In today's blog post, we are delighted to have eco warrior Maya from Sustainer Container, an eco friendly gifting business, give us her top tips for having a sustainable wedding.

Here at Ananya, the sustainability and ecological impact of our work is very important to us - and, as a company working closely with paper, we do take our responsibility to the planet very seriously.

Maya sells eco friendly gift boxes that make the perfect treat for your loved ones and for the planet, find out more about Sustainer Container here.

The Average UK wedding uses 20kg of single use plastic!

With the statistic above indicating the shocking amount of waste that is produced by weddings in the UK, it is unsurprising that sustainable weddings were a big trend in 2020 and this is likely to grow in the coming years. But, with weddings steeped in traditions, it can be difficult to know how to make your wedding more sustainable without abandoning these traditions all together. This article will round up my tips for having a sustainable wedding, including:

Choosing a sustainable wedding venue
Eco friendly invites
Gifts, flowers and favours

1. Sustainable Wedding Tips - Wedding Venue

Ashridge House. Photo Credit: Ami Louisa Photography

So, you’re newly engaged - the first thing on your wedding planning checklist is probably securing a venue. Not only is the venue one of the biggest decisions you will make when planning your wedding, it can also have the biggest environmental impact. Research the venues in advance and prepare questions to ask about their environmental impact - for example, how much single use plastic will be used by the venue to host your wedding? Does the venue reuse decorations? If not, how will these be disposed of? Does the venue support local businesses or do they buy their decorations and produce from further afield?

Alongside conducting your research to find a venue which prioritises sustainability, it is worth considering the location of potential venues. Look for a venue that is close to the area where most guests will be travelling from if possible, to reduce the miles travelled to your wedding. You could also consider hiring a private coach to take guests to and from the wedding, to further reduce miles and vehicles travelling to your wedding and thus helping to reduce the carbon footprint of your ceremony.

With a beef burger using the same amount of water as 60 showers, the menu options offered by your venue can also have a huge impact on how sustainable your wedding is. My next tip for having a sustainable wedding would be to consider having a plant based wedding meal. Or, why not compromise and have a vegetarian starter but offer a meat option for the main course - even just opting for more vegetarian or vegan options will help reduce the carbon footprint of your wedding.

2. Sustainable Wedding Tips - Eco Friendly Invites

Ananya ‘Hues of Blues’ watercolour floral stationery suite. Photo Credit: Tell Your Story Photography

Ananya floral wedding stationery collection. Photo credit Ami Louisa Photography

So your sustainable venue is booked, next on the wedding planning checklist is inviting people to join your celebration. With deforestation becoming a major issue in the fight against climate change, my second sustainable wedding tip involves investigating the eco credentials of your wedding invitation supplier. For example, the invitations made by Vaishali of Ananya Cards are made using recycled paper or cardstock from sustainably managed forests. Plus, Vaishali also plants trees for every order received!! As part of a drive to be as sustainable as possible, Vaishali’s beautiful creations are designed to be more than just an invitation and are designed to be a keepsake that is treasured long after the wedding.

Ananya ‘Enchanted Garden’ stationery. Photo Credit: Xander Casey Photography

For many people, receiving a wedding invitation means one thing - time to go outfit shopping. Now, I love a new outfit as much as the next person, but many of these fancy frocks will be worn just once, with a new outfit being bought for every wedding and event. This cycle of fast fashion and over consumption is hugely problematic for the planet. My next tip might not be for everyone, but what about using your invitations to encourage your wedding guests to outfit repeat and wear an outfit they have worn before? Chances are - nobody will remember that the outfits have been worn before and this is an easy way of reducing the carbon footprint of your wedding.

3. Sustainable Wedding Tips - Gifts, Flowers and Favours

Having spent time carefully planning your perfect sustainable wedding, the big day arrives and you receive gifts that you won’t use and that are packaged in single use plastic. To avoid this consider asking for vouchers which you can put towards a larger purchase or a trip away. Alternatively, pick out some practical sustainable items for loved ones to purchase as a gift that will help you to continue your sustainability journey. For example, our Everything Eco Gift Boxes are filled with sustainable alternatives to your everyday products - why not ask for a gift box each and continue your sustainability journey into your married life.

My next sustainable wedding tip is around flowers - possibly not the first thing you think of when you are thinking about having a sustainable wedding.

“A sustainably sourced flower is a fresh cut flower that is not treated with pesticides and can be found, grown, and sold locally.” (Green Matters)

Try to find flowers that meet this criteria. Floral foam bricks also contain single use plastic, so try to choose flower arrangements which do not require the bricks.

Wedding flowers by Wilde Thyme. Photo Credit: Kate Nielen Photography

Finally, you may want to consider sustainable wedding favours. Since common wedding favours often include little packets of sweets individually wrapped in single use plastic or trinkets that may never be used, wedding favours are not always the most planet friendly. So the first thing to think about is whether you really need wedding favours and whether anybody will even notice if you decide against giving each guest a small gift? If you are determined to have a wedding favour (and I completely understand wanting to follow tradition), perhaps opt for a more sustainable option. One such idea would be seed paper or seed bombs which can be thrown onto any patch of ground by guests to grow bee friendly wildflowers - a lovely touch for a sustainable wedding.

Ananya handcrafted paper flower favours. Photo credit Kate Nielen Photography

From choosing a sustainable wedding venue and eco friendly invites to gifts, jewellery, flowers and favours, these have been my tips for having a sustainable wedding. If you would like to find out more about everything eco, please don’t hesitate to have a browse of the Sustainer Container website or send me a message on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest.

Thank you very much, Maya. So many top tips we can use for a sustainable wedding.

Until the next time, Vaishali