Something Borrowed, Something New: The Ultimate Guide To Sustainable Wedding Accessories
Choosing the right accessories can help to finish off your entire look on your wedding day, and if you want to make more sustainable choices, then you’re in the right place! We’re here to introduce some sustainable ways to choose your wedding accessories, from borrowing meaningful pieces from friends and family to having a fun day of thrifting. After you’ve sorted your wedding dress shopping, it’s time to start thinking about accessories, and we’ve got you covered! Our tips will not only help you look after the planet but also usually save money and provide you with pieces to wear and love for a lifetime.
Ask Friends And Family
Firstly, one of our favourite ways to choose sustainable wedding accessories is to ask your friends and family to borrow pieces. Not only is this sustainable, but it also helps to bring your loved ones into your outfit to make it all the more special. Some people are quite protective over their wedding accessories so don’t take it personally, but you could always ask people! From your veil to jewelry and everything in between, you’d be surprised at how much you can save and also help the planet. Whether you start by asking your parents or grandparents if they have anything lying around, or speaking to friends who have gotten married recently, see what you can find!
Choose Vintage
Another great way to make more sustainable choices with your wedding accessories is to choose vintage. These pieces have already been made and are in need of a home, which is more sustainable than buying new and it prevents perfectly beautiful accessories from going to waste. Vintage jewelry is of course extremely popular and often has a sense of character that new jewelry doesn’t have, plus it’s usually 20% cheaper than identical pieces that are new, as vintage pieces are VAT-exempt.
We’d recommend going to reputable vintage shops for this, to make sure that the pieces you’re buying are authentic. There are also great vintage wedding shops all over the country, and many of the great ones do happen to be in London, so you could make a day or weekend of it and go to pick out your accessories from the vintage shops, then maybe also pick out your fragrance for the day if you don’t already have it. From stunning pearl birdcage veils to stunning jewelry and beautiful vintage bridal bags, vintage accessories will add something beautiful and special to your day.
Buy Accessories That Will Last A Lifetime
If you want to buy something new, then make sure you buy accessories that will last a lifetime. Choose jewelry, a bag and shoes that you will be able to wear again, so you get plenty of wear out of it. A lovely idea is to wear your wedding accessories each year on your anniversary. Of course, you’ll be unlikely to wear your veil again, but we’re talking about the majority of your accessories here!
From your main lobe earrings through to your specific piercings, like tragus earrings, if you have them, then right through to your bracelets, shoes and bag, it’ll be such a special memory to be able to wear and keep your wedding accessories, rather than reserving them for just one day.
Go Thrifting!
Another fun and sustainable way to choose your wedding accessories is to go thrifting! Head out for the day with your fiance and have a look around some thrift shops for your accessories. If you specifically want accessories designed for weddings (rather than just jewelry or white shoes, for example), then often charities or thrift shops will have wedding pop-ups, selling everything from dresses to suits through to plenty of accessories. You’ll save money, rehome some stunning accessories, save money and also have a fun day out with your fiance.
Rent Your Accessories
If vintage options aren’t really your thing, then another good thing to consider is renting your accessories! You are participating in the shared clothing economy, and if you wanted to wear something super bridal but didn’t want to buy brand new and never have the chance to wear your accessories again, then this is the perfect solution.
It takes a lot of material to make wedding accessories, so you’re certainly helping the environment, plus you can access the accessories you want for a fraction of the price of what you’d usually pay. This is such a simple solution but can make a big difference to your environmental impact and also to how much money you are able to save!
Final Thoughts
We hope we’ve shown you that you can achieve all of your dreams when it comes to your wedding accessories, without it having a huge impact on the environment or your bank balance! Many of our tips also help to ensure that you can make the most of your wedding accessories for a lifetime, not just on your big day.
