17 Eco-friendly ways to style a barn wedding

We’re all trying hard to make the world a better place right now. From making small, green swaps in our everyday lives to taking big steps towards being more eco-friendly, the environment is high on everyone’s list of priorities. With that in mind, you’ll be happy to hear that it’s super simple to plan a gorgeously green wedding day. Here are some brilliantly sustainable suggestions for decorations and details and they’re all perfect for a beautiful barn wedding.

 

1. Create your own upcycled wedding signage. Old wooden pallets make excellent signs – all they need is a little paint (eco-friendly, of course) and a little time and you’ll have a great decoration to welcome your guests.

2. Think about your wedding stationery. Aim to work with a stationer who uses recycled or sustainably produced papers and natural dyes. Cut down on waste by skipping individual menus in favour of one large display menu that everyone can see.

3. Give favours that are good for the environment. Packets of wildflower seeds are easy for everyone to sow when they get home or in winter, bird seedhearts are a great alternative.

4. Make a living table plan with pots of flowers, plants or herbs and add sticks giving everyone their seating assignments. Remember to make sure that the plants are taken home once the celebrations are over. Nothing need be wasted!

5. Plan your decorations so that they can be used throughout your day. Move your ceremony decorations to your wedding breakfast for example to cut down on waste and encourage guests to take flowers home at the end of the night – provide brown paper and string for them to wrap their blooms in.

6. Choose seasonal flowers and, if you can, go for British-grown blooms to avoid the crazy carbon emissions of air-freighting. You’ll be surprised at what’s available, even in winter, and your florist will be able to help with suggestions.

7. For autumn weddings, make your own confetti from fallen leaves. With a shaped punch, you can easily make something super personal. Then, simply twist squares of brown paper to make your own confetti cones.

8. Hire rather than buy wherever possible. This means that you won’t be left with lots of things to throw away after your wedding plus a hire company will be able to suggest lots of ace touches for your day.

9. Table plans also look great on blackboards, mirrors and even old windows. You’ll find lots of ideas and tutorials online if you want to make your own.

10. Keep everything as natural as possible. For example, use fabric or papers to create brilliant backdrops for your wedding rather than using gas-filled balloons that can only be used once.

Green ideas for your wedding tables

11. The decorations on your wedding tables definitely bring the wow-factor to your wedding breakfast. From flowers to linens, there are so many ways that you can include lots of eco-friendly details on your tables.

12. Go green with your table centres. You can reuse old bottles or cans as alternative vases or used potted plants and flowers that guests can take home after the big day.

13. Try to avoid using floral foam in your decorations. This non-recyclable material breaks down to release microplastics and is definitely not an eco-friendly choice. Instead, opt for foam-free designs for a natural, organic look that’s perfect for barn weddings.

14. Hessian table runners bring a really rustic look to your wedding and, best of all, this fabric lasts for years and is 100% biodegradable.

15. Get creative with your place cards and go for something natural. We love leafy place cards with each guest’s name handwritten on a pretty leaf.

16. Think about using alternative props on your tables. You can pick up vintage books, vases, models and retro games cheaply at a charity shop and then return them there after the big day.

17. Use frames to hold your table numbers and then after your wedding, you can fill these with photos from your day!

For more fabulous planning advice, don’t miss all this great advice from real brides and we definitely recommend all of these exceptional wedding suppliers, all of whom love Rivervale Barn. If you’d like to start planning your very own barn wedding, come and visit us! We’d love to show you everything that Rivervale has to offer.