10 tips to minimise the ecological footprint of wedding decorations

Some couples like to hand out small wedding gifts as a take-home memento for people to think back to their big day. One environmentally conscious idea with nice symbolism is to give flower seeds. Photos: dpa

Anyone planning a wedding is well aware of the list of things to consider – from decorations to flower arrangements and gifts for guests.

Yes, it should be perfect on the day you say “I do,” but spare a thought about the decorations and what happens to them – many wind up gathering dust, in a cupboard or in the bin.

If you use natural products or secondhand decorations rather than buying new ones, you can save money as well as lessen the impact on the environment, says wedding planner Dominique Erb.

Here are her 10 tips to minimise the ecological footprint of wedding decorations:

1 Use what’s already there: Take a careful look at the location – often you will see it already has decorative items like wedding arches or vases that you can incorporate into your wedding design ideas.

2 Borrow, don’t buy: Consider hiring decorations from specialised rental companies. They can easily be returned after the event.

Hiring wedding decorations instead of buying them allows you to try out different styles and designs without being tied to specific decorative items in the long term.

3 Natural materials instead of plastic: Consider using leaves for name cards or invitation cards. Also, seed paper, which people can then plant in the ground, is also a real eye-catcher.

4 Less is more: Avoid excessive decoration. Pursuing a minimalist design can often be just as impressive and also saves resources.

5 Use potted plants: Consider decorating the space with potted plants instead of cut flowers. Pots of herbs also work well and your guests can take them home after the party.

6 Seasonal and regional flowers: Go for smaller bouquets or cut flowers instead of huge arrangements.

Mini bouquets are often more sustainable than large arrangements as they require fewer resources such as water and packaging material. They are also easier to recycle or compost.

7 Dried flowers: You can also decorate with dried flowers if you prefer floral arrangements that last longer. However, make sure they are natural and are not treated with toxic colours.

8 Sustainable balloons: If you can’t do without balloons, switch to rubber as these are more easily degradable than conventional plastic balloons.

9 Send your invitations out digitally: This will not only save paper, but also cuts the time spent licking stamps and sealing envelopes – time you may well need for other things.

10 Large soap bubble cannons: Get one or two large bubble cannons instead of many small ones, so people can reuse them after the wedding, whether for families with children or in future celebrations. – dpa