Wedding Sustainability
When planning your dream day, naturally it feels like there’s a never-ending list of things you need to consider and plan for. Obviously, there’s so much enjoyment and excitement when it comes to choosing your outfits, the number of tiers for your wedding cake - never mind choosing the flavours - then there’s deciding the colours of your flowers and how you can create that Instagrammable shot… you see where I’m going with this! But in all the excitement, it’s easy to overlook the environmental impact your wedding could have.
Sustainability has become such a hot topic of growing importance, so below I have shared different ways to host a sustainable, zero-waste, ethical wedding that can be incorporated with ease, little impact and minimal compromises.
Helen x
Locally-sourced Flowers: We have seen a huge rise in talented florists making the transition from designing and arranging to also growing their own seasonal blooms. Using seasonal blooms from local growers reduces the carbon footprint and supports local economies.
“We don’t just grow for ourselves, we also sell to florists and couples getting married who are looking to indulge their creative side whilst supporting British growers, through our Ready-to-Arrange service.” The Leicestershire Flower Farm
Reusable Decor: Within Derbyshire itself, we are extremely lucky to have an incredible array of venue stylists who offer a variety of items such as tablecloths, centrepieces, floral arrangements and decorations on a rentable basis. This level of service doesn’t just help minimise waste but it also keeps the cost down.
Check out our recommended suppliers here:
1. Lily Rose Wedding & Events.
2. Rent For Your Event.
4. Sparkle Event Styling.
5. Ambience Venue Styling.
Biodegradable Options: Like most wedding venues, we at The Kedleston country House only allow biodegradable confetti however, having other decorations made from biodegradable materials, such as paper or natural fibres, ensures they won’t harm the environment after disposal.
Making your own confetti from fallen leafs and dried flower petals is not only cost effective but also a lovely personal touch. A past bride of ours kept every bouquet of flowers that her groom gifted her during the planning of their wedding and created confetti from them…how cute and romantic!
Upcycled and Vintage Items: Whether it’s exploring vintage markets, scouting charity shops or scrolling online, there’s now so many amazing market places to seek that second-hand delight. Incorporating second-hand or upcycled décor adds character and charm, while reducing the demand for new products. And who knows, you could always sell on and make a penny or two after you have finished with the items.
Catering without over-catering: Whilst we love a good buffet, we generally find so much wastage comes when serving a spread for an evening reception. Our own solution here at The Kedleston Country House is our evening street food service, which sees each guest receive a street food bowl individually served to them; served on recyclable and compostable dishware too. This staggered service not only ensures fresh and hot food, it also allows us to cater for the correct number of guests.
Living Plants: A big wedding trend we are seeing for 2025 is potted plants and herbs being used as table décor and even wedding favours. Being given as a gift, they can be taken home and cared for after the wedding making a lovely long-term keepsake.
Seed Paper Wedding Stationery: From wedding invitations and RSVP cards, order of services and table plans, to menus and place cards, when you create a checklist of what wedding stationery you will need, there’s heaps of paper and printing involved.
Following the trend of potted plants as above, seeded paper is proving to be a big hit with our upcoming couples. ‘But what is it?’, I hear you ask:
Seed Paper is tree-free paper which is embedded with thousands of wildflower seeds that grow when planted, allowing you to give back to nature with every wedding print.
“After seeing the amount of waste created by single use invitations, we wanted to do something truly unique for eco-conscious couples and do our bit to help the planet at the same time. We decided to source paper with a difference. The cotton used to make the paper is from old clothes and textile industry waste. Our luxury seed papers come in a variety of seeds embedded to grow beautiful flowers and herbs that will last long beyond your big day, creating a truly unique and personal experience for you and your guests.” www.littlegreenwedding.com
IMAGES COURTESY OF…
Photographer & Content @foyetography_weddings
Styling & Florals @the.secret.bridesmaid
Pyrography @burntbouquets