Sustainable wedding trends in 2022

florist creating bouquet of dried flowers

With the world becoming more conscious of its own environmental impact, it's no wonder that sustainable weddings have been growing in popularity over the years. The alternative can also be a lot cheaper helping to make your wedding more affordable as well as eco-friendly.
A new study by Money.co.uk has revealed the most popular sustainable wedding trends on Pinterest, which could be helping save both the environment and your bank account. From sustainable confetti and invites, to rings, decorations and favours here's exactly what sustainable wedding inspiration people are saving and searching for in preparation for their big day...

hand with a morganite

Sustainable wedding ring was the most pinned item found in our study, saved 57,112 times. Not only are lab-grown diamonds more environmentally friendly, but they also average 40-50% less expensive than mined diamonds, instantly bringing the cost of your wedding down significantly.

In the past 12 months, the study has found that searches for 'lab-grown diamond ring' have increased by 86%. Meanwhile, more specific searches for 'lab-grown diamond engagement ring' have increased by 179%, highlighting how people are becoming more conscious of their impact on the environment when it comes to planning for their big moment. Other sustainable options found in our study include conflict-free rings, ethical rings and vintage rings - all much better for the environment and usually cheaper!

Sustainable Wedding Rings

RankAlternative RingsNumber of pins
1Lab-grown diamond with recycled metal band57,112
2Pear-cut lab alexandrite vintage-style9,805
3Lab-grown petite bubble and breathe band8,098
4Natural, conflict-free morganite diamond7,166
5Lab-grown diamond6,579

leaves in a paper cones in a white crate

Searches for 'biodegradable confetti' have increased by 123% over the past twelve months, more specifically 'biodegradable confetti for weddings' has increased by 222%!

Whilst showering the newlyweds with colourful confetti may seem fun, it can actually be detrimental to the environment and can take nearly 1,000 years to break down, according to some experts. Leaf cuttings are a trending alternative however has been pinned 15,431 times and only requires a hole punch (which you could pick up for as little as £1) and leaves, making it the most popular and sustainable alternative for confetti as well as one of the cheapest.

Sustainable Wedding Confetti

RankAlternative ConfettiNumber of Pins
1Biodegradable leaf cuttings15,431
2Birdseed6,110
3Lavender2,215
4Flower buds2,064
5Flower petals1,765

mini potted succulent favours

Glass jars of popcorn kernels came out on top in our study for sustainable wedding favours, being saved 7357 times on Pinterest. Glassware is a great sustainable material due to being fully recyclable, thus making it a perfect eco-friendly wedding favor option.

However, if this isn't to your taste why not offer reusable vintage glasses which you can take home after the wedding or shot glasses, ranking 2nd and 6th in our sustainable alternatives study. Another great option for the environment is plants. Plants dominated our top sustainable wedding favours including sunflower seeds, a small potted plant, or, the best of both worlds, a small plant in a shot glass.

Sustainable Wedding Favours

RankAlternative FavoursNumber of Pins
1Glass jars of popcorn kernels7,357
2Re-useable vintage glasses3,453
3Sunflower seeds2,710
4Small potted plants2,482
5Personalised mugs1,540
6Small plants in a shot glass997

hanging circle garland with dried flower decoration and hanging ribbon

Dried flowers were the most pinned sustainable wedding decoration found in our study - saved 5124 times! Our study showed that searches for 'dried flower bouquets for wedding' increased by 50% over the past year as well. These are a far more cost-effective option as well as environmentally friendly as they conserve water, energy and are biodegradable.

Ideas such as using tree stumps or logs as cake stands came in second place in our Pinterest study, being saved 3041 times, whilst flowers in recycled glass bottles came in third, being saved 2736 times. Overall, searches for 'sustainable wedding decorations' have increased by 35% in the past twelve months.

All of these options could help reduce the amount of money being spent on your wedding through recycling existing bottles or drying your own flowers and will help reduce excess waste created through weddings.

Sustainable Weddings Search Trends

Search TermNumber of Google searchesTrend increase (over 12 months)
Biogradeable confetti21,810123%
Lab-grown diamond ring47,64086%
Plantable wedding invites87063%
Sustainable favours1,58054%
Dried flowers bouquets for wedding5,40050%
Sustainable wedding decorations1,23037%
Sustainable wedding decoration1,20035%

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