Great ideas for a greener wedding

When my wife and I tied the knot last summer we were determined that our special day wouldn’t have a big impact on the environment. We did everything we could to make it a waste-free event, used public transport to get people there, and ate either local or wild food.

With a big guest list we also had to get creative on our limited budget. Thankfully, though, having a greener wedding (or any other event for that matter) can also save you a lot of money – and the end result for us was a fantastic occasion that left only a small footprint on the planet.

Here’s how we did it.

Clothing

Making your own bridesmaids dresses saves tonnes of money and means the girls can get together for a couple of wines during the sewing sessions. Even if you’re a novice, there are plenty of patterns that you can use – see below for some sewing inspiration from the web.

Repurposed old clothes can also be among the most beautiful. My wife wore a dress she already owned, stitched on some vintage lace to make it more appropriate and came out looking stunning.

You can make a lovely birdcage veil yourself by starting with a hat from a second-hand store and going to a good fabric shop. Or reuse something from your mother or grandmother’s big day for a touch of family history. There are also plenty of designers out there, such as Rue de Seine and Vinka Bridal, who sell vintage wedding dresses.

For the boys, vintage clothes can be a great option too. But if you are set on buying suits, don’t get a top hat and tails: get them something they will wear over and over again.

Hiring

Where possible hire it. It means items such as suits, dresses, tableware, furniture, glassware and decorations get used over and over.

Another option is to buy things and then lend them to your mates – maybe for a koha. If you are willing to invest the money at the start and look after your kit, you can eventually break even.

Some good wedding hire outlets include www.kwiknezy.co.nz in Auckland, or www.hiremaster.co.nz in Wellington.

Waste not, want not

Try to make sure anything that’s going to be disposed of afterwards is made from a material that can be reused, repurposed, recycled, or composted.

There are now a range of companies in New Zealand either making or importing compostable plates, cutlery and even cling-film – see the box over the page for a list of suppliers. Just make sure that your helpers – family, friends or hired staff – know what materials will break down and which bin to put compostable items in.

One thing to be aware of: corn starch-based plastics (PLA) will only break down in a commercial composting facility, so if you want to use these, you will need to plan for it.

Invitations

A lovely idea is to make your invitations and thank-you cards from recycled paper embedded with seeds. When buried in the garden these grow into a plant that becomes a permanent reminder of your big day. See our story How to make seeded paper for a step-by-step guide to making your own seeded paper – or cheat and buy yours from www.lovenotes.co.nz.

Another green way of doing your invites is to go digital and use an email server like www.mailchimp.com. It’s easy to keep track of RSVPs and you can tell if the invitation has been received and opened.

Food, glorious food

Getting the food right for your wedding dinner is vital, and if you choose a caterer with experience in reducing waste you’ll have a big head start on having a greener day.

We used Wellington-based chef Adam Rickett who can cater for hundreds of people without creating waste, and the food was delicious. Contact Adam on 021 133 6594 or [email protected].

It’s also a good idea to choose a menu that suits the season – it will cut down countless food miles, ensure the fare is fresh and save you money too. Consider finding a market gardener near your house or the venue – you can drop them reusable bins to fill with fresh produce for the day.

Finally, make a plan for your leftovers. Ideally donate them to a food rescue charity such as www.kaibosh.org.nz or your local city mission. Or if that’s not possible then compost them or find a local farmer and make their pigs really happy.

Drink, drink, drink

Keg wine. It may sound surprising, but it’s not a new concept – wine has been stored in barrels for centuries after all. It’s also super easy and much cheaper to buy. The innovative folk at Yealands Estate (www.yealands.co.nz) can do fantastic wine by the keg. This way there is no need to worry about broken bottles, you save fuel on transporting heavy glass and the kegs get used over and over again.

Likewise with keg beer. Again, you save yourself the hassle of heavy bottles and sorting rubbish and also need less space for refrigeration. 

Of course, it’s always nice to serve bubbles at a wedding, but methode champenoise is under too much pressure for kegs. We celebrated with Yealands Pinot Gris Violet, which comes in nice clear bottles, then put them to good use afterwards by upcycling them into herb planters and tumblers (see Make a self-watering herb pot for a step-by-step guide to doing this). A tumbler made from one of your wedding wine bottles makes a unique ‘thanks for coming’ memento!

