Eco-friendly wedding tips: Simple ways to make your big day greener
Planning your wedding is full of exciting choices, from your venue to your florals to the food on your plates. For many couples, it is also a chance to think more consciously about the impact of the day. Creating a more eco-friendly wedding does not mean sacrificing beauty, personality or joy. In fact, it often leads to a day that feels even more intentional and meaningful.
Here are some realistic, low-stress ways to make your wedding greener while keeping it relaxed, personal and true to you.
Choose a thoughtful venue
Your venue can have one of the biggest environmental impacts on your wedding. Choosing somewhere local helps reduce travel emissions for you and your guests. Many venues now focus on sustainability, from energy-efficient buildings to responsible waste management.
Outdoor venues, small local spaces and community-run locations often come with a lighter footprint and a more personal feel too.
Rethink your guest numbers
Smaller guest lists naturally mean less food waste, fewer invitations, less travel and lower energy usage overall. Intimate weddings, town hall ceremonies and relaxed venues can all be beautiful, meaningful and far more sustainable than large-scale events.
A smaller celebration often allows you to invest more thoughtfully in the things that matter most to you.
Sustainable stationery choices
Printed invitations are often one of the first things to be discarded after a wedding. Consider digital invitations and RSVPs to reduce paper waste entirely. If you do prefer printed stationery:
Use recycled or seed paper
Print locally to reduce delivery impact
Keep designs simple to avoid excessive inks and foils
These small choices quietly add up.
Eco-friendly wedding attire
Your outfit is one of the most personal parts of your day, and there are many sustainable ways to approach it:
Buy pre-loved or sample dresses and suits
Re-wear or tailor existing outfits
Rent wedding wear instead of buying new
Support small, ethical designers
Outfits that go on to be worn again often hold even more meaning long after the wedding day.
While the bubble exit from your ceremony is super cute, opt for bubble guns that can be gifted to one of the kids, rather than giving out a hundred little bubble kits!
Flowers with the seasons
Fresh flowers are beautiful, but they can have a heavy environmental cost if flown in from abroad. Working with a florist who sources locally and seasonally is one of the easiest ways to reduce your wedding’s impact.
You can also:
Reuse ceremony flowers at your reception
Choose potted plants instead of cut blooms
Dry your flowers afterwards as keepsakes
Seasonal, natural florals often feel more relaxed and grounded too.
Food and drink with care
Food waste is one of the biggest hidden issues at weddings. Talk with your caterer about realistic portion sizes, local suppliers and ways to donate leftover food where possible.
Other ideas include:
Plant-forward menu options
Locally brewed drinks
Refillable water stations instead of bottled water
Good food does not need to be excessive to be memorable.
Thoughtful wedding favours
Many wedding favours are left behind or end up in the bin. If you choose to give something, make it meaningful or practical:
Edible locally made treats
Seed packets
Small handmade items from local makers
Charitable donations instead of physical favours
Or skip favours entirely. Your guests will not miss them.
Decor that does not go to waste
Instead of purchasing large amounts of one-day-only decor, consider:
Hiring from local styling companies
Using reusable signage
Borrowing items from friends
Thrifting and reusing pieces
Candles, linens, glassware and signage can often be reused or resold after the day, keeping them out of landfill.
Choosing suppliers who share your values
One of the most impactful choices you can make is working with suppliers who actively care about sustainability. From caterers and florists to stylists and photographers, supporting small, local businesses often comes with a significantly lower environmental footprint.
Ask your suppliers:
Where they source materials
How they manage waste
Whether they reuse, recycle or offset where possible
A gentler, more sustainable approach to photography
Eco-friendly wedding planning is about slowing down, choosing intentionally and creating a day that reflects who you are. My own approach to photography aligns naturally with this way of thinking. I work quietly, without staging or excess, focusing on real moments, real connections and the story as it unfolds naturally.
If you are drawn to that kind of thoughtful, low-impact approach, you can read more about my work as a relaxed and candid Kent wedding photographer.
Letting the day unfold naturally
Sustainable weddings often go hand in hand with a more relaxed, people-first way of celebrating. When there is less pressure on perfection and excess, there is more space for connection, laughter and genuine moments.
My work as a Kent wedding photographer is built around exactly that, documenting your day as it happens rather than directing it into something it is not.
A greener wedding is about intention, not perfection
No wedding will ever be perfectly sustainable, and that is completely okay. What matters most is the intention behind your choices. Every small decision, from choosing local suppliers to reusing decor, helps create a celebration that feels kinder to the planet and more aligned with your values.
Your wedding day is about connection, love and community. Making it greener simply adds another layer of meaning to a day you will already treasure forever.
Want to chat more
If you are planning your wedding and want photography that feels honest, relaxed and rooted in real moments, I would love to hear about what you are dreaming up. You are always welcome to get in touch for a no-pressure, friendly chat about your plans.