Weddings

There are lots of ways that you can have a 'green' wedding that will be better for the planet and kinder to your pocket, but where do you start? The best way is to look at each aspect of the event and consider what green options are available.

Venue

• In a county as beautiful as Cumbria, it makes sense to keep the venue local

• An outdoor wedding saves on heating and lighting bills, as well as providing a lovely natural backdrop for photographs

• Try to ensure your venue has eco-friendly policies in place, such as composting and recycling

• If the venue offers catering packages check if they can use locally produced foods (or organic or fair trade)

Transport

• If possible choose a venue where you can get married and have the reception to reduce travelling

• Try to provide as much information on transport options as possible in your invitations and let your guests know that you'd really appreciate it if they arrived by train, bus or bike

• You could also encourage people to car share - a great way to get your guests to mingle!

• If your venue is difficult to reach, why not look into providing a mini-bus from the nearest town?

• Having an unusual form of transport for the bride's arrival or for the happy couple's departure always makes for a memorable moment to a wedding. Check what options are available locally and take your pick between horse-drawn carriages, bicycles, tricycles, rickshaws and numerous other alternatives to a car

Food and drink

• Try to source local, seasonal, organic ingredients for your wedding food and drink or, if you are hiring caterers, choose a company that is passionate about doing the same.

• There may be a local brewery that can supply drinks by the keg. Check to see if they offer a glass hire service too

• Choose reusable china crockery and glasses rather than disposable paper and plastic options to serve your food and drink

• If you're a keen baker, you could try making your own wedding cake, or if one of your friends or family likes to bake, they may be keen to make your cake

• Whoever makes your wedding cake, ask for organic and fairly traded ingredients where possible and try to locally source ingredients such as free-range eggs

Flowers

• If you want flowers on your tables, consider locally sourced potted plants instead of cut flowers, which can be given to wedding guests as a gift afterwards and will be a lasting memory of the day

• If you or one of your friends or family are keen gardeners, you might be able to grow some of your own table decorations or floral displays

• Or you may be able to source seasonal flowers from a local organic grower, who can probably even grow you flowers to order for your big day

• If you buy your flowers from a florist, ask them if they have local or seasonal options for your displays and bouquets

Invitations

• When it comes to invitations, do you really need to send them in the mail? You will save money and paper by sending e-invitations to everyone who is online

• A wide range of recycled, sustainable and even tree-free wedding stationery is available if you need printed invitations for guests who don't use the internet

Outfits

• Consider pre-loved (second hand) or vintage clothing for the bride, groom and bridal party. Not expending any new resources is the most eco-friendly option when it comes to clothing

• There are a growing number of organisations dedicated to finding new homes for wonderful vintage and pre-loved bride gowns, so you're sure to find something to suit your style and budget

• If you ask around, your friends or family may have something suitable that could be altered by a local seamstress to fit you perfectly

• Look out for ex-rental suits, waistcoats and trousers on auction websites

• Renting some or all of your wedding outfits can save you hundreds of pounds, which could free up more funds for other aspects of your wedding, like your honeymoon

• If you do decide to buy new clothing, consider eco-friendly fabrics such as organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, linen, and silk, which all have a lower environmental impact than conventionally grown cotton or polyester fabrics and will biodegrade at the end of their useful lives

• When buying outfits that you will keep, consider items that will be suitable to wear in the future, or which could easily be altered or re-styled for future use

• Look for an eco-dry cleaner to freshen up your outfits before and/or after the big event. Eco-dry cleaning gives great results without the use of harmful chemicals

Rings

• Try looking for a vintage wedding ring or consider a ring made by a local craftsperson from recycled precious metals for a beautiful one of a kind item to treasure forever

• If you're buying new rings, ask about certified conflict-free diamonds and eco-friendly, fairly traded or recycled gold

Gifts

• There are numerous eco-friendly wedding gift lists available that you could use to make your wedding list, many of whom sell ethical and environmentally friendly home wares

• Many local craft stores may also do wedding lists, and even mainstream retailers now have many eco-options, such as organic linens, etc

• If you already have all you need, why not create an online donation gift list to a worthy cause instead? There are many charities who offer this service, so you can choose one close to your heart

• When it comes to wedding favours, the greenest option would be to forget about them altogether, but if it's something you want to do, you could give guests a potted plant or flowers that they can take away and plant. Or if you've got the time, make your own treats, such as cookies, fudge or chocolates and place them in recycled paper boxes or bags

• Another alternative for wedding favours is to see whether a local craftsperson could make items for your guests

Confetti

• Avoid foil confetti, as it won't biodegrade and can choke birds. Paper confetti is a better option but many types contain bleach and artificial colours that leach into the ground

• A better option is to encourage your guests to use natural flower petal confetti, which can be made from dried organic rose petals by companies in the UK

• You could also use bird friendly seeds. Avoid dry rice grains as they can be harmful to birds.

Honeymoon

• The finishing touch to your green wedding could be a wonderful romantic honeymoon in the UK

• If you wish to travel abroad why not go by train, coach or boat? If flying is unavoidable use a company which specialises in ethical and sustainable travel to destinations where local communities will benefit and natural surroundings are preserved

For more ideas and lists of places to source items for your green wedding, visit an eco-friendly wedding directory, some of which are listed below.

http://www.greenunion.co.uk/
http://www.greatgreenweddings.com/