A wedding is one of the biggest days of your life and there are plenty of things to consider.

Along with finances and family to think about there is also the environmental impact of a wedding. Weddings use 14.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide on average – that’s the same as running three cars for a whole year.

Luckily, Daffodil Hotel & Spa have created the ultimate green wedding guide which highlights how to plan a luxurious wedding while reducing its carbon footprint in five easy steps.

1.  Consider a vintage wedding dress

The wedding dress is a hugely important part of the big day as all eyes turn to the beautiful bride.

However, many wedding gowns come with a significant carbon footprint as the power to create the dress and transporting it to the UK build up.

Swapping your designer gown for a vintage dress to make sure no other bride will be wearing the same thing while reducing your weddings carbon footprint.

Vintage dresses are fun and exciting to find and better still, you could dye your little vintage dress and create a new outfit for many parties to come – far more environmentally friendly than a dress you’ll never wear again.

2.  Have a vegetarian-based wedding meal

Meat is one of the biggest contributors to CO2 emissions globally and on average, 10% of wedding food is wasted in the UK.

Consider offering only vegetarian dishes and locally sourced fruit and vegetables to reduce the footprint of your wedding. If you need to keep the meat make sure it’s British so it doesn’t travel as far.

Discuss your eco-friendly beliefs with your wedding venue as they will be able to recommend the best local produce and will help get inventive with your menu.

3.  Avoid using single-use plastic and decorations

Recent environmental campaigns to reduce the use of plastic straws has brought our attention to the damage single use plastic can do. And weddings are a great place to make a change.

Avoid single use decorations and straws, using only recycled paper and hire decorations. You could even make quirky keepsakes out of reusable jam jars for each guest to fill with drinks throughout the evening and take home at the end of the celebrations.

Avoid confetti unless it biodegradable and get inventive with floral decorations that are local and in season.

4.  Keep your wedding locations local

Keeping your wedding local will remove one of the biggest creators of carbon emissions on your big day. 73% of carbon emissions from weddings are created by guests travelling to and from the venue.

You could consider transporting your guests together to reduce the number of cars but keeping everyone close to home is the best way to reduce your weddings carbon footprint.

5.  Plan a British staycation for your honeymoon

Many of us dream of a romantic honeymoon as part of our wedding celebrations. You may have been dreaming of a far-flung location for your post-wedding trip but staying in the UK can be just as romantic.

A long-distance flight will eat up thousands of kg of CO2 which will basically undo all that hard work to reduce your big day’s carbon emissions.

For example, a trip from London to Costa Rica will burn a colossal 1,500 litres of fuel and create 3,800 kg of CO2 per couple.

Even driving abroad comes at a cost. Driving to the French Alps from London will use 1,250 kg of CO2.

To overcome this enormous environmental cost consider staying close to home for your holiday or perhaps continue your wedding experience by staying at the wedding venue for your honeymoon.

Staying anywhere in the UK will reduce the impact of your honeymoon and with so many holiday options close to home, there is bound to be something to suit you and your future spouse.

If you’re planning a wedding, and want to save both money and the environment, discover more about the ultimate green bride guide. Through the five simple easy steps, you can see how easy it is to celebrate your big day, in an eco-friendly way.