For Responsible Businesses
Becoming a Sustainable Wedding Supplier
The latest from the Conscious Vault
Greening Your Workspace: Sustainable Office Practices for Wedding Businesses
Want to make your wedding business more sustainable? This article offers practical tips on reducing waste, conserving energy, and building a culture of environmental responsibility at work. Discover how to go green and create a positive impact on the planet, your team, and your bottom line.
Monitoring and Reducing Waste During Busy Wedding Seasons
Overcome waste woes during peak wedding season! This article explores how wedding businesses can monitor and reduce waste with a simple system. Discover practical tips, data-driven strategies, and the benefits of joining the Sustainable Wedding Alliance for ongoing support.
Building a Sustainable Wedding Business in the UK: A Continuous Journey
The wedding industry, while steeped in tradition and romance, isn't immune to the winds of change. Consumers are increasingly conscious of their environmental impact, and this shift is shaking things up for wedding businesses across the UK.
Don’t Wait Until After the “I Do’s”: Why Join the Sustainable Wedding Alliance Now?
Wedding season is nearly here! Don't miss out on attracting conscious couples in 2024. Join the Sustainable Wedding Alliance for tools, resources & a thriving community to make your business a sustainability leader.
Conserving Your Bottom Line and the Environment: Water Efficiency in the UK Wedding Industry
The UK wedding industry can significantly reduce its environmental impact and operational costs by prioritising water efficiency. This article explores practical tips for wedding businesses of all sizes to implement water-saving practices.
Stepping Down the Sustainable Aisle: Gen Z Redefines the Wedding Landscape
Gen Z couples are redefining weddings with a focus on sustainability, authenticity, and personalised experiences. Expect eco-friendly attire, local suppliers, and ceremonies that reflect unique love stories.
Making the most of the Sustainable Wedding Summit
The Sustainable Wedding Summit is all about action. So, to help you make the most of the day we’ve put together our top tips for the event.
Embracing Sustainable Procurement in the Wedding Industry: A Practical Guide
This article provides a comprehensive guide for wedding businesses to embrace sustainable procurement practices, outlining the benefits, challenges, and practical steps to achieve a more environmentally and socially responsible supply chain.
Embracing the Conscious Wedding: The Future of Sustainable Venues in the UK
Couples are increasingly looking for conscious wedding venues, but what is a sustainable wedding venue and how can you become one?
Applying for the Sustainable Wedding Awards: A boost for small wedding businesses in the UK
Business awards are a great way for small businesses in the UK to showcase their achievements, gain recognition, and boost their growth. Are you ready to apply for the Sustainable Wedding Awards?
Decarbonise your digital storage
The digital world is a major contributor to climate change. By making small changes to our digital habits, we can make a big difference for the environment. But how?
Making volunteering work for your wedding business
Volunteering is a great way for wedding businesses in the UK to make a positive impact in their local community while also maximising team engagement. We've put together our tips for making team volunteering a success.
Wedding Businesses: Saving Water in the Workplace
Water is an invaluable natural resource, yet it is astonishing how much of it goes to waste. It's crucial for wedding businesses to recognise the significance of water conservation and take action to reduce their water usage.
What is the Sustainable Wedding Alliance Accreditation?
We are proud to have developed the Sustainable Wedding Alliance Accreditation, the first of its kind. Setting the standard for businesses in the wedding industry.
Why should a wedding venue invest in renewable energy?
It's no secret that venues up and down the country have been struggling with energy prices this year. What if you could invest in generating your own electricity - and it was good for the planet too?
The financial benefits of becoming a sustainable wedding venue
In 2023, with the cost of living crisis, economic uncertainty and the lag from Covid, going green as a wedding venue isn't just about the planet, it's about balancing people, profit and planet.
The main causes of food waste at a wedding and what to do about it as a wedding venue
We explore the main causes of food waste at a wedding and what to do about it as a wedding venue. Bring costs down and have a positive environmental impact.
2024 Wedding Trends – How To Make Them Sustainable
2024 wedding trends – how to make them sustainable. Whether you are a wedding supplier/vendor looking to get ahead of what is on the horizon for your 2024 couples, or you are a couple getting married in 2024 and want to know what is hot right now...
Are you greenhushing your wedding business? Why you shouldn’t – and how to promote your sustainability credentials ethically in the wedding industry
"Green hushing" refers to the practice of a company or individual downplaying or hiding their environmentally-friendly practices or sustainability credentials. We explore how you can ethically promote your sustainability credentials without losing your core purpose or identity.
How can a wedding venue reduce costs while being eco-friendly?
