The Eco-conscious Bride: Five Steps for a Greener Wedding in Singapore
2022-07-18

https://unsplash.com/photos/xI_-wFJhCiM

Source: Ben Rosett on Unsplash

These days, it's hard for a bride-to-be to throw her dream wedding without a nagging feeling about all the wastage weddings tend to generate. year.

According to a popular study, a typical American wedding generates more than 180 kilograms of waste, and accounts for more than 5700 kilograms of carbon emissions. For scale, that is a carbon footprint equivalent to that of four people in an entire year, in the United States.

Still, eco-conscious weddings could break that trend!

There is no reason why you can’t have the beautiful, special wedding you’ve imagined all this while, while being more environmentally-friendly. We’ve compiled a couple of ways you can incorporate eco-friendly choices into your wedding planning for a sustainable, yet gorgeous to-do.

1. Send e-Invites

https://unsplash.com/photos/pVt9j3iWtPM

Source: Leone Venter on Unsplash

This one’s a no-brainer!

If you’re willing to trade traditional paper cards for an online version, you could be cutting down on a lot of one-time paper waste. Even if you can’t imagine foregoing a mailed formal wedding invitation, you could consider e-invites for Save-the-Date cards instead.

2. Consider ‘Something Borrowed’

https://unsplash.com/photos/KRPCwGCzUJs

Source: Thomas AE on Unsplash

The fashion industry–especially the fast fashion industry–creates unimaginable amount of waste each year. In Singapore alone, fashion and textile products account for 137,000 tonnes of waste, of which “merely” 4 per cent is recycled, said the Textile and Fashion Federation's Ms Poon, citing 2020 statistics by the National Environment Agency.

On a more heartening note, the sustainable fashion movement has quickly been gaining popularity over the past few years.

There are a number of ways you can shop sustainably, such as by looking up any environmental commitment on the company’s side, searching for clothes made from recyclable or partially-recyclable materials, or even supporting a local boutique instead of a commercial chain, which would be more likely to be involved in fast fashion practices.

https://unsplash.com/photos/N3SsG7xR-Dg

Source: Clay Banks on Unsplash

Still, the search for a perfect dress that meets all these requirements may be daunting, and there aren't nearly enough sustainable gown options on the market.

That’s when you can consider one more option–your something borrowed! While renting a dress from a large boutique may still be expensive, shopping for options at smaller, local boutiques both online and offline, might help you strike gold.

In Singapore, there are options not only for designer gown rental, pre-loved gown purchase, and sustainable wedding dresses to purchase.

You could even try looking up online boutiques selling pre-loved or once-worn wedding dresses, including those from renowned brands.

3. Give Your Flowers Purpose

https://unsplash.com/photos/Q-F6GVc1Ejs

Source: Takehiro Tomiyama on Unsplash

It’s time to think about the flowers!

It’s safe to say no wedding feels complete without floral arrangements.

Growing flowers uses considerable energy and water, especially if they are not in season or native to the country.

In Singapore, most flowers like roses need to be specially imported and maintained and temperature-regulated at boutiques. This is where opting for native flora and those in season may make a great difference.

You may even want to opt for dried flowers which still create the most stunning displays. Then comes the unknown hero of flowers--potted plants! Not only would they make beautiful, elegant additions to your setting, you may easily donate them to a hospital or elderly home after the wedding to give them a new lease on life.

https://unsplash.com/photos/qHJI9ajjduk

Source: sydney Rae on Unsplash

Finally, some florists in Singapore may help you cut costs and wastage by coordinating donations as well as expertly repurposing floral arrangements between different wedding events.

4. Trim It!

https://unsplash.com/photos/SQuY313aZyA

Source: DESIGNECOLOGIST on Unsplash

Another no-brainer, but simply opting not to include some things at your wedding may cut the costs and hassle of replacing them with eco-friendly options.

These may include: elaborate wedding decorations or favours and multiple venues. Keeping a smaller guest list definitely helps to support the eco-conscious cause (and your wallet!).

Having a mindful registry may also make a big difference. If you’re opting on having on for you and your partner, you may be tempted to do-up an exciting registry full of things to start your new life with.=

In this case, asking yourself whether you may need certain items along the way could help you curate a practical and more personalised registry.

5. Take Advantage of the Sun

https://unsplash.com/photos/K41SGnGKxVk

Source: Jeremy Wong Weddings on Unsplash

Nature themes have been a great trend in recent weddings, and that's great news for the environment!

Using natural lighting by opting for a lush outdoor wedding, or even just an indoor wedding during the daytime is a classic way to go eco-friendly.

Imagine vivid greenery and large bay windows with light streaming in onto your gorgeous table settings–what's not to love?

https://unsplash.com/photos/iQVn40PdwW0

Source: CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

It's a thing to be grateful for that these days, eco-conscious options are much easier to come by than they once were.

Ultimately, however, making eco-friendly choices is a consumer decision. It's up to us to initiate these changes as an investment in the future of our planet, and a homage to the gifts it has given us.