don’t have to get married under an oak tree or have hairy armpits to have a green wedding,” says Ames.
“You can have a posh wedding in the middle of London or have a mini festival in the country – it just depends on your budget.”
By choosing a venue that’s easy to get to for most of the guests, you’ll cut down on their carbon footprint and any extra costs required for hotels.
Beautiful and cost-friendly choices include local parks, forests, botanical gardens and historical venues, all of which provide natural scenery that won’t need much extra decoration.
Listed buildings are also a good option.
Make sure you ask if the venue conserves energy, uses low-energy lighting, recycles or composts food waste, and if it sources its food locally and seasonally.
“If you have a venue that you’ve set your heart on but they’re not that green, try to get them to do just one thing that will make them greener,” advises Ames.
“It will open their minds and make them look at how they run their business and, hopefully, change things for the future.”
THE HEN/STAG DO
Opt for a local hen or stag do instead of planning an expensive weekend away.
A couple of days of learning to surf in Cornwall could be a good male-bonding experience for the lads, whereas a weekend of pampering (Yorkshire’s eco Titanic Spa – www.titanicspa.com – offers a bridal makeover) or fun classes might be just the thing girls need.
“A hen weekend filled with jewellery-making courses are fun and you can actually end up making your own wedding rings,” says Ames.
“Alternatively, a flower-arranging course can help you decorate your wedding tables.”
THE DRESS
Your wedding day is the one chance you’ll have to buy the most gorgeous and expensive dress of your life – but if you are only ever going to wear it once, is it really worth it?
Avoid the high street (most wedding dresses in the UK are made in China and India) and invest in a local dressmaker who will be happy to source your favourite materials and “design a one-off dress for you that no one else will ever have,” Ames notes.
Alternatively, you can always find a vintage wedding dress at your local Oxfam or charity shop and get a dressmaker to alter or personalise it for you.
Failing that, think about how you might reuse your one-off once the big day has come and passed. Can you reuse it to make a christening outfit or a dress you might wear more regularly? How about cushion covers or lampshades?
THE FLOWERS
You might have an idea of the perfect bouquet, but if it involves pesticides, greenhouses and air miles, are those pink roses still perfect?
“One bride wanted lily of the valley flowers everywhere, but sourcing them was not only unethical, but expensive,” says Ames.
“So we had a think and covered the venue with lily of the valley candles and just had a few flowers in her bouquet instead.”
Flower petals make perfect confetti. Either organise a fun day out to collect them or buy them online (www.thenatural weddingcompany.co.uk).
You can add a bit of fun and flavour to the wedding by sending out wildflower seeds with your invitations (which are hopefully printed on recycled paper) and encouraging your guests to bring the resulting bouquets to the wedding with them.
Using potted plants instead of flower arrangements will also cut down on costs, with recycled vases and pots adding a funky touch.
“Better yet, they can serve as wedding favours at the end of the night,” says Jen Marsden, author of Green Guide For Weddings
THE RING
Green jewellers such as Ingle & Rhode (www.ingleandrhode.com) use only conflict-free diamonds with recycled platinum and gold, and ensure that mining profits go straight back into the local communities.
A little more off the beaten track is jewellery by Cornwall-based Penny Gray (www.pennygray.co.uk), who works with recycled and found materials such as shells, sea glass and beads.
Turkish-born Arzu Keles (www.a-keles.com) has unusual needleworked lace necklaces, rings and bracelets that would make any bride swoon.
Alternatively, why not keep jewellery in the family and rework your grandmother’s old ring?
“If you loved your gran but hated her ring, get a jeweller to rework it to your taste,” advises Ames.
THE HONEYMOON
Obviously, staying local is the greenest option, but if you want to fly to some amazing destination, then do it, says Ames.
“A perfect way to segue from your green wedding to a green honeymoon is through eco-tourism,” says Navarro.
“The goal is to use your tourist dollars to actually help protect the environment.”
Green honeymoons can combine something ethical with something indulgent, such as travelling by train to Spain, working on an organic farm for a week, then spending a week on the beach.
Or if you decide to stay in the UK, there are loads of gorgeous places to visit and activities you can take up: climbing, horseback riding, cycling, rambling, surfing, diving – the list goes on.
Ultimately, the key is to remember to enjoy yourself.
“Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life,” says Ames.
“Try not to get too worked up about how eco-friendly everything is and just let it be your dream day.”
Green Guide For Weddings, by Jen Marsden, is published by Green Guide, priced £8.99. Green Wedding: Planning Your Eco-Friendly Celebration, by Mireya Navarro, is published by Stewart Tabori & Chang, priced £19.99. Both are available from most good bookshops.