Eco-chic and ethical weddings are all the rage these days, and increasing numbers of wedding organisers are taking steps to lessen their ecological footprints, and help protect the planet for future generations.

The following information and images have been kindly supplied by Folly Farm

So what can you do? Well, start off by thinking through the ecological impact of everything needed for the wedding, then make the greenest choices you feel you can. Here are a few pointers…

Firstly, choose a green venue which runs an externally approved environmental management system and has a range of green and ethical features. There are venues which have a wide range of eco features, including wood-powered central heating, solar hot water, and rainwater recycling systems.

Send out your wedding invitations using recycled stationery, or by e-mail. And when it comes to wedding gifts, do you really need that new gadget? How about giving a few of your guests the choice of making a donation to charity instead?

Then there’s the food and drink. Try choosing local, seasonal and organic menus, and organic drinks. When it comes to organic wine, there’s a very good choice these days, and prices tend to be very reasonable. Go for English and other European wines, to cut your wine miles.

Don’t forget to look at transport - arrange group transfers to the venue, to cut polluting transport to a minimum. If you have groups of guests turning up at a nearby transport hub, the venue will sometimes arrange transfers for you, at cost, or even as part of the package. Encourage your guests to use public transport wherever possible.

And when it comes to that all important wedding ring - if you’re buying new, try finding something made from fair trade gold or silver, and make sure you avoid conflict diamonds. Once the all important ceremony is over, you could ask your guests throw only biodegradable confetti.