With the economic uncertainty and cost of living putting increasing pressure on the wedding industry in general, a lot of wedding venues are looking to lower costs. There are several ways a wedding venue can lower costs while having a positive environmental impact. In this guide we have put together some ideas for you to explore.
10 of the biggest causes of waste for a wedding venue
Waste is high on the agenda for most of the hospitality industry, so we put together the 10 biggest causes of waste for a wedding venue so that you can audit and review what is going on at your venue.
A wedding suppliers guide to introducing sustainability to your couples
If you are a business operating in the wedding industry and have a commitment to being eco-friendly, then this wedding suppliers guide to introducing sustainability to your couples should help you with that tricky task of getting your clients on the same page.
Guardians of Grub: Feed the bottom line, not the bin
With prices rising, the Guardians of Grub are here to help cash-strapped businesses reduce wasted food and protect profits. Eleanor Morris, Hospitality and Food Service Specialist at WRAP tells how we can reduce food waste at weddings.
30 ways a wedding supplier can be more eco-friendly
If you work in the wedding industry you will know that there is increasing need for intervention when it comes to the carbon impact that weddings produce. We've put together 30 ways a wedding supplier can be more eco-friendly now.
What is a sustainability policy and does my business need one?
A Sustainability Policy outlines your commitment towards ethical and environmental practices and procedures within your business. But where do you start when creating one?
Why is it important for your wedding venue to be sustainable now?
It's no secret that climate change is here, it's real and we are all feeling the effects. But why should your venue become more sustainable and how? There are many ways your venue can improve its sustainability right now - it's about progress, not perfection.
10 ways that the Sustainable Wedding Alliance can help your business
These 10 ways that the sustainable wedding alliance can help your business will give you an overview of how our organisation can help you become more sustainable in the wedding industry.
What is biodiversity and how does it affect you and your business?
It's a word that we have all become increasingly aware of, but what does it mean and how does it affect you and your business?
Is your wedding business Green Claims Code compliant?
It's no secret that some (pretty big) businesses, over the last year, have received pretty big fine for misleading claims over their products. It's not enough to just say that products are sustainable, eco friendly, green etc... it the responsibility of the businesses making claims about their sustainability to provide more transparency, and avoid greenwashing.
What is net zero and how do you achieve it?
We’ve all heard the term net zero, but what exactly does it mean? Put simply, net zero refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere.
Wedding vendors want change: Altared co-founder Elisabeth Kramer shares one option
Beth talks to us about Altared, an inclusive global group of wedding professionals working to make our industry better, for our clients, coworkers and ourselves.
A wedding suppliers guide to introducing sustainability into your business
If you are a wedding supplier looking to introduce sustainable practises into your business, then this is the guide for you. With more couples putting sustainability as a priority when planning their wedding celebration, 2023 is definitely the year to think about your ethical credentials.
How to make your wedding venue more sustainable
Sustainability is becoming a real priority for conscious couples in 2023, so if you’ve been wondering how to make your wedding venue more sustainable, this guide will give you the definitive list of considerations that will benefit your business and the planet.
5 quick ways to make weddings more sustainable without sacrificing your couples experience
If you want to introduce sustainability to your couples as a wedding supplier, then these five quick ways to make weddings more sustainable without sacrificing your couples experience are a great place to start.
The key sustainability trends in 2023 that every wedding supplier needs on their radar
More and more couples are looking to make sustainable choices when it comes to their wedding celebration, so were put together the key sustainability trends in 2023 that every wedding supplier needs on their radar, so that you can help your couples – and the planet too!
What can you do to save water at work?
Water is probably our most valuable natural resource. The average wastage of water per person is over 1,000 litres a week! Scaling this up to your business could mean thousands of litres of water is being wasted. We explore what can you do to reduce your water consumption.
Celebrate our Guardians of Grub during Food Waste Action Week 2022
Hospitality and food service professionals can save food, money and the planet by keeping food from being wasted this March. Be part of #lovefoodhatewaste week 7-13th March 2022
Time to talk food waste and what to do about it
If you’ve not heard of Guardians of Grub yet, you soon will. It’s the latest initiative from the people behind Love Food Hate Waste, that’s helping the Hospitality and Food Service industry tackle the £3.2billion of wasted food we chuck into the bin every year.
Is your comms strategy ready for the new Green Claims Code?
Businesses making claims about their sustainability will have to provide more transparency to avoid greenwashing, as new ‘Green Claims’ guidance comes into force in January. Is your business green claims code ready?
How can you make your small business more sustainable?
Understand what you can do to have a positive impact on the environment. It's not just about saving the planet, it's great for your brand reputation and bottom line too!
