Four steps to a sustainable beach wedding
Whether you’re a beach local who can’t imagine getting married anywhere else, someone who has childhood memories of time spent on the sand or you just want to take advantage of the stunning backdrop, if you’re considering a beach wedding, it’s likely because you feel some kind of connection with nature. As such, the chances are that you also want to protect it – which means taking an eco-friendly approach to your special day.
So how can you ensure that your celebration is perfect for you and for the planet? Let’s take a look at how you can work in harmony with your chosen natural venue.
Put sustainability at the heart of your decor
When hosting a beach event, it’s more important than ever to ensure that any decor you’re using is biodegradable, natural, and can be properly secured to reduce the chances of it getting blown away. This protects the very landscape that you’re utilising as your wedding venue, and stops any harm to sea life.
In an ideal world, all your flower arches, chair decorations and candles would stay exactly where you put them, but that’s not always the case. So, try to keep decor to a minimum where you can – let nature do the work for you. However, if you do want to add some extra flourishes, don’t leave anything unattended to avoid it blowing away on the breeze.
Rent or buy and donate
Weddings can create a lot of waste, because many of the elements are tailored to just that one day – for example, a wedding dress isn’t typically worn again, and wedding favours are discarded after the event. This means that the energy and resources that have gone into those items are wasted.
To combat this, try and rent where you can – there are some amazing places out there offering a full range of wedding decorations for hire, and you can even rent wedding outfits. If you really want to buy wedding paraphernalia, then consider donating it to charity once your big day is over to reduce your carbon footprint.
Work with caterers who share your values
Once you’ve legally tied the knot, you’re likely to be sitting down to enjoy a celebratory meal with family and friends to toast your newlywed status. To keep this element of your day green, make sure that you work with caterers that share your eco values.
The choice of food will impact your carbon footprint, as will where it is sourced from. Couples choosing beach weddings may want to highlight this in their menu and choose seafood, but it’s important to ensure that this is sustainably sourced, to avoid causing harm to the local environment through overfishing.
You should also ask your caterer about their approach to food waste. Ideally, this would be reduced as much as possible in the preparation stage. Reasonable portion sizes and an option for your guests to have a fewer number of courses can also help.
Leave no trace
Before you set off into the sunset with your new spouse, make sure that the area you’ve used for your beach wedding is correctly cleared and returned to how it was. If you’re using a wedding planner, they can sort this for you, or ask your venue to ensure that no trace of your wedding celebration remains. Remember, take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints.
Written for Pop Up Event Co. by Megan Lawrence | Digital Media Consultant