The Diary of a Wedding Planner
Such a wonderful day can also be a big wasteful day too…
Did you know that a wedding weekend can produce as many c02 emissions as five
people would within a whole year?!
Worry not, I am here to give you all of the tips and tricks on making your wedding
greener... for the planet that is, unless your preferred colour theme is green too.
There is no such thing as a fully eco-friendly wedding no matter how hard we try, just
like there is no such thing as the perfect white wedding we all pictured as children.
Being eco-conscious however is a step in the right direction.
Choose your Venue & Location wisely
It comes as no secret or surprise that aeroplanes are the top contributors to the global
warming problems our planet faces. Not that all your guests will be flying in private
jet… or they might be in a few rare cases. But one of your dilemmas may be deciding
whether to host your special day in the UK or aboard. As a wedding planner I would
obviously want you to choose your dream location but a location with minimal travel
would be kinder to our planet.
Choose a venue that uses green practices and sustainable resources.
It’s not just you…
Being kinder to our planet is also in the hands of the venue itself. Are they savvy with
recycling? Are they advocates of keeping their emissions low? Do they work with
local suppliers rather than the cheapest in the UK?
At Haybales Barn, we have the health of our earth in our hearts and therefore take
every step we can to ensure that we are doing our bit to be an eco-friendly venue
option.
We have said it before, we only work with the best suppliers! Luckily for us we have
all our suppliers local to us and their eco values go hand in hand with ours. From
reducing wastage, to using biodegradable products, keeping travel times to a
minimum, to sourcing from local farmers and many more.
Shop locally for food and drinks to reduce the environmental impact of long-distance transportation.
Food & Drink (the best bits) and suppliers
Food and drink, one of the best parts to the day!
The next big eco topic. You always research your supplier’s reputation... well I should
hope you do. Have you investigated how eco-friendly they are? What practices and
policy’s do they follow? Is there produced responsibly sourced?
Whatever food options you go for is up to you, whether that’s a set menu or a buffet
style dinner. A green idea would be to think of your guest count and timings of your
food service. Is there going to be a lot going to waste? Another green idea is
biodegradable/ recyclable plates and cutlery. Bamboo plates are great for this!
Especially for outdoor venues or venues that don’t have the facility to cater inside. It
also saves hiring plates and breakages so great for the piggy bank too!
Décor, flowers and all of the pretty stuff
‘Single use’ - a huge term in an eco-world. Most venues have the option to hire out
props and décor, so you don’t have to buy them to use once or transport them to the
venue. It’s a winner winner!
Biodegradable confetti is a new option and becoming more and more popular as we
move into 2023, some venues like us at Haybales only allow biodegradable confetti.
Everyone wants beautiful flowers at their wedding and you may be thinking that
plants couldn’t get any more eco-friendly however this is where a lot of couples don’t
realise they are not being as kind to our planet as they thought.
Choosing flowers that are in season is one of the easiest and simplest eco choice you
can make, your florist can help you with this. With that being, said another budget
friendly tip is sourcing them yourself, maybe you’ve got a green fingered relative or a
local farmer who wouldn’t mind helping you. Or if you are a better plant parent than
me… grow your own!
A more obvious choice would be to not choose flowers that need to be flown across
the world!
Did you know that Oasis (the floral foam that most florists use as a base to structure
flower arrangements) is quite damaging to our environment?
It isn’t biodegradable, meaning it can be held in landfill for years! It also contains
chemicals that are harmful to our planet. So, if you are trying to be more eco this is a
no no!
On better news there are lots of florists that are ‘foam free’.
You can paint your whole day in eco-friendly flowers but how do you get the most of
them?
Regift! You know that amazing, helpful wedding planner... hint hint! Or that perfect
photographer? Or spread the love further afield and donate the leftovers to a local
care home or hospital.
Your special day is a toast to your future, let’s think about the future of our planet.
Haybales Barn