Speakers for the Sustainable Wedding Summit 2021 announced
Join us for the first Sustainable Wedding Summit on Thursday 6th May and find out what you can do to make your business more sustainable. The event will be taking place virtually with speakers and live Q&A.
What is Earth Day and how can you be part of the change?
On 22nd April we celebrate Earth Day. This year, the theme is "Restore our Earth". Earth Day events will be taking place online, across the world, with up to 1 billion people getting involved across more than 190 nations.
What is Sustainability?
Sustainability can mean different things to different people, but in the context of your business, what does it mean to you? To develop a sustainable business you need to think about meeting your current business and clients needs, whilst protecting the environment and resources for the future.
What can we do to tackle food waste in the wedding industry?
For the majority of weddings, after travel, food waste is the one of the highest contributors to GHG. But what can we do to reduce food waste in the industry? #GuardiansOfGrub #LoveFoodHateWaste
Be a business with sustainability at it’s heart
Ethical Foundations
By becoming a sustainable wedding supplier you will build ethical foundations in your business which have significant brand benefits which transcend just the planet saving considerations. You will work with ethics in your supply chain, you’ll develop policies and processes which take into account the community and your team and you will create a foundation for your brand that will attract and convert your ideal clients, allowing for consistent business growth.
Green Practices
It is time for wedding suppliers to think beyond just ditching the plastic. At the Sustainable Wedding Alliance we support members with adopting green practices through a thorough framework that takes into account all of the touchpoints of your business and the impact that you have on the environment. By becoming a sustainable wedding supplier you will be able to adopt green practices into your business that are sustainable for you as well as the planet. We are business owners ourselves and understand the need to balance purpose, profit and the planet. It is journey that your business needs to go on, not a tick box exercise and that is where our passion lies – supporting you with that journey.
Special Experiences
Business Growth
With over 90% of couples saying that sustainability is a factor they consider when choosing who they work with for their wedding, becoming a sustainable wedding supplier represents an opportunity for business growth in a very saturated sector. By developing your ethical credentials and building your brand around greener practices, you will be able to carve out a unique niche that will attract new clients and create raving fans for your brand for years to come.
We’ve developed the Carbon Literacy Training for Wedding Professionals, a course that’s specifically designed for those working in the wedding industry. The course will give you the knowledge and the tools you need to be confident when talking about climate change. The course will take you from the basics of climate science, and what is happening with the climate emergency; through to how this will impact everyone, enabling you to pledge relevant carbon reducing actions in your life, work & industry.
We host both in person and online sessions, designed for those working in the wedding industry. It’s the perfect course for businesses and individuals that want to make a positive change and take action on climate change through their role.
On successful completion of your Carbon Literacy training, after submitting your actions, you can become certified as ‘Carbon Literate’, joining more than 70,000+ others, and including business leaders across multiple sectors. By taking part in this course, you will join individuals and team members across other businesses including the NHS, Patagonia and the BBC to become ‘Carbon Literate’, helping to embed a widespread low-carbon culture.
After completing the course, you’ll be required to complete a Participant Evidence form which will then be sent to the Carbon Literacy Project for approval. Once the form has been approved you will receive your certificate.
The course is £80 per person plus a £10 certificate fee. The course is free for Sustainable Wedding Alliance Members.
We also offer group training, so if you have a team, or want to bring a group together to do the training, please let us know and we can arrange a date for you.
What our members say…
“The Sustainable Wedding Alliance have completely changed my business. I became a sustainable wedding supplier in 2019 but had only just scratched the surface until I became an SWA member in December 2021. They have taught me to dig deep down into my business processes and pin point every aspect of where I can improve my sustainability with a fine tooth comb and I’m not only a better business woman but a better person because of it. I have learned how to communicate my efforts without Greenwashing and make changes that will not only be good for the environment and the world around us but good for business too.
The community that SWA have built means that I always have colleagues with a similar ethos to myself to bounce ideas off, celebrate our wins and speak candidly about the times when things don’t go to plan! They’ve built a safe space where you aren’t judged or penalised but educated and encouraged.
The support from the SWA team is second to none. Always at the end of a zoom call or email and always prepared to answer our questions or help us with research. Taking time to support us with our action plans or just catching up with our community.
I am very grateful for the Sustainable Wedding Alliance and honoured to be a member. I can’t wait to see what they will be able to achieve in the Wedding Industry once they’re completely global. So exciting that I get to be a small part of it. The Sustainable Wedding Alliance is the platform that the Wedding Industry needs right now, all over the world.” Mercedes, 4YaParty Weddings and Events
