|
from Dr Diana Carroll, Celebrant. 
Eco-Chic Weddings - Simple ways to live your values on your Wedding Day. More than almost any other occasion, your Wedding Day is your day. It’s your dream, your vision, the magical day when you stand up and say ‘this is the one I love’! Yes, it’s all about you and the love you share. So it’s important to make the day unique, authentic to you, and true to your shared values. Ethical, local, sustainable, eco-friendly…let’s talk eco-chic! The wedding industry in Australia is worth a staggering $4billion a year! Within this there is everything from the $100,000 grammable weddings to the $5,000 weddings at home or in a park. Whatever your budget and vision, your wedding is the culmination of hundreds of small decisions taken along way. By really thinking about these decisions you can make your wedding a true reflection of what matters to you. And thinking green means you may even save money along the way – bonus! Keep it real. Probably the easiest way to keep your wedding sustainable is to keep it real; the fairytale weddings that you see on screen are not reality for most people. They’ve probably spent more on table decorations and styling than your entire wedding budget. And remember, the only thing you absolutely have to have is a Celebrant to get you married – everything else is an optional extra!! If you’d really love to get married on the beach at dawn with just a few sleepy seagulls for company, let’s do it! Then off to the local pub for a wedding breakfast and away you go! Plan a picnic, not a 5-star dinner; buy a pre-loved wedding dress; arrive in your mate’s car, not a limo – the options are endless, but keeping it real makes the day truly yours, makes it authentic, and keeps it sustainable and affordable. Reduce, reuse, upcycle, recycle is a great wedding mantra. Really think about all the little things that are part of a traditional wedding and decide if they’re important to you. Do your guests really need a wedding favour to take home to remember the day? Maybe not. Do you actually need 100 cardboard cones for the confetti when your guests could just pick a handful from a beautiful wicker basket? And yes, eco-confetti made from rose petals, rice paper, or dried leaves is the way to go – you can even make it yourself, which is a fun wedding activity. If you’re self-catering you can scour the op-shops for delightful mismatched crockery rather than hiring it or buying it new from Ikea - perfect if you’re adopting a boho-chic theme. Op-shops can also be a great place to find pretty tablecloths and cheap chairs that would look great with a quick coat of gold or pastel paint. And you can re-sell them (or donate them) after the wedding. My amazing couple Bink and Will (pictured) did almost everything themselves and created the most amazing pastel pink wedding celebration at home – so good and so unique! Remembering to ‘buy local’ and to choose fair-trade products are easy steps to a more eco-chic wedding. Made-with-love is a great way to say ‘DIY’ or hand-made! There are so many ways to do this at every step in the wedding journey. And it’s an opportunity to involve family and friends in our wedding preparation. Can you make your own invitations and place cards? There are so many creative ways to do these especially using an easy design program such as Canva. Or maybe you’d rather source them from a local artist or designer. Do you even need these when you can do so much digitally? Set up a wedding website and send out e-vites. (And no, you don’t need ‘save-the-dates’!) How about home-grown herbs or tiny succulents in pretty pots instead of table decorations? And yes, your guests can take them home as wedding mementos. And if you do want to give wedding favours, something made-with-love, such as chocolates, shortbread, or mini jars of jam, is always appreciated. Even your wedding dress and rings can reflect your values. A stunning vintage gown can look very glamorous and it will be unique to you. Remember that you don’t have to wear white and it doesn’t have to be an actual wedding dress. A vintage tea-length cocktail dress could be perfect. I’ve had stunning brides wearing non-traditional dresses in black, red, and green that were perfect for them. Buying a pre-loved dress doesn’t mean it has to be vintage. You can buy fabulous pre-loved gowns on sites such as stillwhite.com.au that are just waiting for a new bride. And don’t just go to a chain-store jeweller for your rings. You can choose estate pieces and have them resized to fit. If you are buying new rings, buy from a local artisan and support certified ethical jewellery and conflict-free diamonds and gemstones. Natural choices will make you feel good! And surely that’s what your wedding day is all about. Reduce the amount of plastic you use; support a local hair and make-up person who uses organic, vegan and cruelty free beauty products; and choose local, seasonal, organic flowers and catering. Weddings are expensive so be mindful about where your money goes. Take a look at stores like Ecolateral in Adelaide, for ideas and inspo. Time and money! Once you start wedding planning you need to be realistic about time and money. Weddings are renowned for consuming far more of both than you imagine! Don’t commit to a full DIY wedding if you have a demanding job or small children (or both…) because it will just increase your stress levels and diminish your enjoyment. Be realistic about how much time and money you can commit. Ask friends and family to help and allocate specific tasks to them as appropriate. Resist wedding traditions and avoid pinterest-inspired impulse buys unless they truly resonate with your values and your wedding vision. Your wedding journey should be a shared, fun experience. And if that means down-scaling your plans, having a surprise wedding, or just eloping with your two best mates and a Celebrant, then go for it. Whatever your vision for your wedding day, I’d love to help make it happen. I just love love and every wedding is unique and beautiful. Let’s chat soon! As your Celebrant, I will guide you through the wedding. I am calm, relaxed, and happy! Call me on 0419 829 667 or email diana@bestweddingcelebrant.com.au 
|