Eco-friendly Celebration Planning

Eco-friendly Celebration Planning

The art of event planning — With the planet at heart.

Is sustainability important to you?

Would you like your planned special occasion to be as Eco/planet friendly as possible?

Are you wondering how a planet positive celebration takes shape?

Have you answered ‘YES’ to at least one of the above questions?

Fantastic! Not sure where to start? Fear not…

The Tall Trees Celebrant has a few tips to support your eco-friendly celebration planning and guide you through some considerations. Whilst, it’s not just about sourcing compostable plates, that can be a simple place to start! There's a whole host of considerations and it doesn’t have to be an overwhelming experience. This blog is written with all celebrations in mind but pays particular attention to eco-friendly celebration planning for weddings, handfastings and funerals with references to The Cotswolds within Gloucestershire plus Bristol businesses.

You may be asking why is a celebrant writing this? I’m very happy to explain! I spent a decade working in the wedding and events industry prior to becoming a celebrant and boy, I witnessed WAY TOO MUCH WASTE. Subsequently, I relish every opportunity to support people wanting to be mindful in their eco-friendly celebration planning AND I love Eco businesses because they rock! People with planet passion and purpose. What’s not to like? You may also be asking what exactly is an Eco-friendly/green event?

 

What is an Eco-friendly event?

An Eco-friendly aka green event is an event that has been planned in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. Whereby event planners/you organise and execute a celebration in a way that limits greenhouse gas emissions and general waste and utilises as little energy as possible.

Eco weddings are on the rise and the same applies to funerals.

Family Tree Funerals Independent Funeral Directors.

Whichever ceremony and event you are planning - ask plenty of questions,

 

Being green is not all tie dye and rice cakes!

I thinks it’s important to acknowledge early on that Eco events don’t have to look a certain, stereotypical green/rustic way. Sustainable celebrations can be both elegant and sophisticated, styled to a variety of themes and virtually any vibe can created. Over the years I  have met some incredible event suppliers who are truly dedicated to bespoke based work and love to share their creativity, enabling others to bring their ideas and dreams to life. 

Recommended suppliers at the end of the blog!

 

Plan, plan, plan!

Read on for a non-preachy guide to planning a sustainable celebration. An opportunity to learn something new, reflect on your existing knowledge and potentially purchase 100+ biodegradable plates!

Let’s look at the array of event aspects to consider…

 

Seven super helpful signposts to inspire and support you to a well-researched Eco event!

You may not tick every green credential but considering and using some is a positive move. Budgets and time limit many of us, so doing our best is the best we can do! Planning an event can feel like quite an undertaking, so please be kind to yourself too.

Key questions for all of the following sections: 

Do they have a sustainability policy? 

What are their green credentials? Are they visible?

For all your searches, asking on social media platforms for personal recommendations, ‘tried and trusted’ services can be a great ‘go to’ and can save you a lot of research and planning time.

1. Venue 

Many venue and outdoor locations are listed as sustainable and rightly so, much of the events world is awake to the essential need of changing how we do things. 

When visiting a venue, look for clues and definitely ask lots of questions. Any solar panels? Who do they source their energy from? Do they have water saving systems in place? Who are their  suppliers? 

Anther good questions for venues are, do they have recycling procedures in place i.e. not just a written policy but an active system that gets followed meticulously? Using clear bin bags rather than conventional black ones is a fantastic way to see what’s being thrown away and encourages efficient recycling and is a new process for a large local events venue near me. Brilliant!

Further questions may have visible answers when you have your viewing or a tour. Are there areas of wilding and re-wilding within the grounds? Are the gardening methods sound? Use of pesticides etc

Matara Centre a tree is planted in celebration of every wedding that is held at this venue. I love this offering!

Local recommendations

elmorecourt

wildwoodlandcelebrations 

stroudbrewery

2. Catering

Who are their suppliers? Where do they source their food and drink ingredients? Do they celebrate local and seasonal? Do they have a waste food policy?If you are having in-house caterers you can ask your venue these questions directly.

I visited a venue recently, the host was very proud of it’s fair-trade sugar yet the coffee was supplied by a certain company with highly questionable ethics, that’s had a lot of media attention and boycott campaigns since the eighties. So surface level ‘green’ is a thing, often unwittingly and with good intention but equally, beware sometimes a huge neon sign screams ‘greenwashing’. So I didn’t judge the venue with the questionable coffee, just let them know gently that they may be interested in reviewing their coffee supplier choice. Choice to do your own research and make your own decisions is important to me. 

