The guide to planning a more sustainable and eco friendly wedding - The Series - Part 2
Eco Friendly Weddings - Drinks and catering
Today's part of the series we bring you some more eco-friendly tips to consider when planning the drinks and catering for your wedding celebration. Teaming up again with the talented and passionate Billie Brook to bring you this amazing blog series and guide on having a more sustainable wedding celebration. Billie is a great inspiration not only because of her fabulous wedding photography but she is always looking for more ways to minimise her and her business’ impact on the environment. She is the go to eco friendly photographer, and here, she shares her tips.
Wedding food. Image by Billie Brook.
The Checklist: How to be more eco-friendly with drinks and catering
Think local and seasonal
Find caterers that focus on sourcing food from local and sustainable growers.Veggies are your friends
Ever thought of having a fully vegetarian and/or vegan menu?Plastic free
Finding an eco-conscious caterer is a great starting point.Waste disposal/ leftovers
Composting and recycling, donating and/ or doggy bags.Plan the buffet correctly
Buffets can create more waste than you’d expect. Find out how to get it right.Planet friendly booze
Organic, again local, ditch the straws, and serve in recyclable/ reusable glass.Work with, and trust the wedding caterers.
Talk with them about your intentions, they should be happy to oblige.
Going plastic free with your wedding catering. Looks great too! Image courtesy of Billie Brook.
Think local and seasonal
Find caterers that focus on sourcing food from local and sustainable growers. Eating local is always important as the emissions resulting from food transportation have a negative impact on the planet. Work with your caterers to only choose food that is actually in season at the time of your wedding.
Wedding veggies. Image via Wedding Bee.
Veggies are your friends
It’s common knowledge that the carbon footprint of animal farming is huge so how about a fully vegetarian and/or vegan menu? If you are already a veggie fan, this is a great way to show your guests how good vegetarian food can be. Along with being kind to the planet, it can save you money as meat is often the most expensive part of meals. Some imitation meats are so advanced that your guests might not even notice! If you’re keen to include meat, keep it local, free-range and reduce the amount of meat based meals. Every little bit counts.
Embrace the Veggies! Image via My Wedding.
Embrace the Veggies! Image via My Wedding.
Plastic Free
Finding an eco-conscious caterer is a great starting point. You can also encourage them to go plastic-free where possible and make sure there are no single-use plastics involved in serving food at your wedding. Using biodegradable bamboo plates and utensils reduces your carbon footprint and also look beautiful!
Using biodegradable bamboo plates and utensils reduces your carbon footprint and also look beautiful! Wedding photography by Jenny Siaosi.
Using biodegradable bamboo plates and utensils reduces your carbon footprint and also look beautiful!
Waste disposal and leftovers
Another area to talk to your caterers about is waste disposal. Do they compost leftover food scraps? Recycle where they can? Also chat to them about donating leftover food to charities or even sending guests home with doggy bags!
Family style eating is a least wasteful way to go for your eco-conscious wedding.
plan the buffet, properly
While buffets can be wasteful, if you are good with your numbers you won’t over cater. Buffets can also be really cost effective with regard to staffing and equipment to be hired etc. Plated menus or family style eating are a wonderful smooth way to serve your guests, but not all venues can accommodate this, in which case the buffet option can be just as awesome.
Planet friendly booze
Serve organic alcohol. There are an increasing number of brands offering organic alcohol. Grown without pesticides or herbicides, you’re drinking a more planet-friendly beverage, and the reduction in these chemicals can also decrease your hangover! As with food, choose local always. Think about the container of your drinks too and stay away from plastic. Glass is the most sustainable as it is easily recycled, with cans the next best thing. If you’re offering cocktails, think about the mixers and ditch the straw and/or plastic garnishes.
Want more tips on creating your eco-friendly wedding? You can check our other guides here:
ECO FRIENDLY STYLING AND DECORATION ECO-FRIENDLY CONFETTI ALTERNATIVES
Eco-friendly list of local wedding caterers and brewers.
“We are incredibly proud of the fine food and wine products that New Zealand produces and it’s a delight to work alongside suppliers who share our love for ethical sourcing and production of produce. Part of our longstanding ethos is that we believe in reusing and recycling wherever possible.
We take great care in catering to the correct guest numbers and minimising food waste however should there be cases when there is leftover food, we will gladly donate this to a local charity – Wellington City Mission/Kaibosh”
The team at Blue Carrot catering have made it a priority to go green, they will happily work alongside you and make your eco-friendly wedding a great success. You can read more about their commitment here: bluecarrot.co.nz/going-green/
Local Breweries:
Brought to you by the wonderful Billie Brook.