CATERING ‘Local’ is the key word again here. So, find out how your caterer sources its ingredients. If they use meat and produce from local farms this is the one for you! Seasonal menus are also a must, making sure the ingredients are readily available nearby without the need for spending precious air miles importing produce. Asparagus in the spring, berries in the summer and root veg in the autumn are all delicious and sustainable choices. So, ask your caterer whether they can supply a menu using 80 to 100 per cent UK seasonal ingredients. Consider vegan, plant-based options as these naturally have a much lower carbon and water footprint. Choosing just one plantbased meal for your menu can go a long way to reducing carbon emissions. Avoid food waste as much as possible. If guests drop out at the last minute, update your caterer as soon as you can. If it’s already too late to cut the meal, offer it to an extra supplier not already sunsplash.com@artsyvibes STATIONERY Going digital is the most sustainable method here. Send out e-save-the-dates and e-invites and set up a wedding website containing all the information your guests will need as well as for the RSVPs, eliminating the need for printing, paper and postage. You may choose to go entirely digital or as a combination with traditional methods to cut down on stationery. The latter is the most viable option if you don’t have the e-mail addresses for everyone. If you are using paper, look for 100 per cent recycled products, FSC-certified paper, biodegradable options, or our favourite seed paper that can be planted after use. Also, check out what printing methods your stationer uses. Look out for soy- or vegetable-based inks and avoid foil, laminated finished and any glitter or plastic embellishments. When it comes to on-the-day stationery such as your signage, hire it to prevent it hitting landfill post celebrations. DECOR Hiring a professional venue stylist will, by and large, see you have this covered. They’ll have an entire showroom of goodies they can use to style your venue according to your vision, making sure it looks 10-out-of-10, before taking it all back at the end of the day to do the same for another lucky couple. There’s zero waste in this method. DIY may sound sustainable, but is it really? Carefully consider what will happen to your styling elements you’ve meticulously crafted after the big day. If the answer is, “Well, they’ll get thrown away,” pause for further thought. If you’re sourcing heaps of non-sustainable craft materials with the end result of dumping the creation after a day’s use, this isn’t the eco-conscious way forward. A good rule of thumb is to stop and question yourself: “Am I going to use this again?” If not, the answer is to hire it. unsplash.com@sintijasandore 36
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=