Modern Romance, Zero Waste: Eco-Friendly Weddings

Rosie Made a Thing

Planning a wedding is one of the most exciting chapters of your life, but it’s no secret that traditional celebrations can leave behind a hefty environmental footprint. From single-use decorations to excessive food waste, the big day can sometimes generate a lot of unwanted trash.

The good news is that you can still throw a lovely wedding, while still protecting the planet. In fact, it’s a gorgeous opportunity to infuse your personal values into your celebration, often saving you money.

Whether you’re dreaming of a rustic outdoor gathering or a sleek, modern affair, here is how you can tie the knot while keeping your footprint as light as your love story.

Consider a Pre-Loved Wedding Dress

The average price of a wedding dress is now a whopping £1500. Why not save the money and buy pre-loved, and spend that money instead towards a deposit on a home or raising a family?

You can still wear a lovely dress, and then donate it on (below) or sell it back to let someone else marry on a budget. It saves waste, and stops you going into debt, even before the honeymoon!

Still White is an online marketplace to buy pre-loved wedding dresses (plus dresses for mother-of-the-bride) to avoid spending a fortune on a dress you may wear just once. The site has good security measures in place.

Launder synthetic fibres in a microfibre filter, to stop plastics escaping from the washing machine, going into the sea. 

Oxfam has in-store and online dresses, starting from a reasonable £50. It is a ‘big charity’ but there are also many small charity shops you could find wedding dresses from too. However, only shop at stores that don’t fund animal testing (instead, donate to humane medical research).

Where to donate used wedding gowns

KEMP Hospice in Kidderminster (Worcestershire) is a good example of this idea done well. Local brides donate used wedding gowns, for with profits raising funds to provide care  for dying patients.

The shop even has a dedicated bridal floor, so you can have a fitting, just like with a traditional shop.

Wedding Wishing Well Foundation was founded by a young woman, who when diagnosed with cancer, found that finances did not extend to a wedding dress. These dresses are donated to women with terminal illness.

Turning dresses into baby burial gowns

Dresses for Angels is a charity, where volunteer seamstresses unpick donated wedding and bridesmaid dresses, and turn them into free burial gowns’ for angel babies, who have gone too soon.

Founded after the sad circumstance of a stillborn child, they can create gowns for babies born sleeping or even from early miscarriage, to full term. Every baby deserves something special, on their journey to Heaven.

Choose Organic Seasonal Wedding Bouquets

Grow Your Own Wedding Flowers is a unique book (it’s 10 years old but there’s not been any other books on this subject) to grow your own bouquets and buttonholes, to avoid spending a fortune on florists.

Filled with gorgeous photos, this enables you to enjoy beautiful bouquets, without the expense, chemicals and plastic wrap.

Many wedding flowers (including lilies) and petal confetti (like delphiniums, hydrangeas and rhododenrums) are not safe near pets.

Read up on no-dig gardening and pet-friendly gardens). Avoid facing indoor displays to gardens, to stop birds flying into windows.

Most flowers for weddings or other occasions in England are flown in from The Netherlands or more likely long-haul flights. Covered in chemicals, and looking and feeling like you would, after a long-haul flight.

The book features info on planting, growing, cutting and harvesting, plus sections dedicated to seasonal blooms – along with craft ideas for centrepieces and flower crowns for bridesmaids, and even jam-jar posies.

Author Georgina Newbery used to work in the fashion industry, but gave it all up to open Common Farm Flowers (Somerset) which she runs with her husband. Together they offer courses on flower-growing and DIY flower buckets for more affordable wedding flowers, to arrange yourself.

They only deal with seasonal blooms, so if you buy from them, you won’t be able to have a winter wedding (unless you don’t want flowers!)

Start with your wedding date

In England, choose 3 to 5 main flowers plus 2 to 3 foliage options, to thrive outdoors in each season. Keep it simple (one main and a supporting colour plus one neutral (white, cream, green).

Choose a spot with 6 hours of sun and decent soil, and plan for 30 to 50 percent more to cover for breakages and buds that don’t open in time:

• Bridal bouquet (25 to 35 stems)
• Bridesmaid bouquet (15 to 25 stems)
• Buttonholes (1 to 2 stems)
• Bud vases (3 o to 5 stems)
• Small table jars (8 to 12 stems)

Where to buy seasonal wedding flowers

If you are not growing your own bouquet, enter your postcode at Flowers from the Farm to find local sustainable florists.

Stem & Green (near Winchester, Hampshire) farms on 2 acres of chalkland, growing seasonal wedding flowers. Although not certified organic, the farm follows organic principles. You can order flowers and buckets to save money if preferred, or hire vases to return a few days later.

Send Zero Waste Invites & Wedding Cards

Alice Palace is a talented designer who creates lovely recycled cards and gift wrap, with fun sweet designs. A lot of her items are focused on weddings and engagements, from cards to eco gift wrap. All made with green energy.

This giant wedding card is left blank inside for your own message, the A4 size is great for children’s handwriting. You can personalise the front with three lines of your own wording, and the date of the wedding.

Only send plantable invites to pet-free homes, as many are embedded with wildflowers that are toxic to animal friends. Most companies also use non-native seeds (not good for wildlife).

Good Tuesday is a Cornish brand of zero waste stationery, that makes everything from desk diaries to wall planners to habit trackers. It also offers a lovely eco-friendly wedding card. Everything is printed on recycled card, and sent in plastic-free packaging.

Clink those fizzy bubbly glasses, for the happy couple, with a bold stripe design and fun illustrations. Made locally on thick paper that does not bleed, it’s paired with a recycled kraft envelope.

Choose Zero Waste Wedding Gift Wrap

This lovely wedding gift wrap is also made from recycled paper, with adorable art. Printed with vegetable inks, it’s sold as 3 folded sheets.

Choose Recycled Metal Wedding Bands

These handmade recycled silver wedding bands are made from recycled metals, to avoid mining for new metals. Just enter your ring and band size.