Eco weddings are a trend I can't wait to welcome to South Africa. I spent a year abroad in the U.S. and it is definitely a "blooming" trend abroad. I wish, however, this were the case in South Africa, and more specifically Bloemfontein. If you are in the more modern, liberal and metropolitan parts of our country you will find more consciousness about our sustainability as a nation. Unfortunately there are a few reasons people are holding back from embracing the world of sustainable floristry.
The biggest reason, I think, is the cost involved with going completely green. And the fact that no one can ever be, completely green. I have in my best efforts come nowhere near eliminating my carbon footprint. It is simply expensive to live a guilt free life. One of the most used and cheapest materials for wedding design is a little green cube I think we should globally ban... Floral Foam! Though many companies and distributors of this product are putting in efforts to minimize the effect this product has on our planet, it simply isn't good enough! Floral foam is a micro-plastic, this means when things like paper or glass can be recycled and are perishable when exposed to our natural elements over a long period of time, floral foam will still be with us! Micro plastics never really go away, they just break into tiny fragments that will be on this planet for a very long time. Why have something at your wedding that will be more memorable to the soil beneath your arch, photobooth or brides table, than your actual wedding? Not only are products made from micro plastics, like floral foam and glitter, non biodegradable, they also happen to be toxic most of the time. Why do we keep using this product for luscious table runners filled with penny gum and peonies? It is simply handy, cheap and accessible. There are however many alternatives and many ways to have a guilt free wedding with a budget.
I support the eco-friendly trend in the hopes that one day it will be so much more than a trend, I want sustainable floristry to be the norm! I Hope that the industry itself sees a big shift in our mindsets regarding the wastage, the carbon footprint and the unhealthy products we use both in and on our products.
Why does the origin of my flowers matter?
I would say the best flowers to use for an eco-friendly wedding are in season, locally grown and organically certified! Though organically grown flowers aren't very big yet, seeing as most florists get their flowers imported, through the markets, there are a lot of things your florist can do to ensure the flowers at your wedding don't get any added toxicants. Why should I worry if my flowers are grown locally? Take in account the massive productions taking place in for instance Kenya or The Netherlands, thousands of flowers being harvested daily, supplying to entire countries, having to ensure they grow enough for every order! Keeping up with the demand is a stressful job, what helps alleviate the stress is knowing that animals, insects and weather can't affect your multimillion dollar salary every month. Controlling the heat and coolness of blooms with artificial UV and cooling systems, using toxic pesticides to ensure there is no damage to their crop and then last but not least, shipping your flowers by at least 6 times by road and usually an average of 3 times by plane. There is also the problem that not all florists live near one of the flower markets, we then have to order bulk orders, to eliminate chances of shortage or costs of travel and can not see the condition of the flowers before a purchase, the biggest problem with this is the wastage. So many blooms get thrown out all over the world by a florist who lives too far to keep buying stock as they need it.
This might seem like I am doing myself and the industry a great injustice by shedding a light on all the things we do wrong daily in the industry, but I can assure you there are still reasons to support your local florist, have blooms at your wedding and enjoy the good moments with lovely botany and a guilt free smile... Just do your homework.
How do we do it?
Our store uses no single use plastic or floral foam for events or everyday sales, we source most of our flowers from local growers in the Free State and try to avoid mass produced fresh cuts. When wrapping our flowers we use absolutely no plastics, we generally use a big variety of papers to make beautifully shaped bunches. We utilize most of our cuts including what most shops would consider waste, extra blooms or greenery get dried or pressed, we use cut off pieces of our stems to wrap our bunches or hang our art products in store, we use our leaves to make eco-friendly confetti and any excess petals get used for those romantic walkways and bed spreads! Instead of floral foam we use chicken wire, eco friendly tape and self made recycled structures. Buying from local growers not only helps the community, it also means we can buy as we need and we don't have so much waste every week.
Your wedding is one of the best days of your life... Making it a long life for you and our future generations, is something I hope we will all one day take in to consideration when planning our next events! Choose a wildlife conservation resort for your outdoor wedding, use succulents and locally grown flowers, check your attendance before ordering your food, loose the glitter and make sure your beautiful floral structures are standing on a grateful soil!