I always had my suspicions that weddings may be a quite unfriendly to the environment, but a Google search or two and I realised, just how much damage is done! From waste, to plastics and products shipped over long distances, it's time we all took notice to how we are affecting the planet! With the environment in the news all too often, plastic in the oceans and man made climate change pretty well agreed upon, should we not all have some responsibility? Of course, a destination wedding in itself can have a large carbon footprint, the fights and transport for one! While we certainly don't think your dream of a destination wedding should end (it's such a fantastic thing to do), what if you could at least offset some of your carbon footprint and be kinder to the environment your children will grow up in?
Cutting down on, or excluding plastics at your wedding is also a good idea, for too long those plastic fans and trinkets have been piling up in waste sites! Plastic based confetti is also a nightmare, it makes sense than we should be looking for environmentally friendly options for the future! Balloons can be very bad too and there are Bio degradable options to replace PVC or Latex balloons. Used with care and disposed of properly, balloons can make a great addition to your decoration, but the most important is to avoid the Helium Balloon release, which has been quite popular at weddings in the last few years. Released helium balloons travel for miles, they end up spread throught land and sea, where creatures can mistake them for food, or become entangled in their strings, it's a nasty business! Plastic drinking straws are also a no no, as is practically any "single use" plastic, as that is as bad as it gets! Try to think of ingenious ways and alternative products to reduce the plastics used at your wedding.
Marbella Bride have banned Balloon release's on all our weddings, we are sorry for the inconvenience, but your conscience will be clear!
It's hard to see where flowers come into environmental issues, but they do if they have been transported half way around the world! Sourcing in season, locally produced flowers could gain you some serious carbon back! Did you know that in Europe, roses are most often imported from Africa for example? Or of course Holland, in both cases the flowers are hauled in temperature-controlled trucks and locked up overnight in cold boxes before their final journey to the local florist, leaving them bearing a large carbon footprint. So, why not consider locally sourced, seasonal flowers? After all, this is Spain and we have plenty of lovely, more natural, in season choices available! Live, potted flowers are also an option, these can be replanted, not just binned, or if that's not possible, they could be donated to a worthy cause that could maybe enjoy them after your wedding, rather than just throwing them in the bin! Marbella Bride can help with more environmentally friendly solutions.
Another way you can help reduce the burden on the planet is to reduce waste! It's a matter of personal choice, but I guess we should be asking, do we really need that huge wedding cake that never get's eaten, or the wedding favors most people will leave at the tables and will end up in the bin? Could we not have draught beer in Kegs, which are of course re-used? Yes we know glass bottles and aluminum cans can be recycled, but only a small percentage ever are! Whatever way we can cut down on waste, might just be a good thing, right?
The best tip here is to use locally sourced food and avoid those products that have had to be imported from miles away! Spain produces some wonderful food, wines, beers and Cava's that will satisfy the pallet of even the most critical of foodies! So why demand imported Prosecco or that strange beer from your homeland, when in Rome (or Malaga), eat what the locals have! Also Choosing locally sourced Organic food can be another step in the direction of environmental care and is probably really good for you too! After all, less pesticides killing all the insects and less fertilizers leaching into rivers, killing the fish, it's all a good thing!
Come on guys, it's the year 2018, soon to be 2019! You message your friends through a host of online services, you carry a smart phone in your pocket and so do they, event your granny has one! You have email, Facebook, what's app, yet you still want to Print out all those invitations and send them out in the post? When was the last time you actually wrote a letter to someone on paper and posted it? Could it not save a lot of waste and money, to send out those invitations, in an imaginative way, by email, or messenger, or via a website designed for your wedding? You can even do the order of service that way too and the menus in fact, there is no real need to waste paper, or indeed spend all the money printing them at all, is there? Paper has a large carbon footprint, so if you really feel the need to print, why not consider using recycled paper? Why not consider sending Christmas Cards this way too?
Disposable batteries, especially the small ones used in modern battery powered candles, or battery powered fairy lights, are a real burden on the environment, mostly ending up in landfill sites, leaching dangerous chemicals into the soil. Millions of them are discarded each year. Whenever possible, rechargeable batteries are far better, as they can often be used up to 500 times and can also be recycled, provided you dispose of them in the correct manner. So if you must use a lot of battery powered lighting or accessories, try to avoid the single use type battery!
One coach holds up to 52 people, which would take approx 13 taxi cabs, to move the same amount of people! If you need to transport your guests to and from your wedding venue, it is clear that coaches, or mini buses are going to work out better for the environment. It’s sensible to block book a single hotel for as many of your guests as possible, rather than having them stay all over the coast. That way you can use larger transport and it’s a simple move from point A to B! Alternatively choose a venue that can accommodate most, or all of your guests on site, eliminating the need to extra transport altogether!
Here at Marbella Bride, we can help you with ideas on how to reduce the carbon footprint and environmental damage of your wedding in Spain, so that you can indulge in an amazing day, with your conscience a little clearer! Why not contact us and let's create a wedding that respects mother earth! The time for change is NOW, so let's make that change, together! There are many more ways to help offset the carbon footprint and environmental damage that your destination wedding in Spain may cause. Every step you take, is a bonus! Mother Earth will thank you!