Environmental issues are some of the most significant issues facing us today. Few things are more important than responsible stewardship of the planet we will pass on to future generations. These issues have received more and more attention in recent decades, and people today are more environmentally conscious than ever before. For many, the desire to protect the environment informs every aspect of daily life. So, how should it affect your decisions while planning your wedding?

When it comes to the environment, the truth is that even the tiniest things make a difference. A large event like a wedding involves a significant use of resources. Naturally, this can and will have some impact on the environment. When you consider that countless weddings take place each year, it’s obvious that there’s a good reason to be environmentally conscious while planning your wedding. In this week’s blog post, we’d like to offer some tips to help you start thinking about how you can have a greener wedding.

Pick Your Venue Carefully

One of the first things to look at when considering the environmental impact of your wedding is the venue. This is true for a number of reasons. Most obviously, typical venues use resources like electricity and water, and sometimes quite a lot. Locating your venue out of doors is a great way to eliminate this problem, as well as open up some thrilling possibilities for a naturally beautiful venue. Of course, an outdoor wedding won’t be suitable for everyone, especially considering our unpredictable Irish weather.

If choosing an indoor venue, there are other ways you can minimise the environmental impact of your event. Enquire at prospective venues about which energy management standards they adhere to, if any. Remember that travelling from the ceremony to the reception will usually involve fuel emissions, so it’s best to have both venues located nearby each other. Even better, hold both the ceremony and reception in the same place!

Source Your Food and Flowers Responsibly

Of all the activities that human beings engage in, agriculture is arguably the one that has the most significant impact on the environment. That makes choosing what to heat one of the most important parts of living in an environmentally friendly way. Vegan or vegetarian meals are a great choice, but you can still keep your wedding green without going fully vegetarian. Find a caterer that uses only organic, fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Organic food is produced without pesticides that can damage the environment, while using locally sourced ingredients means less resources are used storing and transporting the food.

When it comes to flowers, roughly the same advice applies. Avoid flowers that are grown using chemical pesticides. Seasonal, locally grown blooms are best. You can also consider using dried or artificial flowers, which are environmentally friendly and often inexpensive.

Give the Right Kind of Wedding Favours

Wedding favours are thoughtful and charming, and no doubt your guests will appreciate them. Unfortunately, however, certain types of favours tend to end up being thrown out. Avoid including any plastic or metal items in your favours. Make sure, also, that any packaging is responsibly produced and biodegradable. Edible favours are a great choice, and we’ve written before about how coffee and confectionary make excellent favours (they should be ethically sourced, of course). Alternatively, you could avoid giving favours altogether and make a donation to charity on behalf of your guests.

Choose Your Wedding Dress and Jewellery Responsibly

Fabrics used to make wedding dresses require a significant amount of electricity to produce. What’s more, some of this fabric will be discarded while the dress is being made. It might be considered quite wasteful, then, that these dresses are often worn only once. You can avoid this wastefulness by wearing a vintage dress, or one that has been in your family. Alternatively, seek out a designer that creates dresses from sustainable fabrics.

The possibility of using a family heirloom also applies when it comes to choosing your engagement and wedding rings. If no such heirloom is available, make sure you you know where your wedding jewellery has come from. It’s important to be socially and environmentally responsible by choosing jewellery made from recycled metals and ethically sourced stones. Speak with your jeweller and insist on knowing the exact provenance of your jewellery.

Still looking for the perfect wedding invitations and stationery for your big day? Have a look at our full range of wedding invitations and stationery here: http://www.lovinginvitations.ie/product-category/wedding-invitations/