Green WeddingS

How to make your wedding more sustainable

Green Weddings - How to reduce your Wedding's Impact

Planning a more sustainable wedding doesn’t mean compromising on beauty or joy. At Cote How, our couples often tell us that they want their day to be meaningful, personal, and as gentle on the planet as possible. With nature surrounding us — from the shores of Rydal Water to the fell views that frame the barn — it feels only right to celebrate in a way that honours the landscape.
Below are practical ‘green wedding’ ideas that blend your wedding dreams with a lighter environmental footprint, including the much-loved touches we offer here at Cote How.

Plant a Celebration Tree at Cote How

This beautiful tradition began with one of our couples in 2018, who asked if they could plant a tree instead of cutting a wedding cake. Their guests gathered around as they “planted their celebration cake”, and it became such a heartfelt moment that we now offer it as an optional eco-wedding addition.
Planting a tree is a lovely symbol of growth, commitment, and new beginnings. It leaves a positive mark on the landscape and becomes something you can return to over the years. It’s a living reminder of your perfect, greener wedding day.

Use Real Petal Confetti (And Reusable Cones)

Confetti can seem like a small detail, but its impact quickly adds up. Many options labelled “biodegradable” still use treated paper or metallic flecks that linger in the environment and are difficult to clear for the next wedding.

We provide real petal confetti, grown outdoors in Shropshire and dried on site by a local family business. We buy in bulk to reduce packaging waste and delivery miles, and we reuse our confetti cones for every wedding. It’s better for the planet, kinder on wildlife, and keeps your photographs beautifully natural.

Flowers with a Lower Carbon Footprint

There’s no right or wrong way to choose your flowers, although it helps to consider the options.

Fresh flowers:
Most florists order blooms from Holland, delivered weekly by road. They are generally seasonal, but imported flowers can be energy-intensive, particularly when ‘forced’ out of season. Choosing seasonal varieties is an easy way to improve your green wedding rating without sacrificing the scent and romance of fresh florals. Our local florist deliveries are carbon-neutral too.

Gifting your flowers:
We offer a thoughtful gifting service at the end of your celebration. We gather your venue flowers, create small bouquets, and you gift them to your guests as they leave. It extends the life of your flowers and spreads joy well beyond the day.

Reusable options:
High-quality silk or dried flowers are increasingly popular. Used well, they look incredibly natural, and when reused, they significantly lower the impact. We use a lot of beautiful silk flowers here at Cote How for this reason.

Thoughtful Green Wedding Favours

Wedding favours have changed dramatically over the years. Gone are the days of plastic trinkets and bags of items guests rarely take home and keep.

If you’d like to include favours, choose something locally made, useful, and genuinely enjoyable — and ideally combine it with a place card to reduce waste.

Local treats work wonderfully, such as:

Grasmere Gingerbread
Handmade Huttons Chocolates
Kendal Mint Cake
Pure Lakes hand balms or soaps

Guests appreciate something they can consume or keep, and it keeps your tables elegantly simple.

Pre-Loved Wedding Clothes, Shoes, and Accessories

Sustainable fashion has become a huge part of green wedding planning, and more couples (and guests) opt for pre-loved outfits. Many wedding dresses and suits have been worn only once and can be found on specialist sites or in charity shops dedicated to bridal wear.
Buying pre-loved is not only greener — it saves a significant amount of money. Alterations and upcycling can make the piece feel entirely your own, with less environmental impact than buying new.

Locally Made Wedding Cakes

With over 90% of our couples travelling to the Lake District for a destination wedding, sourcing local suppliers is an easy way to reduce mileage, stress and waste.
Our wedding cakes are made three miles away in Grasmere and delivered by hand. There are no long journeys, no courier vans, and no worrying about transporting or storing a fragile cake. Once the cake arrives, we decorate it using snippets of your fresh venue flowers for a seamless, natural finish.
Most of the cake is enjoyed on the day as part of your meal, and any remaining slices are boxed for you to take home, thus reducing waste.

Green Wedding Ideas to Take Things Even Further

Once you’ve covered the essentials, there are plenty of other ways to keep your celebration more planet-friendly:

Reduce Travel Impact
Car-sharing, local shuttles, and accommodation within walking distance are all greener choices. Sharing transport cuts emissions and helps with parking — especially helpful in our Lake District valley.
Eco-Friendly Stationery
Choose recycled or ‘plantable’ paper for printed items. Digital invitations, RSVPs and guest information are especially helpful for destination weddings.
Sustainable Tableware and Décor
Reusable linens, ceramic plates, and glassware, rather than plastic disposables, reduce waste and elevate your dining experience. Natural materials — wood, stone, linen, greenery — also suit Cote How’s natural elegance.
Energy-Conscious Lighting and Music
LED lighting and natural candlelight, such as beeswax or soy, are more eco-friendly for evening receptions. Acoustic musicians or smaller set-ups reduce your energy footprint while adding warmth and an intimate atmosphere.

The Heart of a Green Wedding at Cote How

A green wedding isn’t about ticking every box or being perfect. It’s about making thoughtful choices that care for the landscape, support local businesses, and feel in keeping with your own ethos.
At Cote How, we help you shape your day to reflect your values AND style, while keeping your impact on the environment as light as possible. Whether it’s planting a tree, using locally grown flowers, choosing pre-loved fashion, or finding other small ways to reduce waste, we’ll be there to guide you.