If you've been amazed at how our world has benefited from less pollution - have you see the canals in Italy? - then perhaps a sustainable wedding is the way to go when planning your big day? Celia Gaze founder of The Wellbeing Farm has some top tips...
Celia says, "As we're getting more conscious about our environment and how we can protect it, the idea is also flooding the wedding market, as brides are looking for a lush wedding day that doesn't cost the planet. As a venue that has always had a green centre, here are our 10 top tips if you're planning a sustainable wedding..."
1 Ditch the Palm Beach wedding in favour of something local This may be an obvious one, but it's a good starting point. As nice as those pictures of destination weddings look, think of all the air miles to fly everyone over, and then transport from the airport... that's a lot of CO2 emissions. With that in mind, if your venue is accessible by public transport, even better.
2 Plan a vegetarian or vegan menu One of the biggest trends is cutting out a lot of meat and other animal products from your diet. Whilst your wedding has been considered the one day you can indulge, this now doesn't mean that you can't splurge on taste without cutting out the meat. Even as an omnivore, some of the nicest food I have had is vegetarian and vegan. If your menu is seasonal, organic, or uses fair trade ingredients, or a mixture of all three, even better!
3 Speaking of seasonal, keep your flowers seasonal too Seasonal flowers save the air miles, there's no need to import tulips from Holland in the middle of September. Also start thinking about what you are going to do with the flowers afterwards, and if your florist avoids using foam in their arrangements, that's a big fat green thumbs up. If they are also supplying confetti, look at a kind that is bio-degradable.
4 Think about transport If your venue isn't easy to get to via public transport, instead of a million cars arriving at your venue, think about hiring a coach from a suitable meeting point e.g. the hotel your guests are staying at; this will hopefully cut down a lot of emissions even before your big day starts.
5 Use recyclable materials or secondhand props for your décor One of our biggest features for our brides is our Prop Shed, which holds every kind of decorative prop you can imagine: saving time, money and the planet as everything is reused from couple to couple. Some brides like to use bits they've picked up themselves – afterwards, think about donating to other brides for their day.
6 Ask your venue about their green policy A big note when looking around venues is looking at their bar – if they are still using plastic straws, that's a big no-no! Do they recycle everything on-site, use local suppliers, grow their own produce and have they cracked down on single-use plastic, among many other measures.
7 Find local suppliers From your cake to your DJs, using suppliers who are local to you/your venue is key to making your wedding sustainable and keeping your wedding's carbon footprint down. Venues should have a list of recommended suppliers on their websites, who are all local to property.
8 Consider sustainable favours Think about not just what you want them to be, but also how they are packaged. Stay away from the plastic toys and trinkets, and cellophane wrapping that cannot be recycled. If there is an animal, environmental or sustainability charity that means something to you and your partner, a donation favour to that charity would be a good choice.
9 Dress upcycle Why not donate your dress to a charity shop to make an impact long after the big day – this also applies to the bridesmaids dresses too – if you're looking for a green wedding! Also, keep away from silk and other materials that come from animals.
10 Is your stationery sustainable? As pretty as the save-the-date invitations and other stationery looks, think about using invites made from an ethically sourced or recycled material. To find out more go to: www.thewellbeingfarm.co.uk
2026 looks set to be the year of the European stag weekend, with more guys looking at heading abroad than staying in the UK. Yes, according to one of the UK's leading stag do providers, a whopping 59% of stags are jetting off to celebrate in Europe with Benidorm, Albufeira, Prague and Lisbon all top choices for the groom's big send-off. "With the rise of budget air travel and comparatively cheaper costs abroad for food and drinks, it's no huge surprise more stags are looking at a weekend away over staying in the UK," said Jon Stainer, Creative Director at StagWeb.co.uk.
READ ARTICLE
I SA-y yes! How soon-to-be wedded couples and newlyweds can use their ISAs
From venues and catering to the dress and rings, wedding expenses can quickly add up. With the average cost of a UK wedding now more than £20,000, and with so many other pressures on our finances, putting money aside for your special day can feel challenging. A Cash ISA can be an efficient way for couples to save for their big day. With the Personal Savings Allowance limited to £1,000 for basic rate taxpayers, the tax-free allowance in an ISA has the potential to help you reach your goals sooner. Chris Henderson, Save and Pay Director at Tesco Bank, shares his top tips on how couples can save for a wedding and beyond.
READ ARTICLE
Married to your surname? 26% of women are planning on keeping theirs
Lots of people are ditching traditions when it comes to modern weddings and marriage - one of which quickly losing favour is the tradition of taking your partner's surname. In a recent survey carried out by Pandora UK, almost nine in ten (88%) women said they think that attitudes to married names are changing in 2026 ¹. When asked, over a quarter (26%) of unmarried women said they'd keep their last name if they got married, whilst less than half (45%) said they'd take their partner's name. This is indicative of the shift in opinion in recent years, as when married women were asked, only a sixth (17%) of women said they kept their maiden names when they got married, whilst the majority (78%) took their partner's surname, with just 4% choosing to double-barrel their last name with their significant other.
READ ARTICLE
Love is in the air: Eden Mill and COCO Chocolatier partner to create the perfect Valentine's bundle
Independent distiller, Eden Mill and Edinburgh-based artisan, COCO Chocolatier, have launched a limited-edition bundle just in time for Valentine's Day - featuring award-winning gin and a luxurious chocolate bar. The Love Gin & COCO Chocolatier Bundle pairs a bottle of Eden Mill's iconic Love Gin with a bespoke bar of Salted Caramel Milk Chocolate. Designed with gifting in mind, the chocolate is presented in stunning, custom packaging inspired by the Love Gin's romantic aesthetic, beautifully merging the two brands.
