7 ideas: Sustainable wedding checklist for DIY weddings
Back in November 2018 Lisa took me an all expenses trip to … Skegness! We had a fantastic time, even seeing some seals giving birth and after our tea, she got down on one knee in our caravan and of course I said yes!
We had originally planned to get married in June 2020 and while we were in planning mode, which has of course taken a little bit of a back seat during COVID, we knew we wanted to have a thoughtful and sustainable wedding as much as we could within our modest budget. Here is what we learned along the way in our drive to have a more ethical and environmentally conscious DIY wedding:
1. Choose ethical wedding suppliers
Choosing ethical wedding suppliers whose values align with your own is probably the easiest way to have a sustainable wedding and something we’ve learnt from sustainable weddings that we’ve attended as videographers. In fact Tash and Matt chose us as wedding videographers because all our wedding videos are powered by renewable energy.
2. Cutting down on disposable plastics
Our aim is simply to avoid using plastic items where possible. We made a choice not to use plastic cups, plates and cutlery, instead opting to use reusable glasses already at our village hall wedding venue, and opted for compostable bamboo plates and cutlery instead. As we had a small venue without dishwashers this was the most sensible option for us.
3. DIY wedding drinks
The joy of a DIY wedding is that you do not have to pay the venue to source extremely expensive bottles of wine, with an additional corkage fee on top that will make your eyes water! This was never a consideration for us and we couldn’t justify spending in that way with a limited budget. And Lisa loves a bargain! So we spent time researching the best offers and bought bottles of wine and prosecco during the Christmas and New Year sales. As our venue has no alcohol licence, we decided to buy other drinks such as beer and cider in cans or bottles too so we could easily recycle to our heart’s content which brings us on to…
4. There is no excuse not to recycle at a wedding
Its not as hard as you think. Our plan is to set up several recycling points around the venue so guests can pop their empties into bins which we can take home the day after our wedding day. Any non-recyclable waste from the day can easily be put in compostable waste bags.
5. Local wedding suppliers
Have a look around at your local suppliers as they will help you to reduce your overall carbon footprint on the day. Is there a local farm you can source food from? Or a local brewery perhaps? We are lucky enough to have the amazing Charnwood Brewery on our doorstep and will definitiely be ordering a keg or two!
6. Eco friendly wedding favours and gifts
Get creative to your hearts content with ethical, recycled, compostable and charity gifts. You could give seeds , plants rather than flowers, or even plant a tree to say thank you with amazing organisations such as One Tree Planted, who we have partnered with since 2019.
7. What about wedding florists?
There are amazing suppliers out there who grow and source their flowers in the UK, sometimes from their own glorious gardens. We made the decision to invest in the key flower arrangements of the day, bouquets and pinholes, but this was an area for us to save in, so we will be going flower picking in our local area the day before our wedding. It’s one of the things I’m looking forward to most, being creative and making memories with our special people who will be helping out.
What about an eco friendly wedding videographer?
Have a chat with us about your plans, we make wedding videos powered by renewable energy! See if we’re available on your big day.