Sustainable Weddings

Weddings should be magical beautiful days, giving the bride her "Princess for a Day" opportunity. They are meant to be the most magical, special day of our life, something we do only once (or at least not very often!), and as such they deserve to be as special as we have dreamed they would be. This often leads to not only huge budgets but also huge environmental impacts for this one day.

The philosophy behind Live and Lovely is to assist weddings to have a reduced impact through pro-sustainability choices, without losing any of the glamour or magic of your special day.

Whether we make only one small change in our plans or if we embrace a fully sustainable wedding, all are steps to a more responsible and healthier future for our planet, our children and ourselves, and all should be congratulated.

To assist all those brides-to be in making choices which promote a reduced impact on our precious environment, please feel free to use and adapt any of the ideas put forward here.

Should you require assistance in applying any of these sustainable choices to your particular wedding plans, Live and Lovely's Sustainability Advisor is available to assist. Contact us to discuss how.

Tips for a sustainable celebration:

Outdoor venue provides natural ventilation as well as romantic atmosphere

Aisle defined using tree seedlings and bamboo stakes decorated with reused tulle and ribbon

• Look for a venue which has an outdoor or terrace option which relies on natural ventilation rather than air conditioning, or even an option to open windows for natural ventilation, since air conditioning is a major energy drain;
• If venues are otherwise comparable, go for the one with the greater green credentials, eg water or energy efficiency, rain water capture and use, solar power, waste separation and recycling or composting, kitchen gardens on site or one which supports local community projects;
• Keep ceremony and reception venues close together to minimise transport impacts (and costs). If a venue offers suitable options to host both the ceremony and the reception, even better.

Tables decorated with fresh flowers, soy candles, cuttings from the garden and table runners from a previous wedding

Artificial flowers mixed with real to give the sense of abundance and reduce reliance on cut flowers

Low voltage fairy lights, rose lights and chandelier all now available for hire from Live and Lovely

More...Floral sprays - make the entire room smell of roses using natural floral water

Hire statement decoration items Rose lights made from real leaves (available for hire from Live and Lovely)

• Avoid single use, non-recyclable or disposable items such as balloons. Try recycled paper lanterns instead, or origami paper cranes (good luck in Japanese culture);
• Use soy, bees wax or palm wax candles (as long as the palm wax is from a certified non-rainforest area) instead of the standard oil-based paraffin candles. For more about sustainable candles see Live and Lovely candles;
• If your venue doesn't already supply them, consider hiring table cloths, chair covers or other decorations, as hire items are re-used and a cost effective way to get a quality look;
• Consider using natural items such as leaves for a garden wedding or shells for a beach wedding, which can be returned to the garden/beach afterwards;
• Use quality fake flowers combined with real greenery from your own garden. The flower growing industry is currently very unsustainable with high chemical use, and by using fakes, you get to keep them afterwards;
• If the venue is doing the decorations for you, consider asking them to replace paraffin candles with natural candles and avoid balloons;
• If you are thinking about preserving your bouquet, consider asking a local artist to paint your bouquet, it produces a unique and wonderful keepsake without the harmful chemicals used in preservation. See Live and Lovely bouquet portraits.

Flame Tree seedlings.
Each guest takes a tree seedling home from the ceremony

Tree seedlings in sustainable hessian pots. Ribbon can be co-ordinated with your wedding colour

• Avoid products which will have a limited lifespan and will end up in the rubbish - quality is key;
• Try tree seedlings for the added benefit of carbon offsetting (see Live and Lovely tree seedlings);
• Other plants also make lovely gifts, eg a potted herb or spring flowering bulb;
• Use recycled or better still, no packaging;
• Candles and tea balls make nice gifts, see Live and Lovely candles and gourmet teas.