Sustainable wedding trends in 2022
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...
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
| Rank | Alternative Rings | Number of pins |
| 1 | Lab-grown diamond with recycled metal band | 57,112 |
| 2 | Pear-cut lab alexandrite vintage-style | 9,805 |
| 3 | Lab-grown petite bubble and breathe band | 8,098 |
| 4 | Natural, conflict-free morganite diamond | 7,166 |
| 5 | Lab-grown diamond | 6,579 |
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
| Rank | Alternative Confetti | Number of Pins |
| 1 | Biodegradable leaf cuttings | 15,431 |
| 2 | Birdseed | 6,110 |
| 3 | Lavender | 2,215 |
| 4 | Flower buds | 2,064 |
| 5 | Flower petals | 1,765 |
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
| Rank | Alternative Favours | Number of Pins |
| 1 | Glass jars of popcorn kernels | 7,357 |
| 2 | Re-useable vintage glasses | 3,453 |
| 3 | Sunflower seeds | 2,710 |
| 4 | Small potted plants | 2,482 |
| 5 | Personalised mugs | 1,540 |
| 6 | Small plants in a shot glass | 997 |
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 Term | Number of Google searches | Trend increase (over 12 months) |
| Biogradeable confetti | 21,810 | 123% |
| Lab-grown diamond ring | 47,640 | 86% |
| Plantable wedding invites | 870 | 63% |
| Sustainable favours | 1,580 | 54% |
| Dried flowers bouquets for wedding | 5,400 | 50% |
| Sustainable wedding decorations | 1,230 | 37% |
| Sustainable wedding decoration | 1,200 | 35% |
