Getting Married And Suffering From Climate Anxiety?

Are you stressed out about global warming? With your own daily stresses, it can be difficult to not feel a bit helpless at points. More news of regular flooding, devastating fires and rising sea levels is bound to make anyone feel anxious. The topic of climate change comes up regularly in our office amid all our conversations around wedding planning so we thought we'd put a little piece together for those of you who are planning weddings but suffering with "climate anxiety" and want to know what you can do to help.

1) Consider vegan or vegatarian wedding breakfasts

You may feel this is extreme and wouldn't go down well with your guests but According to World of Vegan, growing just one pound of meat is the equivalent to the amount of water required to do 40 loads of washing, create 40 pints of beer, or 1,125 toilet flushes. Eating seasonally and locally will also reduce the amount of food miles on your plate (think of the carbon!). What's more, you could also save a chunk of cash!

2) Rent your wedding dress

According to Oxfam, "it's estimated that more than two tonnes of clothing are bought each minute in the UK. That amount produces nearly 50 tonnes of carbon emissions - the same as driving 162,000 miles in a car." Renting a wedding dress is far more sustainable and also very cost-effective. If you're set on buying your dress, consider who the designer is and try and avoid brnads involved in pushing fast fashion.

3) Drink energy-saving wine

Chances are that wine will be flowing on your big day. You probably didn't know but but glass packing - including wine bottles - are a hotbed for CO2, according to a study by the California Sustainable Wine Growing Alliance. Why not consider sourcing your wine from a brand that uses 100% recycled PET to save weight and energy both during wine production and transportation? The wine still tastes great!

4) Make your own candles

Candles are usually a common feature in wedding decor and venue styling. Have you thought about what happens to the empty glass containers once a candle has burned out. This isn't great for the environment as the manufacture of glass requires quite a bit of energy and water. There's also some air pollution too (which adds up with a lot of candles!) as nitrogren oxides are generated if the glass is heated by burning gas. Look at using a solution such as Constant Candle who provide eco-friendly, cruelty-free paraffin and taxin-free wax which smell great and can be used again and again.

5) Plant trees in honour of your guests

Many inviduals, businesses and organisations are pushing tree planting but we always need more. Have you considered planting a tree in honour of each wedding guest to go some way to offsetting your emissions from the wedding? Maybe that can even be your wedding favours sorted...just a thought!