There are a lot of different things that people want from their wedding days. Most will want an event that is memorable, personal, and exciting for all of their friends and family, but have you ever considered the social or environmental elements of your wedding? To help you out with this, this article will be exploring some of the best ways to make sure that your wedding isn’t bad for the world. Of course, though, this doesn’t mean that you should feel bad if you can’t make any of these areas perfect; it’s just good to aim to limit the impact your wedding will have when you’re going through the planning process.
The Venue
The venue you choose for your wedding will always be important when it comes to the environmental aspects of it. Some venues are much better than others for the planet, and this will usually be down to the way that they use electricity, gas, and other consumables. Having a wedding outside, for example, will be far more environmentally friendly than having one in a brightly lit hotel with air conditioning and all of the mod cons.
Transport/Locations
Transport will always be important for weddings, with all of your guests needing a way to get to the event. Many people will choose local venues to make it easier for their guests, but you could also consider the idea of hiring a bus to ensure that your guests don’t have to bring their own cars along. The wedding car itself can be an electric one, with many companies offering converted classic cars that will look great without damaging the planet.
Of course, your location ties heavily into this, and not just because of the environmental implications. Many people choose to have their wedding in a different country, though this can be bad for the locals that are already there. Planet damaging flights will be required, but you may also find that the people who work to organize the wedding for you are paid less than they would be at home. While it isn’t your responsibility to pay people like this, you can avoid causing anyone to get paid unfairly.
Food & Drinks
Many people ignore food and drinks when they are thinking about the environment and their wedding. Events like this tend to cause a lot of food waste, and most people are well aware of the problem with this kind of waste. Planning ahead can solve this, as you will have the chance to ask each of your guests what they would like to eat before the big day arrives. This can be done with your wedding invitation, though it’s worth keeping in mind that some people won’t be able to eat as much as others.
Invitations
Sending out wedding invitations can be exciting, but it can also generate a lot of unnecessary waste. You don’t need to rely on paper invitations in the modern world, with the vast majority of people having access to emails and messaging services. Sending out a set of wedding emails will be far less environmentally damaging than using paper ones, even if it does take a little bit of the fun out of the whole thing.
Dresses & Suits
Clothing is one of the most crucial elements of any wedding, but you will usually only decide what you and your partner wear. It’s no secret that there are a lot of social issues surrounding clothing, with some of the world’s largest designers relying on unfair overseas labor to make their garments. Buying secondhand can help to solve this issue, while also reducing the environmental impact of your wedding attire.
Finding secondhand wedding dresses and suits can be difficult. This process will be well worth the effort, but you will need to hunt around the web to find exactly what you want for your wedding. There are loads of websites that can enable you to get your hands on preloved suits and dresses, though you could also consider the idea of researching the new options you have to make sure that they are ethical.
The Rings
Wedding rings have long been a crucial element of an event like this, and it is just about impossible to get married without them. Unfortunately, though, the gem and precious metal markets are some of the most environmentally and socially damaging ones in the world. Many of the world’s largest diamond mines are operated with unfair labor, all while damaging the earth in the process.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that you can’t get your hands on rings that are good for the planet; you just need to do some research. Companies like infinitydiamondjewellery.com use human-made diamonds, rather than those that have been dragged up from the ground. Not only does this mean that they are more affordable, but they are also better for the world than traditional wedding rings. You should be able to wear your ring without having to worry about where it has come from.
Entertainment
Entertainment is another crucial element of your wedding, and this one simply can’t be avoided. You will need to find a band or other performance to keep your guests entertained. The way that this is handled can have a big impact on the environmental friendliness of your wedding, with bands that use a lot of electronics being worse than those that rely on acoustic instruments. In reality, the impact of something like this isn’t going to be as bad as some of the other areas in this post, but it is still worth keeping in mind.
The Waste
It would be impossible to host an event like a wedding without creating some waste. This sort of event can result in huge amounts of wasted food and other items, and this makes it worth working hard to reduce this. Using reusable plates, napkins, and cutlery is a good start with this, but you should be looking for every chance to reduce the waste created by your wedding as you plan the big day.
Alongside reducing waste, it also makes sense to find ways to deal with it properly. There are loads of waste management companies out there that can guarantee that your waste will be recycled, and this can save you from leaving a big mark on the environment. Some venues will be able to handle this for you, but you will need to make sure that you check with them before the big day.
Enjoying Your Wedding
While making sure that your wedding is good for the planet is important, it’s also worth keeping in mind that you should be able to enjoy this day without any hang-ups. This can be a challenge, but you should feel proud if you manage to achieve anything on this list. Most people completely ignore this sort of effort, but it only takes a handful of people to make a difference during their own wedding for others to start following suit.
With all of this in mind, you should be feeling ready to start working towards a wedding that is better for the world. This may sound like a big challenge, but you will find it easier once you get started. Most people have what it takes to create an environmentally and socially friendly wedding; you just need to make the effort.