I’ve just been asked to be a bridesmaid for the first time in my life, so you can imagine how excited I am. My sister is getting married and wants all three of her sisters at her side on her big day. I’m thrilled, and have got weddings on my mind. I was thinking how easy it would be to make a few tweaks to a wedding to lower its carbon footprint, and save you some money in the process.

1. Keep it local: having the ceremony close to where the majority of guests will be coming from with save a whole lot of travel (and the resultant carbon emissions).

2. Alternative invites: send email invitations, or at the very least make sure that your invites are made of recycled card.

3. What to wear: forget about remortgaging to be able to afford that designer wedding dress. How about buying a second hand dress (heck, it’s most likely only been worn once) and have it updated, or if you must have new, then source one from of the ever increasing number of eco-wedding dress designers. Dresses and grooms oufits could also be hired. And don’t forget about the rings. Conflict-free diamonds are easier to find these days, or buy a vintage ring and have it revamped, recycled gold is far more eco-friendly than if it’s freshly mined.

4. The wedding feast: source locally produced food in season, and forget the booze cruise. There are plenty of organic and Fairtrade wines available these days.

5. Ethical honeymoons: start as you mean to go on! If you’re insistent on the far-flung destination, make sure you offset your carbon emissions. If you really want to make a difference on your honeymoon, choose a British destination that you can drive to, or a European one that you can take the train to.