Love might be in the air on your wedding day; unfortunately, so are carbon emissions. The average Australian wedding emits about 21.5 tonnes, more than a typical household produces in a year.
From the menu to the bridesmaid’s dresses, most parts of a wedding come at a cost to the environment. If you’re looking to make your big day as sustainable as possible, begin planning with a clear framework in mind.
“A lot of celebrations have become about the show and less about the meaning,” says Dr Kate Luckins, the author of Live More With Less. “Planning a sustainable wedding starts with prioritising what’s important to you and shutting out the consumerist noise.”
That way, from the get-go you have a guiding principle that informs each decision.
Choose a central location and keep guest list small
Start with your guest list and venue. Most wedding emissions are driven by high guest count and air travel. Limiting the guest list to close family and friends, and choosing a location central to most of them, immediately reduces the footprint.
Hosting your ceremony and reception in the same place helps too. This “eliminates the midday move and the emissions associated with it,” says Michelle Miles, the founder of the Sustainable Wedding Alliance. “For guests travelling from further afield, providing a shuttle bus from a central hub or hotel is safer, more social, and significantly reduces the number of individual cars on the road.” A practical first step towards sustainability is seeking out a venue that already aligns with your values, such as one with its own kitchen garden, that runs on renewable energy, has robust supplier policies, or on-site accommodation that further reduces the need for guest travel, Miles says.
Flowerdale Estate, a wedding venue located in Strath Creek, Victoria, is run primarily on solar power, with panels installed across the property. The natural setting also has built-in features, such as a garden arbour, that reduce the need for extensive decorations.
“Choosing a venue that is naturally beautiful in terms of the gardens and things like that means that you don’t have to dress it up as much,” says Demmi Kerr, the venue’s wedding and events coordinator. Kerr says they minimise waste across the board: from recycling programs to feeding leftover food to rescued pigs, goats, sheep, and chickens that live on the property. The venue provides napery and cutlery so single-use items are kept to a minimum. And everything is sourced from their own garden or local suppliers.
Serve food with sustainable ingredients
There are a few ways your menu can be bad for the planet: meat-heavy dishes, imported ingredients and over-catering. But food is also the area where you can make choices that drive positive impacts for the environment.
“The gold standard for a sustainable menu is a structure that is seasonal, local, and plant-forward,” Miles says. “If you aren’t ready for a fully vegan wedding, aiming for a 70/30 plant-to-meat ratio significantly lowers the carbon intensity of the meal while celebrating the incredible, local and seasonal produce.”
If you can, look for a caterer who sources from regenerative farmers – “one of the most powerful, systemic changes you can make”, according to Miles, as it means “you are supporting a food system that actively pulls carbon out of the atmosphere and restores soil health” and biodiversity.
Calculating how much guests will eat is never an exact science. Luckins suggests avoiding the pull of overabundance by opting for sit-down meals and grazing plates over sprawling buffets. In the absence of farm animals that can eat scraps, she suggests having a plan to make leftovers available to guests to take home.
When it comes to the bar, look for local vineyards, brewers and distillers. “Australia has world-class organic and biodynamic wineries and craft breweries – choosing these eliminates the high carbon cost of shipping heavy glass bottles across oceans,” Miles says. “To further reduce impact, consider keg-to-tap options for wine and beer to eliminate single-use packaging entirely.”
The most sustainable decorations are the those that already exist. Prioritise hiring over buying or insist on second-hand things – like vases or pot plants – that can be taken home as wedding favours and reused. Instead of printing out individual menus, minimise waste by having just one on the table to share.
“We advocate for a firm no to traditional wedding plastics like balloons, plastic glitter, and cheap synthetic favours,” Miles says. “If an item cannot be composted, recycled, or kept for a lifetime, why should it have a place on your table?”
Another helpful maxim from the Sustainable Wedding Alliance applies to flowers: grown, not flown and foam-free. Imports make up about half of fresh flowers sold in Australia, and they are often treated with heavy chemicals for biosecurity reasons. “Instead, work with a florist who sources seasonal, locally grown blooms or connects directly with a flower farmer,” she says. Arrange for leftover flowers to be parcelled up and taken home by guests, or seek out social services who accept donations of flowers.
Beyond the one-off wedding dress
Fashion’s biggest environmental impacts come from synthetic materials like polyester and from garments that are only worn once before they are discarded. The best way to think about your wedding party’s outfits is to opt for natural materials: wool suits, cotton shirts and silk dresses. Try to avoid buying things no one will wear again. Another option is circular models like rental and resale.
When it comes to a wedding dress, investing in a piece you are able to wear more than once can be fraught. Generally, dresses made from natural materials like silk and cotton are easier to overdye, although it’s usually best to rely on a professional. It might also be worth having a conversation with a seamstress about possible alterations before a purchase is made.
While men have always had a culture around renting suits, rental options are now easier to access for women too, with platforms like The Volte and Glam Corner making hiring bridal and bridesmaid outfits easier. There are also great resale options both online and in-store whether you want to buy a vintage dress, or sell your own.
Things can be tricky if you want everyone in the same fabric, colour or style. Luckins suggests letting go of the image of the stereotypical wedding party and reframing your expectations. “Do you have to have bridesmaids? Do they have to have matching dresses?” she says. “Steer clear of Pinterest and try finding your own way. It can be really liberating.”
