How can you make sure that your wedding outfit is eco-conscious?

Your wedding day is a chance for you to come together with your friends and family and celebrate your love and commitment to your partner. It’s a day where you’ll be front and center, so it’s not surprising that you want to look and feel your best. Your wedding outfit plays a huge part in this – if you’re of the romantic inclination, you may have even imagined your perfect dress or suit for years well ahead of actually setting the date.

For many modern couples, getting married includes a certain amount of consideration towards sustainability, as we become more aware of our impact on the planet. With your outfit playing such a big role in the day, it’s important to set the tone and make sure that this is also as sustainable as possible. So how can you make your wedding outfit more eco-friendly without compromising on style? Let’s take a look.

Consider your choice of fabric

To start with, your choice of fabric will have an impact on the overall carbon footprint of your outfit. We might not realize it, but each type of fabric needs a different amount of resources to make it, meaning there are some that are kinder to the environment than others. This might feel overwhelming, but there are some specialist eco-friendly dress and suit producers out there, meaning that there is still plenty of choice.

If you want to stay with a mainstream company, try to look for one that is conscious about waste, recycling or reusing scraps where possible. Or, it may be that opting for a made-to-measure outfit gives you the greatest control over the materials that are used.

Make sure you can wear it again

Wedding outfits are special for a reason, making you stand out from the crowd. However, that often makes it tricky to rewear your outfit after the big day, particularly for brides – there are only so many opportunities to wear a full-length dress, especially if it’s white.

But, with some careful consideration, you can rewear your outfit in the future. It may be that you get your dress shortened to knee length, or that you choose a top and separate skirt, to allow you to wear both separately after your day. Not only does this mean that you get the most from your purchase, but it also reduces waste.

Buy second hand or hire

Finally, perhaps one of the easiest ways you can make sure your wedding outfit is eco-conscious is to buy second hand or to rent one from a reputable supplier. This means that you’re not purchasing an outfit specifically for one day – even if you’re as careful as you can be with the material choice, there’s no getting away from the fact that there was a carbon footprint generated to make your dress or suit.

By hiring or buying second hand, you’re sharing the carbon impact of an outfit that already exists across multiple wears – and potentially saving yourself money in the process. Professional cleaning will ensure that your outfit looks just as good as a new one, so there’s no need to worry that you won’t look your best.

Even small changes matter when it comes to saving our planet. By taking the environment into consideration on your big day, you’re playing your part – and who knows, you may even inspire others to do the same.