Are you planning your dream wedding in Newcastle (or the The Hunter Valley)?
If you’re a heart led human who also loves beautiful aesthetics, you’ve probably pondered the impact your choices have on the environment.
Our goal is to help you create a wedding that looks good AND feels good because it aligns with your values of minimising waste and giving a sh*t about the planet.
Why choose more sustainable options for your Newcastle wedding?
By choosing more sustainable options for your wedding, you are making a deliberate effort to reduce your carbon footprint and minimise the environmental impact of your event.
Furthermore, making more sustainable choices allows you to support local businesses and artisans who prioritise eco-friendly practices. By choosing suppliers who share your values, you can contribute to the local economy and promote a more sustainable lifestyle within your community. It’s a win-win situation that allows you to celebrate your love and the planet.
So how do you give a sh*t about the environment AND have a gorgeous looking wedding?
Here are 3 easy swaps:
1. Your threads
Hire
Rather than purchasing new threads for all of your wedding party peeps (that will likely never be worn again) consider renting them instead. By opting for dress or suit rentals, you not only minimise your impact on the environment but your closest friends will love you for giving them a cost-effective option. Gone are the days where every wedding party member has to wear the exact same outfit!
Local Newcastle businesses we love:
Goldies Dress Hire – Wickham
Eastend Wardrobe – Newcastle
https://eastendwardrobe.com.au/
Rundles Tailoring – Newcastle West
https://rundlestailoring.com.au
Second hand & vintage
You can also hunt for vintage or second hand options. A great place to start is to check with family to see if they’ve held onto any vintage pieces.
While there aren’t any local businesses in Newcastle that you can go in and try on a large number of pre loved dresses all in one place, there are lot of online options.
One of our faves being:
Still White
https://www.stillwhite.com.au/city/new-south-wales/newcastle
Alterations
If you’re going down the second hand or vintage road, you’ll likely need alterations.
A few of our local faves:
Kim Presbury Clothing Alterations – Charlestown
www.kimpresburyclothingalterations.com/
Chin Chen st – Hamilton
https://www.chinchenst.com/repairs-and-alterations – Hamiton
Sustainable Stylist
Need help with sourcing vintage and second hand pieces. Team up with a sustainable stylist.
They’ll do the searching and make recommendations that best suit your style.
We love:
Slogue – Sydney based with zoom consultations available
I’ve had the pleasure of working Jo – the founder of Slogue. She is a personal stylist with a difference: she almost exclusively shops quality secondhand, vintage and high-end consignment, otherwise choosing bespoke tailoring and Good on You-accredited sustainable brands. This is because Slogue advocates slow fashion – a movement that promises to be the antidote to this era’s cheap and unethical fast fashion industry.
Final bonus ideas:
- Check in with your friends to see if they already own something they’d love to wear again.
- Let your guests know that you’re hiring, it may inspire them to hire instead of purchasing something new.
2. Your Flowers
Did you know that every floral arrangement has an environmental impact?
You can reduce your impact by choosing to work with florists in Newcastle (like us!) who design with reusable mechanics using sustainable techniques.
1. Mechanics
Every arrangement we make has hidden mechanics that help the flowers stay in place. Examples of reusable mechanics include chicken wire, water picks, moss, ceramic/glass vessels & steel pin frogs.
Examples of single use mechanics include floral foam – it’s the green spongy stuff you may have seen before – it gets soaked in water and acts like a sponge. While it may look compostable, it’s made up of plastic and ends up in landfill after a single use. The teeny tiny micro plastics that end up in the water during soaking, get emptied down the drain and end up in waterways.
2. Disposal
Thoughtful disposal includes taking the time to separate all mechanics, packaging and green waste so that it can be composted, donated, reused or recycled.
3. Reusing packaging
This tissue and packaging we used to deliver your bouquets safely are reused again and again. We also opt to collect used glass coffee jars to deliver your bouquets in so that they have a water source right up until it’s time to say I do. We know that most couples don’t hold onto these, so it makes no sense to waste resources and buy new vases that will only be used once.
4. Prioritising local and seasonal blooms
Prioritise local and seasonal blooms over imported flowers which come from far away places wherever possible. Flowers grown in Australia require less energy-intensive transportation. This not only reduces the carbon footprint of your wedding, but also supports Australian farmers and businesses.
5. Repurposing florals at your wedding
Repurposing/ reusing ceremony flowers as reception decor to maximise their lifespan and reduce waste. Not every design can be repurposed, so be sure to mention this to your florist early on and they’ll be able to offer suggestions on which designs will work best for your Newcastle wedding.
By partnering with a sustainable florist, you can ensure that your wedding flowers are not only easy on the eye but as kind to the environment as possible.
3. Your Styling
Instead of raiding Kmart & Ikea for decor or buying 30m of fabric for table runners that you’ll never use again, explore hire options for various elements of your wedding.
From decor items and furniture to table settings and signage, many rental companies offer an extensive selection of sustainable and stylish pieces that can bring your wedding vision to life without contributing to waste or excessive consumption.
When you opt for styling hire items, you reduce the demand for new items to be produced and later discarded. Look for rental companies that prioritise sustainable materials like reclaimed wood, recycled metals, or vintage pieces. Not only will this give your wedding a unique and personalised touch, but it will also support a circular economy by reducing the environmental impact of single-use items.
Some businesses will do a dry hire (which means you hire the items but are responsible for setting them up/moving them into place)
Others will offer full set up and/ or styling service. Be sure you’re clear on which option you are booking to avoid any last minute logistics nightmares.
Newcastle hire/styling businesses we love:
Vintage Peacock – Adamstown
The Event Artists – Maryville
https://theeventartists.com.au
By making simple swaps throughout the planning process, you can create a ridiculously good looking wedding in Newcastle that reflects your values and has a smaller impact on the planet.
Happy planning lovers,
Lauren xx
