Planning a wedding is a highly personalised experience. There’s the theme, venue, attire and catering to think about. Then there’s all the printing to do, such as beautiful save-the-date cards, place cards for the dining tables, menus, order of service programmes, and a welcome board at the venue (so guests know they’re in the right location). Then there’s also the “Thank You” cards for all the lovely gifts and the effort that your friends and family put into helping make your wedding day extra special.
But if you’ve got your heart set on an eco-wedding, you may be torn. Aside from getting everyone together to have a great time, you will also want keepsakes to cherish for years to come. That’s why many are hesitant to scrap the traditional paper-based invitations and photo albums. However, we’ve got the advice to help you have the wedding you really want while minimising your impact on the environment.
Sure, you can choose to honeymoon closer to home, but there are other closer-to-home factors that contribute to your carbon footprint as well. Let’s delve into the simple changes you can make to create a more eco-conscious wedding without compromising on the fun or the memories.
Often, the little things add up. When it comes to weddings, it’s surprising how much they can contribute to environmental issues, including waste and carbon emissions. In fact, the average wedding in the UK produces the same amount of carbon emissions as five people would in a year. This may sound alarming, but there are small switches that can make a big difference.
We’re listing some of the ways you can reduce your carbon footprint by working with a sustainable printing company.
From the all-important invitations to seating arrangement cards, a lot of ink and paper can go into a wedding. You’ll be pleased to know that there are printing companies that use eco-friendly printers and sustainably sourced ink and paper - like us here at GP Print.
As well as celebration and love, weddings are often a time of generosity. DIY or customised wedding favours are a nice way to celebrate your nearest and dearest at this special occasion. Think wine with personalised labels, soap in a box, or chocolates in paper bags. A single wedding can produce up to 20 kg of plastic waste, so swapping plastic wrapping for customised paper boxes or bags could be the way to go.
If you want to go professional with your printing for that special touch, we recommend searching around for an eco-friendly printing company. Specific signs that demonstrate a real commitment to the environment include using eco-friendly printing presses, vegetable-based inks and sustainably sourced paper. We do all these and more at GP Print, and we have been doing so for 25 years!
We’re really just scratching the surface here on selecting greener print materials for your big day. But we hope these ideas help get you inspired and set you on the path to a wedding you can be proud of planning and hosting without having to resort to digital assets that will feel less personal or memorable.
