Spread the eco love to your wedding guests
You may have wedding guests that don’t live the eco lifestyle – why not get them involved leading up to the big day? There are plenty of ways to show your friends and family how to be green in a fun way. ASOS Green Room has come up with a few ideas that can keep your wedding guests eco-conscious before the big day. DIY Wedding Decorations DIY is a great way to recycle materials that would otherwise be heading for landfill – not to mention it can save you a few dollars! Have a look at our Eco Brides blog post on DIY Tin Can Lanterns, these are such great features if you're looking to create a romantic setting. You could even get your friends together and create place names and invitations using natural or recycled materials. There are many websites that have easy to follow instructions for DIY projects – just make sure you are using environmentally-friendly materials. DIY can be a fun night in with the girls and it gets everyone excited about the wedding! If you have creative friends, get them to take the lead. Otherwise, see if you can hire someone who specialises in crafts and DIY to help you create your decorations.
Clothes Swapping Statistics show that households throw out 17.7 kilos of clothes a week. So why not introduce your friends to a clothes swap night? This is especially useful for wedding guests who need something
74 // eco guests
to wear to your big day. It’s a great way to have a positive impact on the environment by using the three Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle. This could be a fun, money-saving night in with the girls. Afterwards you can donate any unwanted clothes to a local op shop. There aren’t really any rules to clothes swapping, however it’s important to make sure that the quality is consistent – we want everyone to be happy with the swap. No need to stick to clothing; consider incorporating some accessories too! If you or your friends can't get enough swapping, there are many clothing-swap websites too.
Host an Eco-Friendly Party How about a fun, pre-wedding party? Get all your closest friends and family together for a day of eco-friendly fun. Choose an eco-friendly theme, such as a pot luck lunch! There are so many ways to throw an eco party. Simply holding it during the day will reduce the amount of electricity you use, so consider having it at a beach, local park or your own garden. If you do choose to have a party at night or in the evening, keep the
energy use to a minimum by using low electricity bulbs or beeswax candles rather than paraffin. Our personal favourite method is re-using old jars and bottles as candle holders and vases, because the low light creates a lovely, intimate mood. If you don't have enough tableware to accommodate your guests, consider requesting each person to bring along their own plates, cutlery and glasses, rather than purchasing plastic dinner sets that end up filling an entire bin at the end of the night. Alterntatively, you could purchase quality dinner sets from your local op shop, or try using biodegradable tableware made from bamboo, palm leaf or recycled paper. Encourage guests to shop at their local deli and supermarkets to reduce their carbon footprint, and use organic ingredients when making their dishes. Just remember – it’s also about using what you’ve got, so if you have a musically (or otherwise) gifted friend, why not get them to provide the entertainment? These are just a few simple ways to get your guests involved in the ecolifestyle. Show them that it doesn’t have to be difficult or boring.
1