Eight simple ideas for a green wedding ceremony

July 9, 2020

Ceremonies

Getting married is a fantastic opportunity to declare your love for your partner and the planet. An eco-friendly and ethical wedding doesn’t have to mean extra planning and a huge budget – we’ve put together 8 easy and affordable suggestions for anyone who wants to show some love for the planet on their special day with a green wedding ceremony!

1. The rings

Think about using a family ring that is sitting unworn in a jewellery box (you could use it as it is or have it redesigned if it’s not to your taste), and preloved and vintage engagement rings are often reasonably priced and perfect for anyone who likes something a bit different. Fairtrade gold rings are an ethical option for a new ring, or you could opt for a beautiful handcrafted wooden ring instead.

2. The invites

Go paperless with an online invitation and wedding website. Your wedding website can supply all of the details that your guests will need for the day, and can be updated after the event to electronically thank your guests for their attendance and share your favourite photos from the day. For those looking for a more traditional invite, consider using invites printed on recycled and recyclable paper, or use seed paper so your guests can plant their invitations when they no longer need them. On the day, reduce your paper usage by displaying menus, Order of the Day schedules etc on blackboards instead of printing individually.

3. The dress

Preloved, vintage, and hired wedding gowns offer a stylish way of looking after the planet whilst ensuring that you look great on your wedding day. You could also consider passing on your own wedding gown or donating it to charity after your big day for an eco-friendly way of helping someone else shine on their wedding day.

4. The suppliers

Book ethical suppliers like Humanist Society Scotland. We are a national charity so by booking an official Humanist Society Scotland celebrant, you’re supporting our work to create a fairer Scotland and world.

5. The gifts and favours

If you’d prefer guests not to give you wedding gifts, consider asking people to donate to a charity of your choice instead. There are even gift registry services available that allow you to add a charitable donation as an option on your gift list. You can also arrange to give charitable donations as favours, attaching charity badges to name cards, or writing a few words about your chosen charity on name cards for guests to read. For example, we can provide small thank you favour cards to mark a donation to our StreetCare project, and other charities do so too.

6. The flowers and decorations

Declare your love for the planet and your local flora by using local, seasonal flowers for your bouquets and decorations, or choose dried flowers that can be kept as a memento of the day. If you choose fresh flowers as part of your wedding, think about donating them after the ceremony to a local hospice, care home, or hospital, vastly increasing the number of faces your wedding blooms will bring a smile to. Save yourself some time and money by keeping decorations minimal, or consider hiring your decorative touches for an eco-and-purse-friendly approach to decoration.

7. The food and drink

Again, think local and seasonal when it comes to your wedding breakfast and the drinks that you serve. Scotland has an abundance of gorgeous local produce that can be used to reduce food miles and bring an authentic Scottish flavour to your festivities (pun intended). Local produce doesn’t have to be massively expensive – homemade tablet and Tunnocks teacakes can bring as much of a taste of Scotland to your wedding as single malt whisky and smoked salmon.

8. The honeymoon

Green travel and ethical honeymoons are now very well catered for, with options for every budget and wanderlust-level, giving you the perfect ending to your green wedding ceremony! The British Isles offers some stunning honeymoon locations for those keen to reduce their carbon footprint, and there are lots of options for those who want to travel further afield ethically and responsibly.

Main image Credit: Shutterstock