These cake and catering companies know their stuff, you can look for similar businesses local to you, 

hamptoncakes bakedbybeth

naturalcookeryschool falafelmamaa

 

Food presentation and serving arrangements  

How will the food be served? General event equipment hire or vintage hire. Crockery, cutlery and glassware hire. Eco events can be elegant and chic. No need to buy in bulk amounts of anything! Using whatever is in existence already is a big win! Alternatively, you can opt to buy compostable plates and cutlery. Check what the caterer will be supplying too, in order to avoid any duplication. For napkins, look at fabric napkin hire or if choosing paper ones, look for the FSE approved/friendly or other recycled materials.

Whether you have a bring and share or a full on banquet, cutlery and food serving kit will need to be considered.

delightvintageteasethire

cotswoldvintagepartyhire

3.  Clothing and accessories 

The green options here are to buy preloved or vintage, have an outfit made for you using up-cycled fabrics or have an existing outfit adjusted accordingly. You could also make your own — very special skills required of which I have none! I did make a very wonky peg bag when I was 15 and can manage a bit of bunting!

Anything made from synthetic materials and/or overseas will generally have a big planetary and ethical price tag. A whole blog in itself there!

I am fortunate to know some incredibly talented creatives: 

Milliner gemmasangwine 

Vintage options can be so elegant and such fun ashwellandco bridalreloved @strangenessandcharmvintageshop

revamp_recycle_boutique 

Alternative and up-cycled clothing can be so beautiful and unique nimpyclothing

Worth noting that many bridal boutiques will have a preloved section for sale. A positive growing trend.

4. Flowers

Seasonal UK grown flowers, dried or artificial can all be sound options. Another consideration within flower choices is what happens to the flowers after your event, some individuals choose to have their wedding bouquets preserved, others donate the flowers to a local care/residential home or gift them to their guests. Whatever you choose, preserving the enjoyment of them can be beneficial to others and feel less wasteful. If you are leaving your florals at the venue, you could check whether they will be composted or if the venue has a policy to share them with community projects/care homes.

Other questions can be around growing methods. Organic? Does your florist use any flown flowers etc?

foxlaneflowers  exquisite blooms, seasonally & locally grown by the rather fabulous Kate.

cotswoldcountryflowers excel with dried flower arrangements, Fiona is fabulous.

cotswoldvintagepartyhire for amazing faux floral installations Tricia is super lovely and a brilliant creative.

5. Invitations digital or printed responsibly 

You can make your own invitations but so many of these planning tasks depend on your time, energy, creative confidence and budget. There are an abundance of independent stationery artists available. Instagram and Etsy are good places to start or you could ask on social media platforms for local recommendations. Lots of big companies offer low prices, especially on bulk orders invites, orders of ceremony. Whichever you choose, if you can make some time to ask them the questions from the beginning, it will ease your decision making. I found two brilliant printers with good Eco credentials. 

wheatleyprinters 

NpPrintLtd

6. Gifts & favours

A new tradition is starting and I love it. Funeral favours. I did say this blog wasn’t just about weddings!

Packets of seeds to be sown and grown in memorial are proving to be a lovely offering at funeral and memorial ceremonies. A gift for your guests, the bees and the planet. Eco keepsakes are interesting too but good to consider not getting caught up in offering something for the sake of offering something…

Wedding favours are more a long standing tradition and there’s an array of ideas for these. IMPORTANT NOTE  favours/guest gifts are not compulsory. If you do desire gifting your guests this is another potential bulk buy, so the key questions are really important her too. Searching at wedding fairs, local craft markets, and Pinterest and Instagram online, can be helpful for ideas, seeking something that will suit you and your guests. 

Some suggestions for me — Home-made chutneys or jams in up-cycled jars, beeswax wraps, flower seeds/seed bombs, ethical chocolates, a memorable photo that acts as a place setting card too

looseplasticfree dark chocolate hearts, beeswax wraps, jars for home-made chutneys and preserves plus many of the ingredients you’ll need too 

made_in_stroud_shop has a wild range of cards and gifts including toiletries, fair-trade, locally produced chocolate and beverage products 

faithandbetty soaps, lip balm, hand creams and so on

7. DIY events

vintagemarystroud stroud_vintage_market plus 

etsy 

Online local secondhand marketplaces, many wedding specific FB GROUPS around and car boot sales are great resources for fabrics, clothing, decor and props. Your inner magpie will have a field day! Also ask around your family, friends and community to borrow items, have a decor or bunting making party. People love to help and tea/wine and cake can be a great carrot to dangle to gather your helpers!

Many florists are now offering DIY buckets so you can arrange your own florals. This can be helpful on budget and can be a fun creative option.

If you are looking for styling tips and event theme inspiration take a peek at my blog ' Planning your wedding - Seeking inspiration &finding your vibe! thetalltreescelebrant.co.uk

Following these top tips will create an Eco-friendly celebration and may inspire others to do the same. If you find spectacular suppliers,  do try and take a moment to give them a review and/or recommend them to others. In my experience, folk love a ‘word of mouth’ recommendation and this really supports independent businesses working hard to do the right thing.