MarryAbroad.co.uk finds 18% of couples opt for an eco-friendly wedding

THURCASTON, U.K. - June 20, 2013 - PRLog -- With it being National Recycle Week (17-23 June 2013), and following on from Channel 4’s debut of Harry Wallop’s show ‘Something for Nothing’ last night, destination wedding website MarryAbroad.co.uk decided to look at whether couples getting hitched overseas are considering more eco-friendly ceremonies.

Steph Bishop, Site Founder states: “We studied our overseas wedding enquiries over the past six months, and there definitely have been some new eco-trends so far this year for couples.”

Here are those trends:

• 18% of MarryAbroad’s wedding enquiries over the last six months have been for eco-friendly weddings – for example for the ‘agro-tourismo’ countryside wedding, where the environment is considered and the natural environment embraced with outdoor celebrations, over tented or indoor functions.

• MarryAbroad also has seen an overall growth of 15% of more environmentally conscious wedding enquiries over the past year, which specifically requested to minimise excess.

• There were 34% more enquiries for weddings held in Europe, over the rest of the world - to bring down travel costs for guests and keep a low carbon front print.

• Nearly all enquiries for overseas weddings stressed the trip must be affordable for them and not wasteful, with many wedding guest lists including charity gifts and/or carbon offsetting.

• MarryAbroad found that most couples in 2013 already have all the traditional house white goods. Weddings where the guests contribute towards costs on the day are becoming far more popular. By hosting the wedding at a house/villa where everyone can stay, the couple saves on transport costs to and from hotels. More couples want guests to get involved with decorating the venue and participating in preparations for the day.

• 26% more couples are using local/artisan suppliers for weddings, rather than insisting on more mainstream planners and services. More couples are also embracing wedding traditions of the country in which they marry – such as giving sugar coated almond favours in Italy and Greece, or drinking from a two handed cup called the "coup de marriage" to cement their unity in France.

For more information about getting married abroad, please visit http://www.marryabroad.co.uk