Want to watch your environmental impact but still have a fantastic wedding day celebration? Couples all over the world are making it happen by finding simple ways to “green” their weddings. From invitations to wedding attire, there are many easy and low cost ways to keep your nuptial celebrations eco-friendly. While there are “green wedding consultants” and agencies that can help plan a guilt free special day, this article will focus on things that you can do yourself.
Keeping it simple is the number one way to green your wedding. Think about all of the things that might be unnecessary or that you could do without. For example, do you really need party favors for the guests? Or, could you figure out a way to have a smaller, but still meaningful wedding and reception? Do the guests really need to throw rice at the end and do you have to drive away in a stretch limo? Those types of questions will get you in the right mindset to start thinking about how to green your wedding and trim the excess items that add cost and environmental impact.
If you still want a big wedding, there are plenty of easy ways to keep it simple, elegant, and eco-friendly. One tactic that can apply to many different aspects of wedding planning is reusing objects or incorporating recycled materials in your celebration. For example, you could use old jars for flower arrangements on reception tables. You could use one sided paper or card-stock to make place settings. If you need to purchase things, try checking at a second-hand store to see if you can find what you need there. That will keep the cost down and lower your environmental footprint. The possibilities for reusing are endless, and could be a big part of making your wedding greener.
In addition to basic items for the actual wedding or reception, reusing is a good option for some of the wedding essentials, including rings and dresses. The harmful environmental impact of mining for gold and precious stones is vast. Try checking local pawn shops or second hand stores to see if you can find rings that you like and are second-hand. If you do want a new ring, you could also explore the option of buying rings that are made from recycled gold. See greenkarat.com, for example, where you can buy rings that you don’t have to feel guilty about.
Wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses are another thing that could very easily be purchased second hand and reused. Local thrift stores are one option, but there are also places that you can find almost new dresses for sale and for much less. See encorebridal.com for one example. Also check ebay.com or thedressmarket.net. If you do want to get a new dress, think about looking for dresses made out of organic or sustainable materials. See threadheadcreations.com to get you started.
Invitations are another thing to consider when planning your wedding. Many couples see invitations as a lot of paper and a lot of waste, and have instead opted to use digital invitations. Wedding websites are relatively inexpensive, and now companies are making it even easier for couples to use digital invitations. See weddingwindow.comfor one example. There are many companies that make beautiful, recycled paper invitations as well. Try searching online or in your local phonebook as there are bound to be distributors locally. Or, if you’re feeling especially crafty, you could even make your own paper out of recycled materials for invitations. See pioneerthinking.com
One thing that makes any wedding reception special is the food. Make yours even more special by using local or organic foods. Many caterers will offer this option, but even if you are going to make the food yourself, there are plenty of ways to use seasonal or organic produce. This rule can also be used for the flowers. If you can, try to grow your own flowers for use in bouquets. You can do this locally and organically! If you are having a summer wedding, you can also purchase flowers and bouquets from the local farmers market. These flowers are beautiful, fresh, and don’t leave you with a guilty conscience. If you are going to purchase flowers from a florist, ask if they have organically grown flowers, and, of course, it’s always best to go with a locally owned store. Check your local phonebook to find some options.
Possibly one of the biggest ways that you can green your wedding is by choosing a registry where guests can choose sustainable items, specifically requesting second hand items, or deciding to not request gifts at all. Instead of gifts, you could encourage wedding guests to purchase carbon offsets or donate money to an environmental organization. For green gift registries, see companies like gaiam.com, alternativegiftregistry.org, and 3rliving.com, just to name a few.
When all of the wedding festivities are done and over with you can still be green by making choices about where to go and what to do for your honeymoon. The best thing to do is to take a honeymoon somewhere locally. You will save the carbon emissions of flying, and probably have just as much fun. If you do want to go somewhere new, think about purchasing carbon offsets to green your air travel. See: carbonfund.org or terrapass.com for examples. You can also look into eco-tourist websites and travel agencies. You can still enjoy your vacation, but in an eco-friendly manner. See ecotourism.org for some ideas about where to go or what to do.
Greening your wedding can be easy and cost-efficient. By keeping things simple and exploring alternative distributors and wedding practices, your eco-friendly wedding day festivities will leave you with a smile on your face and a clean conscience.
For even more information and ideas, check out: greatgreenwedding.com
