The past few years have seen weddings shift towards eco-friendly, sustainable practices and materials. With the average carbon footprint of a wedding estimated at 60 metric tons of CO2 emissions - compared with the average person’s carbon footprint estimated at around 16 metric tons a year - it’s easy to see why sustainability is a top priority for couples in 2025.

Here are six ways to reduce your wedding’s carbon footprint and to make sure your event doesn’t cost the earth: 

Travel

Don’t be afraid to tell guests you’re trying to reduce your carbon footprint, and make it easy for them to make sustainable choices. Encourage lift shares and provide information on public transport links on your wedding website or in your invitations. 

If your venue isn’t near public transport links, hiring a vintage bus for your guests to take from nearby railway stations is a great way to ramp up the excitement while reducing the need for guests to travel to your venue individually. 

Energy use and recycling practices at your venue

Speak to your venue about ways they can help you reduce energy use; they’re likely to have their own Net Zero goals and they’ll be able to make suggestions around timing and use of rooms – if the room with the DJ and dancefloor is separate to where your wedding breakfast will be held, they can manage timings for you so the DJ and any lights and effects only begin once guests filter out from the meal.  Ask your venue what recycling facilities they have in place and think about whether you need to provide options for your guests to recycle – paper towels in bathrooms, for example. 

Catering

Choosing local suppliers and locally-sourced food and drink supports the local community as well as helping to reduce to carbon emissions generated by food and drink transportation costs. Selecting a seasonal menu also helps.  Your caterers will advise you on the most sustainable ways for your food and drink to be served. Choose glass water bottles only on tables; you can buy and reuse gorgeous retro cordial bottles from The Range and Homesense, while Belu is a UK-based company that focuses on sustainability and offers mineral water in glass bottles, as well as donating 100% of their net profits to WaterAid. 

Wedding favours

There are so many options you can get creative and provide sustainable wedding favours that will delight your guests. Here are some ideas to get you started: 

Plantable Seed Paper: Give your guests plantable seed paper hearts or cards that will sprout wildflowers when planted. It's a beautiful way to remember your special day

• Reusable Tote Bags: Provide guests with reusable tote bags made from natural cotton. These can be personalised with your wedding date and a special message

• Bee-Friendly Seed Packets: Packets of wildflower seeds that attract bees and butterflies are a lovely, eco-friendly favour. 

• Soy Wax Candles: Opt for candles made from soy wax, which is a natural and renewable resource. You can choose scents that match your wedding theme and personalise the labels

• Bamboo Straws: Engraved bamboo straws are a practical and eco-friendly gift that helps reduce single-use plastic waste

• Succulents: Small potted succulents make for charming and sustainable favours. 

• Organic Soaps: Handmade organic soaps in various scents are a luxurious and eco-friendly favour. Look for soaps made with natural ingredients and minimal packaging

• Locally-made sweets, honey, jams and pickles make fantastic favours

• Reusable Water Bottles: Provide guests with BPA-free, stainless steel water bottles that they can use long after the wedding. They’ll help them stay hydrated throughout the day too! 

Décor and materials

Visit local markets, antiques stores and charity shops while you’re planning your event, to see what’s out there: you can try salvage yards for reclaimed materials and vintage signs that add character and a sense of fun, and check local and national online marketplaces for features like champagne glass display holders, flower walls and garden games like giant Jenga.  If you’re heading off for honeymoon, ask your family to pop back to the venue and bring home flowers and decorations, or encourage staff to take them home after the event. 

Bridal party outfits

Thrift shop buys, vintage gowns and suits and natural fabrics are the more sustainable options, but if these are not for you, why not think about renting a gown? There are some fantastic suit hire and wedding-gown rental companies, or to up the glamour stakes you could rent a designer evening gown. You can explore rental options for your bridal party too, removing the ‘Will they wear it again?’ dilemma altogether. Alternatively, choosing colour palettes and encouraging your bridal party to select their own outfits might require a leap of faith on your part, but they’ll be more likely to feel a million dollars in a dress they wear regularly, rather than it languishing in the back of their wardrobe.

What options are you choosing to make your wedding sustainable?