Ours is a sustainable love affair.
With many couples choosing to live in a more eco friendly and sustainable way at home, it makes perfect sense for these values to flow over in to your wedding planning. After all, a wedding should be a representation of who you are as a couple. So if eco matters are close to your heart on any other day, let me show you how we can pull off a fantastic celebration with sustainable values. Sustainable weddings in Cyprus really are beautiful and achievable, too.
If you think about eco friendly or sustainable weddings, what comes to mind? Something low budget, simple and most likely rustic? Well this doesn't have to be the case for your sustainable wedding in Cyprus! I'm going to run through a few ways you can make your wedding in Cyprus more eco friendly while still staying true to your vision. One of the benefits of having a bespoke wedding planner in Cyprus is that we can work together to create something truly unique, with your desires and care for the planet both playing vital roles. Let's fall in love with Cyprus and make the most of the stunning island environment for your eco celebration.
The Wedding Dress
Firstly, the dress, but don’t panic, you can still have the dress of your dreams for your sustainable wedding in Cyprus! You'll feel even more amazing wearing it knowing your carbon footprint has been beautifully minimised. There are a couple of options here. You can purchase your gown, as well as bridesmaids dresses and men’s suits from ethical designers. Some bridal boutiques are stocking gowns made with chemical free, vegan and responsibly grown materials. This will still give you the boutique shopping experience for your brand new, once in a life time gown.
Have you ever thought about going vintage? Does a family member have their wedding gown that you could up cycle? I know the dress is a huge part of your whole wedding and many brides don’t immediately think second hand when they dream of THE perfect gown. However Princess Beatrice’s recent nuptials show how something beautiful can be created from an existing piece. It’s a huge money saver from your overall budget and if it’s a relatives gown, it will have serious sentimental value.
Perhaps you might not find the gown but ask around in the family for veils or jewellery, even men’s pocket watches or ties. You will find yourself reconnecting with family over this special day before it’s even happened. Furthermore I am sure you’ll have so much fun creating your best look in an ethical way. As your wedding planner I want to make sure you enjoy all the preparations, including those at home. The excitement should start well before you step on a plane! See below for my top pick of an ethical and bespoke bridal boutique to help bring your eco bridal visions to life.
Flowers & Decor
Flowers are a large part of any wedding so this will have a large overall impact on your sustainable wedding in Cyprus. Luckily, there's always ways to reduce your carbon footprint when it comes to flowers. Maybe it’s using dried flowers or looking carefully at what’s in season or available locally. For a recent shoot, my good friend and florist found ourselves enjoying the local countryside while foraging for fresh eucalyptus and olive branches. Never a dull moment! We’re lucky enough that even pampas grass grows wild here, meaning we can cater sustainably to almost every trend. Succulents or potted herbs are an amazing way to reduce flower waste after the wedding too as they're reusable.
A sustainable wedding certainly doesn't need to be a minimal one. Rustic is a theme that lends itself well to eco friendly variations but if it isn't your style, don't worry. Indeed not all sustainable weddings are about greenery and herbs. Tall, dried options always add some glamour and height to a reception. Similarly responsibly grown cut flowers create fresh, blooming centrepieces with all the wow factor you'd expect.
Biodegradable confetti is another easy thing to add to your sustainable wedding plans. Think olive leaves, fresh petals and even dried herbs. It is going to smell amazing, look fantastic in your photos, fit in with the venue perfectly and leave no lasting damage.
Stationery & Favours
We live in an increasingly digital world, with almost everyone having an online presence, even Grandma! Paper is notoriously non eco friendly, so start at the beginning when planning your sustainable wedding – the invites. Consider sending them digitally, and allowing people to RSVP in the same way. Undoubtedly some of you wont quite be able to tear yourself away from gorgeous stationery. With this in mind, make sure you use recycled paper. The same thing goes for your wedding day stationery. Place cards, menus and signs can also be printed on recycled paper or even, consider mirrors for an epic seating plan that’s not disposable. Recycled doesn’t mean basic, there are so many options and you’ll find an amazing suppliers both in Cyprus and the UK in the links below!
Like stationery, favours add another lovely element to your place settings. Be that as it may how do they fit in to your sustainable wedding plans? Firstly we can turn to a Cypriot tradition that can be adopted to reduce waste. At local weddings each couple or family are given a favour, as opposed to each individual guest. Another traditional touch can be bottles of local olive oil, wine or honey. You’d be supporting small local businesses and giving your guests a thoughtful and useful favour. Not many people will have tried Cyprus wines so you’ll also be introducing your guests to something new. This is especially apt if you’re having a winery wedding. Having a wedding planner means you can draw on my local knowledge and I can advise on the best ways to go eco and stay local.
ECO SUPPLIERS
for your sustainable celebration
Richie Roo Designs -
Offering creative and beautiful alternatives for your wedding day stationery. Think wooden signs and mirror table plans as well as the essentials printed as necessary on recycled paper.
Poppleberry Stationery -
Timeless and elegant designs to complement your perfect day. Available on recycled eco card made with fruit & nut residue. Start your celebrations in the same way you mean to continue with sustainable wedding save the dates, invites and much more.
Lisa Carrington Couture Gowns & Veils -
What bride doesn't dream of a custom made gown? It's unique, it's yours, it's personal... Discuss designs and fabrics with the expert or take your vintage gown in for an eco up-cycle.
Sustainable Wedding Venue in Cyprus
MINTHIS RESORT
This is a one of a kind, beautiful venue has been a big name on the Paphos wedding scene for a while now. It's a firm favourite of mine but did you know that it's also the perfect sustainable wedding venue?
- The beautiful Chiavari chairs available for your ceremony and dinner are wooden not plastic
- No plastic straws are used at the bar
- Only glass water bottles are used during the wedding dinner service, this is a huge hit with me as a wedding planner! Glass bottles look better placed in your photos than plastic, too.
- Local, pesticide free and where possible organic produce is used in all dishes. Olive oil, honey, herbs and fruits are collected from the surrounding villages, too.
- Across the whole resort you'll find an upgraded irrigation system and areas which are reserved for the protection of rare species of flora and fauna
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something... Green!