For non-alcoholic beverages and mixers a SodaStream system (available at Farmers stores nationwide) will save you heaps of money, minimise rubbish and ensure you don’t run out. And the unit is still useful after the event.

Travel

It’s a good idea to pick a venue that is accessible to public transport, but wherever you hold your wedding, travel will add to your event’s ‘footprint’.

Thankfully, though, it’s easy to offset your carbon emissions. You can calculate travel emissions using the handy calculator at www.carbonzero.co.nz. Then if you put a bank account number on your invitations and ask guests to chip in a few dollars for buying native trees you can then either put them in the ground yourself, or head to www.naturespace.org.nz and donate them to a restoration group. Make sure to plan for the trees going into the ground during the planting season of June – August so they have the best chance of survival.

Accommodation

If you’re finding places close to your venue for people to stay, give preference to venues that take green principles seriously. Look for the Qualmark Enviro Award – it’s the government-backed standard for eco-friendly accommodation.

Gifts

With a little thinking outside the square you can cut out some of the waste and needless consumerism around wedding gifts. One good idea is to ask your guests for a copy of their favourite book (used, or new and unwrapped) and to write a note inside the front cover instead of buying a card.

This instantly creates an excellent library that can be shared with kids for years to come – plus books never get outdated and they always match your décor! The personalised note also makes tracking gifts easier, which is a big help when it comes time to write thank you cards.

You can also ask for green gifts, donations for trees, a voucher towards an experience, or no gift at all when you send out your invitations. This is your chance to encourage your guests to get on board with the idea of a green wedding, so make sure you’ve done most of your planning before then!

Zero Waste weddings

Trish Allen of the Auckland Community Zero Waste Alliance shares her advice on making your special day a zero waste event.

Consider using banana leaves or canna lily leaves as plates. They look amazing and can be cleaned beforehand by washing them in a vinegar and water solution.

Have a plan for where compostables go afterwards. For small events the home compost bin or worm farm will do, but you will need something like a bokashi bucket system to deal with meat and fish scraps to prevent flies and smell. Recyclables and landfill can be put out for kerbside collection

For medium-sized and larger weddings you can hire a specialised waste contractor (see below) who will provide receptacles for the three different waste streams and have special ways of composting smelly scraps.

A ‘classic’ look

Classic Hits radio host Estelle Clifford didn’t want to go crazy with an all-out green wedding, but felt it was important to do her bit for the environment. “We wanted to have a hands-on approach and make our wedding personal; it just seemed right to reuse and recycle wherever we could.”

She and husband Gibby made decorative bunting flags and table cloths from recycled fabric, painted beer crates for stools, bought old plates and cake stands from hospice stores and op-shops, and even used bamboo cutlery.

“There’s nothing quite like rummaging around op-shops looking for treasures or sitting at the sewing table yarning away. It kept our decorative flourishes colourful, fun, and within budget!”

Estelle is also particularly proud of her man’s dapper threads – a vintage suit they found in a Wellington op-shop for $12. “We just had it dry-cleaned and it was perfect!”

Recommended waste recovery contractors

Clean Event
[email protected], 021 738 664

Reclaim
09 571 0242, www.reclaim.co.nz

Rubbish Direct
[email protected], 0800 36 77 35, www.rubbishdirect.co.nz

Recommended eco packaging suppliers

Bonson-Savpac
09 828 2121, www.bonson.co.nz

Earth Angel
09 834 0699 or 021 148 6888, www.earthangel.co.nz

Ecoware
[email protected], 0800 GO 4 ECO, www.ecoware.co.nz

Friendlypak
[email protected], 027 410 4344 or 09 950 4250, www.friendlypak.co.nz

Huhtamaki
09 837 0510, www.foodservice.huhtamaki.co.nz

Sewing inspiration from the web

Try some of these neat sites for home-sewn ideas. They’re not all wedding focussed, but can easily be adapted with a change of fabric:

• DIY flower crown over a veil: www.tinyurl.com/alt9dlx
• DIY lace ballet flats: www.tinyurl.com/lawmdnb
• DIY side split wrapped bodice dress: www.tinyurl.com/p6svlnu
• DIY maxi infinity dress: www.tinyurl.com/kmoq8xx

Sam Judd was named Young New Zealander of the Year for his work creating and running Sustainable Coastlines. The charity cleans up beaches in New Zealand and around the world and educates children about waste responsibility. He and wife Emma walk the talk by trying to reduce, reuse and recycle wherever possible.