Got something to celebrate? Congratulations! Everyone needs a good party from time to time. In fact, according to the University of Basel, it is part of the “basic form of human behaviour” and found “in all societies”. Silver wedding anniversary, graduation party… Here you can find out how to celebrate sustainably and which venues are suitable.
After all, a party in the middle of nowhere may sound environmentally friendly, but calculations show that the ecological footprint is significantly smaller if you choose a sustainable venue (such as a Green PearlsⓇ accommodation) where all the necessary equipment is already available. What’s more, real professionals are there to help you plan. They will help you choose the food, drinks, music, photographer and organise the various activities.
Things to consider when planning a party
You probably already know what you want to celebrate. The next question is: how many people will you invite? We recommend that you leave the list of names open for a few days and discuss it with others. Don’t forget somebody special! (And if you invite X, you have to invite Y, and suddenly you have ten more people!)
So, as starting points, you now have
– the occasion
– the (approximate) number of guests (adults & children) and
– the date, or several possible dates.
Now come the next considerations.
How big should the venue for my event be?
Event planners and caterers have to comply with various regulations, such as how many people can be accommodated in how many square meters, how many emergency exits there must be, etc. When you book with a professional, this planning step is conveniently taken care of. If you are not sure how many guests you will have, many venues have several rooms available.
The Naturresort Schindelbruch in the southern Harz region of Saxony-Anhalt offers eight different rooms, two restaurants, an outdoor location in the forest (up to 100 people) and the Löschenberg Hut (up to 20 people). According to the nature resort, there is always the right space for celebrations “between 4 and 100 people”.
Outdoors & indoors
When the weather is nice, people like to be outside – but the program items such as speeches, photo shows, cabaret are usually better realized indoors. A mix is best.
At Gut Sonnenhausen, south of Munich, for example, you can have dinner in the former stud farm, which is under a preservation order, and then dance outside in the curving driveway. “We get wonderful feedback from our guests,” says Gut Sonnenhausen. What makes them special, they say, is that they hold celebrations that are “not so mainstream, but very natural, kitsch-free and loving”.
Program and breaks
The balance between a fixed program and free organization is a tricky one. On the one hand, your guests will be happy to have something “offered” to them at your party, but on the other hand, people also want to use the time to talk.
Childcare
In our experience, it always goes down well if the children have their own room/area. You can put out coloring books and toys, and perhaps you can organize two capable teenagers from your circle of friends to look after them, or even book an extra activity such as a magician.
Media support
If you want to enjoy beautiful photos and maybe even a video afterward, you need to plan this beforehand. Either hire a professional or appoint someone who feels responsible for photographing all the guests and preparing the pictures accordingly (download link, Instagram story, photo book, etc.).
Here’s how to celebrate sustainably: 5 tips
#1 Sustainable travel
Send directions with the invitation and find out how your guests can get to and from the event by public transport.
#2 Sustainable invitation
Many people think that sending an email uses less carbon dioxide than sending an invitation by post. But this isn’t necessarily true. A standard domestic letter consumes around 20 grams of CO2. According to Carbon Literacy, a short email to a mobile phone or laptop uses only 0.03 grams BUT a more elaborate email uses 26 grams of CO2! Especially for weddings, we can understand if you don’t want to do without a nice, real card. But you can make sure you use recycled paper and choose an eco-friendly printer.
#3 Sustainable decor
It doesn’t always have to be garlands and balloons. At Keemala, a Thai villa resort in Phuket, for example, they go to great lengths to ensure that weddings and other celebrations are completely plastic-free. Instead, they decorate with local flowers. (Picking these is of course not really sustainable either, but at least free of plastic, pollutants and CO2 emissions compared to imported glitter garlands.)
#4 Sustainable tableware
As mentioned above, there are many environmental benefits to choosing a sustainable venue for your party. Dishes and cutlery are already provided. Not only will you avoid using disposable tableware, but it will also look much better.
At Landgut Stober, about 20 km west of Berlin, you “can meet, get married and celebrate sustainably”, true to the hotel’s motto. Landgut Stober is carbon-neutral and serves only certified organic food. However, you won’t notice any “eco-image” here. Everything is professional, elegant and chic! You can choose from a variety of rooms and there is also a competent service to help you with programs or live music.
#5 Avoid noise and light pollution
Gut Guntrams, near Vienna, says: “We make sure that the party is not too noisy and that there are no more lights on at night than necessary.” You may not be aware of it, but light pollution has other negative effects on nature besides energy consumption. For example, night-time lighting upsets the balance between diurnal, twilight and nocturnal animals.
At Gut Guntrams, the reflection on naturalness goes down well. “The rush of guests to celebrate weddings and birthdays at Gut Guntrams is great,” they report.
Sustainable weddings – romantic hideaways
Our Green PearlsⓇ partners cater for everything from reunions to theme parties. However, weddings are the most popular.
For intimate weddings, you can hire the hall and chefs at A’Cràpa Mangia in Italy. As the apartments are right by the sea, you’ll have a wonderful backdrop for beach wedding photos.
In Balderschwang, Germany, at 1,044 meters above sea level, is the HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio Allgäu. The spa and wellness hotel offers bridal couples individual advice. If you like, you can even get married here – under the 2,000-year-old yew tree with a view of the mountains.
Das Rübezahl – Romantic Hideaway & Boutique Spa in Schwangau, Germany, is another professional wedding venue. Not only does it have direct views of Neuschwanstein Castle, but it also has many romantic specials for bridal couples. These include a horse-drawn carriage ride and a private spa suite.
For an exotic wedding location in Bali, Thailand or the Seychelles, have a look at our blog post on extraordinary locations for your dream wedding:
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