Choosing beautiful flowers is one of the most wonderful things about planning your wedding. Whether you want delicate bundles of small, crisp neutral tones, a focus on lush green foliage, or a collection of bright cheerful blooms – flowers help set the tone for your entire day.
It can take a lot of thought and planning to find the perfect arrangement to adorn your bridesmaids with, and if you’re looking for sustainable choices, you may be wondering where to begin. Here, we explore how to choose the perfect sustainable bouquets for your bridal party.
Keep things seasonal
To ensure your flowers are as sustainable as possible, look for seasonal blooms. As these are able to be grown outside in the current weather, you’ll be saving on the emissions and electricity used for heating and irrigating non-seasonal flowers.
Even if your wedding falls within the cooler months, you won’t miss out – there are plenty of stunning flowers that grow during winter. Look for a mix of large and small flower heads, and don’t forget to include some seasonal foliage to complete your bouquets.
Shop local
Supporting small businesses, especially local florists who promote sustainable practices themselves, is a great way to boost the eco-credentials of your wedding flowers. Buying locally is always going to be more sustainable than ordering online or importing from a distance, as you emit the carbon emissions from the flowers’ travel.
Asking your florist to use locally grown flowers and to wrap them in recycled or eco-friendly paper or boxes will ensure your entire order is as green as possible. If you’re aiming to have a sustainable wedding, making these eco-conscious choices with your flowers makes a huge difference.
Go organic
The cut flower industry is one of the biggest consumers of pesticides worldwide. Not only does this harm our environment, but it takes a massive toll on the biodiversity of our insect population. Asking your florist to only use organic flowers for your bouquets helps to promote the production of pesticide-free flowers, and to create a demand for planet-friendly flowers.
When it comes to your centrepieces and other floral arrangements, be sure to request that your florist doesn’t use any floral foam. Made from microplastics and toxic, carcinogenic materials, floral foam is awful both for human health and the environment.
Recycle after use
When the day is done, your flowers will likely still have a lot of life left in them. There’s many ways in which you can reuse or recycle them, from donating them to charities who give them to funeral homes to preserving them for yourself.
Offer them as parting gifts to your guests, or even to the venue staff, to avoid having to throw them away at the end of the night. And when they do wilt, be sure to put them into a compost bin so they can biodegrade rather than chucking them into the rubbish.
With these tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way to creating beautiful and sustainable bouquets for your bridesmaids.