Photo: EKR Pictures

Garden weddings are becoming more and more popular with searches for “Garden Wedding” seeing a 284% rise in 2022. There are so many benefits to having your wedding at yours or a friend or relatives home. It’s a very personal type of wedding and completely unique to you, it can be very budget friendly as you don’t have to hire a venue and you can have total control of your day, nothing is predetermined, every choice is yours to make.

1. Less travel

Photo: Gail Secker Photography

Not only are you and some of your family already at the venue, chances are many of your family and friends on the guest list live fairly close by, especially if it is your family home where you grew up. However if this is not the case you still have a ready-made ceremony and reception venue with accommodation in one, so no need for travel to different venues throughout the day. To save on even more travel you can always organise a bus to pick up groups of guests from a particular point, a local train station or the centre of town for example.

2. You have complete control

A great plus to a garden wedding both generally and especially from a sustainability point of view is that you have total control of everything that happens and everyone that is part of your day. You can hand pick all of your suppliers after checking their eco credentials, to make sure you have the most planet friendly team possible. You can also control where the food comes from, the alcohol, what lighting is used, the décor, everything you include in your day can be chosen with the environment in mind.

'Garden Weddings are a great way to make sure that your wedding is as environmentally conscious as possible.'

3. You can decide what happens to the waste

You can also decide what happens after your day. You have control of how the waste is sorted and where it goes. Making sure that everything that can possibly be recycled goes to the right place. You can arrange for leftover food to be sent to a local shelter or for your table centres to be taken to a local care home or hospice. Other items you have used can be donated to charity, It really is up to you.

4. Less florals needed as you are surrounded by plants and flowers already

Photo: EKR Pictures

A garden wedding in the UK in summer pretty much guarantees you will have some beautiful natural decor. Greenery in every shade imaginable and colourful British blooms will surround you, negating the need for large expensive and wasteful floral installations. Simply complement this with some small table arrangements and you are set. Whilst using locally grown, British florals is the most sustainable way to include flowers in your day, you can't get anymore local than your garden. String some LED fairy lights or festoons from the trees and bushes and you have the most beautiful setting for your day.

5. You can utilise items from your home rather than buying new

Photo: EKR Pictures

If you are having your wedding at home, why not search the house and garage for items you can incorporate into your day. Not only is this incredibly eco-conscious as they are items you already have, it is also very personal and unique to you and your day. Why not use that dresser that granny left you for the cake or those two heirloom chairs as your own special seats for the day. You can even bring sofas and rugs outside or into the tipi or marquee for that relaxed comfortable feel. Garden furniture, cake stands, bowls and vases. Any items you may otherwise of had to hire or buy, take a look around and see if you have them there already and use them in your day.

'Your Day, Your Way'

Overall it's not hard to see why more and more couples are choosing to get married at home, or a friend or relatives home, rather than a wedding venue. Never has 'Your Day, Your Way' rung more true. And for couples wanting a unique and personal day that doesn't cost the earth, literally, then this is a great option to look into.

If you would like any advice or hints and tips on holding an at home or garden wedding then get in touch at Willow and Rust, I will be more than happy to help!