How Your Wedding's Style Can Save the Planet

What used to be considered solely the domain of the stereotypical granola-powered, hippie-at-heart, "green" (or environmentally friendly) weddings ceremonies have become the hottest trend in matrimony.  

Now, many couples from all various walks of life are choosing to share not only their love for each other, but also for the environment on their special day - and the wedding industry has taken notice!

If you desire to create a wedding that will help preserve Mother Earth while still reflecting your personal style, take these following planning tips into consideration:

• Register wisely. Make sure to register for things you really need. You can also select green registries such as 3rLiving.com. Registries of this type only feature eco-friendly items.  On the other hand, many couples forgo registering for gifts altogether and ask for donations to be made in their name to the charity of their choice.

• Have wedding bands made of recycled gold. Choosing recycled gold lessens the detrimental impact gold and diamond mining have on the environment. Many jewelers are taking used gold and re-forging them into beautiful wedding bands.

• Save a tree by using invitations made of recycled materials. There are now many gorgeous wedding invitations  on the market made from recycled paper fibers.

• Have your ceremony at a venue close to home.   Shortening the distance you and your guests will have to travel means using less fuel and energy to get there.  Inquire about arranging car pools for your guests to the ceremony as a means to further reduce  the consumption of fuel. 

• Select your venue carefully.  Consider venues which can take advantage of natural sunlight instead of just relying on artificial interior lighting.  Also, look for structures which can be warmed or cooled efficiently.

• Use digital cameras instead of disposable cameras.  Millions of disposable cameras each year are used just once and then discarded. Talk about waste! And this does not include the adverse environmental impact of the chemicals and labor used to develop the pictures.  Instead, use a service to rent digital cameras such as Picture It Yourself. The cameras can be re-used, and most rental services provide web hosting for your photos as well!

• Select a florist who uses locally grown flowers for the arrangements. The floral arrangements will have traveled shorter distances, arrive to the venue fresher, and their sale supports your local community.

• Serve organic food at your reception produced locally. By doing this, you are helping to support local growers. Plus, the food will be much fresher. Furthermore, you can ensure your menu contains fare free from pesticides, hormones, insecticides,  and other harmful additives.

• Plan for leftover food.  One huge area of waste at weddings is the leftover food at the reception. Attempt to mitigate this by not over-catering.  Investigate if it is possible to donate any leftovers. Also, check to see which caterers use eco-friendly methods, like composting, for food disposal.

For other excellent tips and ideas on how to have the green wedding of your dreams, visit GreatGreenWedding.Com for more information.

If you have enjoyed this message, please share it with others. Also, please consider opting in for free updates via RSS.

RELATED POSTS

9 Surefire signs your love will go the distance

Top 5 topics couples need to discuss before marriage

Are marriages today considered more disposable?

 

Comments

[Sheila]

Don't forget about the green wedding favors! Tree seedlings are a welcome gift that keeps on giving for many years to come.

[Terez]

Sheila, providing tree seedlings as a wedding favor is an inspired idea!
Also, many couples opt to have bird seed thrown after the wedding ceremony instead of rice, which is better for birds and other wildlife.