Wedding Trends - Sustainability

Here is the fourth instalment of my Wedding Trends series for 2020/2021- I hope you’ve been enjoying it so far, and it’s providing a source of great inspiration for your upcoming nuptials (or your dream wedding Pinterest board).

Sustainability is one of the modern day buzz words, and for good reason. With growing concern over our Earth’s health, people are buying, selling and using more consciously. Weddings don’t tend to be highly eco-friendly events, and it’s impossible to be completely sustainable, however, there are definitely things you can do when thinking about your wedding flowers which will help alleviate some guilt.

GO SEASONAL AND LOCAL. I shout about this all day everyday - support your local independent florists. Not only is it a great thing to put your money back into small businesses, but in terms of sustainability, it cuts down on travel. Shopping seasonally does this too, as to use flowers that are out of date, it means they have to be flown to the UK from the part of the world where they are currently in season, like South Africa or Australia, which enlarges the carbon footprint left behind. It’s also much kinder to your budget! British growers are all over the UK and growing in popularity and quality year on year. Your florist might even be a grower themselves (I for one am currently growing Sweet Peas and Camomile in my back garden for summer weddings this year, keep your fingers crossed for me)!

AVOID FLORAL FOAM. What’s that? I hear you cry. Floral foam is the florists equivalent to single-use plastic, used in vase and larger structural arrangements, and can be incredibly detrimental to the environment as it won’t break down in landfill. There are now more environmentally versions of this foam nowadays, but they can be a costly option. Florists have now created many ways to get past needing it at all, and it’s always good to chat with your supplier about it when booking if sustainability is important to you.

PLANTS OVER CUT FLOWERS. Wild overflowing centrepieces on the one hand are stunning, will always be a crowd favourite and expected at a wedding. However, potted plants, such as lavender or herbs, can create a beautiful living centrepiece for your rustic vibe, or maybe even orchids and mini trees for your more formal affair. They’re easy to be reused, by you or or guests, in your own homes as a memory of the big day - and then saves you buying favours too!

HIRE OR RECYCLE FROM HOME. All those G&T’s come in handy when you’re left with stunning bottles that are perfect for your wedding! Be creative with your recycling - jam jars, milk bottles, trinkets, anything could potentially become a key part of your wedding decor. Get your friends and family involved and send you their left over bottles, it’ll be a lovely and relaxed way to get everyone to be a part of the wedding. Don’t want an excuse to drink mimosas every weekend (I’ve been told there might be 1 or 2 of you out there)? There are millions of suppliers who will let you hire for your wedding weekend, or Karen on that Facebook group might have some left over from her wedding, give her a shout.

THROW THE CONFETTI. With flowers being completely biodegradable, swap out your paper and rice options for these instead. You can think of the flowers in your bouquet and maybe dry some of those petals out in the weeks before your day, match the colours and themes, and after the photos (where it’ll look lush btw), it’ll be gone a week later - perfect for the environment!

AFTER THE ‘I DO’S’. Once everything is said and done, the guests have gone and the music has quietened, what will you do with all the left over arrangements and your bouquets? Maybe donating the local hospices and hospitals so they can cheer someone up in their final days is a wonderful way to bring a bit more joy out of the blooms. Alternatively, ask your florist if they will compost your greens after the big day.

See below for some inspiration of how to have plants in your wedding!