Here at The Insurance Emporium, we’d like to think that we’ve got our finger firmly on the pulse when it comes to the latest trends. So, for those of you in the midst of wedding planning, we’re here to tell you all about the eco-friendly wedding movement.
As a nation we’ve become more aware of the impact that our actions have on the planet, and this also translates into wedding planning. Yet, planning an eco-friendly wedding isn’t just about the environmental impact – it can also be kinder on your wedding budget too.
According to Hitched, the average cost of a UK wedding in 2021 was £17,300, so it’s no surprise that amid the cost-of-living crisis couples are looking at ways to save money on their big day.
How have eco-friendly weddings become more popular?
Making sustainable choices when planning a wedding isn’t a new thing. For several years now churches and wedding venues have banned non-biodegradable confetti, meaning wedding parties have had to source an alternative such as dried flower petals.
And thanks to the likes of Pinterest, more people have turned their hand to crafting elements of their big day. For example, baking wedding favours for guests, reusing jam jars for table flowers and foraging wildflowers to put into them – there’s plenty of inspo for the thrifty minded out there.
However, now more than ever couples are planning everything around sustainability. This is largely due to a change of attitude towards the type of wedding people want since the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change awareness, and the cost-of-living crisis.
The Top 20 Cities in The UK Who Say I Do to Sustainable Weddings
To find out more about this rising trend, research undertaken by the team here at The Insurance Emporium has revealed the UK’s top 20 sustainable cities for eco-weddings based on search terms relating to ‘sustainable weddings.’
See here for the 20 Most Sustainable Cities for Eco-Friendly Weddings in full:
| City | Average Monthly Search |
| London | 1160 |
| Bristol | 760 |
| Edinburgh | 700 |
| Glasgow | 670 |
| Leeds | 640 |
| Manchester | 630 |
| Birmingham | 620 |
| Sheffield | 560 |
| Liverpool | 490 |
| Leicester | 480 |
| Cardiff | 470 |
| Newcastle | 470 |
| Belfast | 400 |
| Nottingham | 380 |
| Coventry | 370 |
| Derby | 340 |
| Bradford | 300 |
| Southampton | 300 |
| Stoke-on-Trent | 260 |
| Hull | 250 |
Our research highlighted that popular search terms included ‘eco-friendly wedding favours,’ ‘eco wedding,’ and ‘sustainable bridal wear’. What’s clear is that people are looking at all aspects of their wedding planning, including renting wedding attire and sustainable flowers, for ways that they can make their wedding more sustainable.
Google trends data also shows searches for ‘wedding dress hire’ have increased 41% year-on-year, which could partly be down to celebrity influencers such as Carrie Johnson, who rented her bohemian style wedding dress in 2021. This data is further substantiated with the prediction that the clothing rental market is expected to be worth £2.3bn by 2029.
Top swaps for a ‘greener’ wedding
If you’re looking for more sustainable swaps at your wedding that can also save you money, then we’ve got you covered:
- Buy seasonal flowers or go faux – work with a local florist and speak to them about which flowers are going to be in season on your big day. Buying flowers out of season means the florist has to source them from elsewhere, which then affects the cost they sell them for, not to mention the carbon footprint involved in importing them. Alternatively, you could get artificial flowers of whichever variety flower you want and enjoy them forever.
- Rent / hire your wedding attire – it’s not unusual for the groom and ushers to hire suites for the big day so why not hire your wedding gown too? There are several highstreet shops and online retailers that cater for wedding dress hire and you could bag yourself a designer gown for a fraction of the cost of buying it.
- Do away with wedding ‘one-offs’ – we’re talking about those flip-flops people buy just in case guests feet start to hurt and want to feel more comfortable, or toiletry baskets in the bathrooms. While these are thoughtful gestures, they’re an added cost that isn’t essential to enjoyment of your day as well as the negative environmental impact they could have afterwards.
- Reuse, reduce, and recycle – this is one of the biggest things you could introduce that not only keeps your budget down but also affects the environment. Could you hire your tableware and cutlery, use drinks dispensers to reduce the use of single use plastic and donate anything leftover to charity at the end? While you’ll want your big day to be special – it is only one day.
- From the venue to the food, keep it local – keeping your wedding local means you and your guests have less distance to travel which is good for the environment and keeps the cost down. Also, choosing a menu using locally grown, seasonal produce can also help towards making your wedding green.
- Digital wedding invitations – creating your wedding invitations online doesn’t mean they’re any less inviting. They can still carry your wedding theme without the cost of posting them. Alternatively, if you still like the idea of sending a physical invitation why not choose a recyclable or seeded paper for a more sustainable approach.
These are just a few ideas to get you started on the way to making your special day more sustainable.
Wedding insurance for when things don’t go to plan
As with many things in life, even though you’ve planned for all eventualities things can go wrong which are out of your control. This is even more prevalent when planning your special day – however, this is when wedding insurance can offer you that buffer should the unpredictable happen.
Here at The Insurance Emporium, we understand the lengths couples go to, to make their wedding individual to them. That’s why we offer seven diverse levels of cover so that you don’t end up paying for something you don’t need. Find out more today on how our UK Wedding Insurance could help protect you on your big day.
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