A wedding day is about celebrating the love between two people. It can also be an incredible opportunity to give back. Here are six ways to utilise your wedding day for the greater good.
1. Swap presents for donations
Rather than ringing up an expensive registry, ask guests to donate to a charity of your choice. This action is two-fold. A wedding registry may contain items that are financially unviable for some guests. Rather than unknowingly putting them under financial pressure, a donation allows them to dictate the amount they are able to spend. Whether it’s a local animal welfare organisation or charity, any bit goes a long way. Asking for donations rather than presents is a selfless way of giving back.
2. Go as green as you can
An eco-friendly wedding is one way to ensure you give back to Mother Nature. You can opt for a full, off-the-grid wedding or you can incorporate eco-friendly elements. Choose a venue that operates on solar power, that way you know you won’t be burning any unnecessary fossil fuels on your special day. Opt for a cruelty-free caterer, one the works in close proximity to the venue would be ideal. This ensures your wedding has a decreased carbon footprint. Serve vegan alcohol. There are a variety of vegan wines available in South Africa, along with other spirits for when the party get started. For other ways to go green, read here.
3. Before your wedding day, take the bridal party on a charitable outing
Yes the pre-wedding build up is always an eventful time. We aren’t suggesting cancelling your boozy bachelorette or bachelors. Rather, get both the parties involved for a day of doing good. Help out at a soup kitchen, work in a community garden or help out at an animal shelter for one day before the wedding. It’s a brilliant way for everyone to bond and spend some quality time together before the big day.
4. Swap favours for plants
Rather than handing out thank-you favours at the end of your wedding, send everyone home with a plant. Succulents make for excellent parting gifts. They are so easy to grow and require very little maintenance. These plants are brilliant for the environment because they don’t need that much water to survive. Succulents such as the desert rose, spekboom, jade plant, jelly bean plant, zebra plant, Echeveria ‘Raindrops’ and Aeonium haworthii ‘Tricolor’ are all examples of hassle-free plants.
View this post on Instagram
5. Ensure your vendors source locally and ethically
You’re going to be throwing a lot of money into your wedding day, make sure it lines the pockets of those who really need it rather than a massive corporate that doesn’t really need the sale. By selecting vendors who source locally and ethically, you’ll be helping to build a small business. In South Africa there are so many creative entrepreneurs who are overlooked for the larger companies. Choose your vendors wisely and take some extra time to see what else is out there.
Image: Unsplash
