Green Weddings

Wedding season is upon us and if you’re a lucky bride or groom this year, why not start creating the world that you want to share with your partner by creating an environmentally friendly wedding celebration. When you consider there are almost 2.5 million weddings per year in the United States, you can see that the impact they have on the earth is significant. The good news is you have an opportunity to make a difference as you plan your green wedding! By making just a few earth friendly choices you can lessen the environmental footprint your wedding has and truly make a difference.

You don’t have to sacrifice style and elegance to have a green wedding. The best part is that you can take small eco-conscious steps as you plan your special day, or you can go all out! It’s totally up to you. Make choices that fit in with your beliefs and values and you’ll be sure to have a very special and memorable day.

Here are some green wedding tips to consider:

Location

- Hold the ceremony and reception at the same location to cut down on transportation carbon emissions.

- Plan an outdoor ceremony and reception in a location that’s special to you. This will add natural beauty to your celebration and remind you and your guests the importance of being environmentally responsible.

Guest List
- Keep your guest list to a minimum to reduce the impact it has on the planet. You might find it more affordable and enjoyable to get to spend more time with a smaller group of close family and friends.

Catering
- Renting dishes, glasses, silverware, and cloth napkins adds a touch of class and elegance to any celebration as well as reduces excess waste created by disposable items.
- If you do use disposable tableware make sure to select biodegradable ones.
- Choose caterers who use locally grown food that’s in season. This helps support local farmers and cuts down on toxic waste created by shipping in foreign food.
- Opt for organic and vegetarian meal options for even less environmental impact.
- Ask your caterer if they can deliver any left over food to a local charity.

Flowers
- Choose a local florist that uses flowers grown on local/organic farms. By avoiding imported flowers you can cut down on toxic chemicals and pesticides.
- Check your local farmers market for seasonal wildflowers that you can turn into your own affordable bouquets and table arrangements.
- Use potted plants as centerpieces instead of cut flowers. These can double as favors and be taken home by guests to plant and enjoy at their homes.

Invitations
- Choose tree free or recycled paper for your wedding invitations to reduce chemical waste and save trees. Check out www.green-wedding.net for a wide variety of invitations.
- There are so many styles available that you can get the look of a traditional invitation in a non-traditional, eco-friendly way by using vegetable and soy based inks printed on rice paper.
- Or try a fun seeded paper for your invitation that your guests can plant!
- Create a website with wedding details like directions, hotels and other events to lessen your paper use even further.
- Use reply post cards to save money on stamps and use less paper by avoiding the extra envelope.

Gifts
- When you’re shopping for gifts for your wedding party or guests, look for Fair Trade organization. These companies ensure fair wages and safe environments for their workers. Fair Trade coffee and wine make useful and excellent gifts.
- Consider other alternative gifts options such as massage therapy gift certificates, food-coop gift certificates, personalized recycled stationary and charitable donations.
- When creating your registry, try to choose eco-conscious retailers and eco-friendly products that you really need and can use for years.
- If you aren’t creating a registry, express that to your guests to avoid receiving unnecessary or duplicate items you may already have. You can tell them no gifts are necessary, their presence is gift enough, or ask them to make a donation to an environmental charity in your name.

Transportation
- Arranging to have your guest carpool from the airport or supplying ground transportation from the airport to their accommodations all at once will cut down on excess carbon emissions.
- Take it a step farther and arrange to rent Hybrid vehicles to handle all your wedding transportation. They’re more affordable then limousines and leave a considerably smaller footprint on the planet. They are widely available at most national rental companies. You might even be able to work out a special rate for out of town guests that choose a Hybrid as their rental car.

Dresses and Tuxes
- Check out vintage wedding dresses as a beautiful and affordable green option for your big day.
- If you buy a new wedding dress, insist on organic materials such as recycled cotton, hemp or silk.
- Choose a simple style dress or suit that you can wear again.
- Learn how you can donate your wedding dress when you’re done with for charity at www.idofoundation.com

Honeymoon
- Check out sites that offer socially and environmentally sensitive trips, hotels and car rentals.
- Plan some fun adventures off the beaten path and really take in the surrounding nature.
- Go on a holistic retreat for a relaxing minimalist vacation.
- Check out www.ecomall.com for eco-travel ideas.

Chrissy Edwards is a freelance writer for, an Eco Moving Boxes company.