Will it still feel special?

This is the year of zero waste for me and when I started to write about weddings, I wondered if someone could have a zero waste wedding and what would it look like.

Would it still be a special day for the bride and groom if there were no lavish trimmings or would it be even more special with the compromises made.

The easiest way to eliminate waste would be to elope or have a registry office wedding, but what if you wanted something more fancy, could you pull that off?

The invitations

I have received some really interesting wedding invites in my time, but the seed paper used for one invitation stood out for me. I made my own wedding invites using calligraphy done by a very generous friend and pressed hydrangea flowers. The other option is to send electronic invites which the guest can decide whether to print off or not.

The dress, the suit and the guest attire

Start early and check out various websites that sell recycled wedding dresses. I know a young bride who found a most wonderful designer wedding dress on one of these sites and it was a stunner. She has since resold it on line for another bride to enjoy.

For the groom, you can hire a suit or tux, but I have been to a wedding where they had nice trousers,white shirt,braces and a bow tie. They liked them so much,they all planned to wear them after the wedding. Another option is to borrow a friend’s suit!

As a guest, you do not need to buy something new, recycle something you have in your wardrobe, wear it with a different jacket or footwear.

The rings

Have you ever thought of having your wedding rings made with old gold or silver jewellery you never wear and never will. This can be incorporated into your wedding rings. My rose gold signet ring became part of my daughter in law’s engagement ring and now holds double the number of memories.

Table centre pieces

Make your centre pieces, beg, borrow, but not steal! I have seen gorgeous succulents potted up in an assortment of colours, long garlands of bay tree branches finished off with lemons, (both can be reused

or composted) and glass vases with handpicked flowers.

You can also decorate your venue with your own house plants and if the wedding is intimate, you can even use items from your home if necessary.

Green venues

When deciding on a venue consider outdoor venues such as parks, gardens, beaches, and the like.

I have been to a wedding where the seating was haybales (coffee sacks sat on top) that were returned to the farmer the next day and the couple made a lovely sort of tepee arch structure from lichen covered poles lying in the paddock and decorated the top of it with flowers from the garden on the morning of the wedding. Hey presto! a lovely place to get married under.

Choose local caterers and local produce

If your venue is eco-friendly then they should have some local caterers that use local produce. Also, think about how much food you need as most weddings have copious amounts of food that is too much for any person to consume in one day.

Food wastage is huge when it comes to weddings so reduce the amount and have a plan in place for any wastage. Can this go to food shelters? Does the venue or caterers have a practice in place for food wastage?

Also, surplus food may be able to be used the day after the wedding if it is suitable.

Bouquets

There are some florists that cater for dried wedding bouquets, and they are stunning. Flowers from your grandmother’s garden, tied together with a ribbon, can be very symbolic and meaningful.

Remember if you do have fresh flowers in your bouquets they can be pressed and framed for you to continue enjoying.

The cake

Most people have their wedding cake as part of their dessert and if you are having a tiered cake a lot are opting for two false cakes and one real one. Dietary needs are often catered for by a mini cake or even cupcakes.

Favours

Why not pot up herbs or even a small native seedling for wedding favours. Create little goodie bags filled with zero-waste products. This could include things like bamboo straws, shampoo bars, and lip balm. If you like, you can also include a note outlining zero-waste principles and why they are important to you.

You could make some wonderful, scented candles, or purchase small pots of honey from a local beekeeper.

And finally. . .

There are so many ways that you can make your wedding zero waste. You can hire locally instead of buying, dry flowers for confetti, ask guests to give ethical gifts, recycle and reuse.

Cut back on paper usage by using cotton napkins, a menu board instead of place names, a table menu instead of individual menus and you will find so many uses for old mirrors. . . you will wonder how you ever managed without them!

Enjoy your special day knowing that you are also helping the planet!