Posted by Nancy Sabatelli on Aug.26, 2009

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Any bride-to-be knows that a wedding is all about the tiniest details, from food to flowers and accessories. Many details are involved in wedding-planning: it’s one of the most important days of your life! But, amidst the big decisions, there are little ways you can help make your wedding more eco-friendly, cutting down on wasted energy, resources and costs.

Here are some tips to be mindful of the environment while still creating the wedding of your dreams.

1. Cut Down the Guest List

According to Sami Grover for Planet Green, “The biggest factor in the ecological and financial impact of your wedding will be its size. The cold hard fact is that each person you invite means more miles traveled, more food consumed, a bigger venue and more waste when it’s all over” (4). By all means, don’t leave out your loved ones and dear friends from your special day: but on the other hand, don’t feel obligated to include tons of distant acquaintances.

2. Have an Outdoor Ceremony

For many eco-conscious couples who love the outdoors, tying the knot in an outdoor setting makes perfect sense. You have many beautiful options from which to choose — your yard, public gardens and parks, local farms or even the grounds of old, historic homes and museums (1, 4, 5). You’ll eliminate the costs of lighting, heating or air conditioning that you’d need with an indoor ceremony.

3. Plan a Daytime Ceremony if It’s Indoors

Take advantage of natural daylight and have a day wedding rather than an evening wedding. Again, this will save on lighting costs (1).

4. Book the Wedding Ceremony and Reception in the Same Place

This will prevent people from having to travel from the ceremony site to a separate reception site, cutting back on fuel use and pollution. Bonus: you’ll also save on decorating materials and costs if you don’t have to decorate two separate sites (1).

If your ceremony and reception will be held in two different places, offer a shuttle bus service or suggest that guests carpool from one site to the other (4).

5. Consider Electronic “Evites” Instead of Paper Invitations

Many brides like the idea of electronic invitations, particularly if they’ve created a Web site for their wedding planning already. It’s an easy way to keep friends and family up-to-date on The Big Date. Evites are generally preferred by couples opting for simple, casual, laid-back weddings. You’ll save on the cost of paper invitations and postage, plus prevent paper waste.

But, especially if you want a classic, formal, elegant, traditional wedding, paper invitations aren’t necessarily a bad thing. And keep in mind, older relatives may not have computers or e-mail, so they’d need to receive a paper invitation. If you decide to mail out invitations, choose those made from recycled paper or renewable materials, such as cotton or hemp. Some are even biodegradable or contain seeds woven into the paper – the invitations can be planted and will turn into beautiful blooms (1, 3, 4).

6. Opt for Locally-Grown, In-Season Foods and Flowers

If a particular food or flower is out-of-season or can’t be found locally, you’ll have to have it shipped in, often from far away, creating waste and pollution from the transportation. Greater shipping distances bump up the price tag. Also, many foods and flowers are grown using pesticides, which can pose health hazards. So, consider buying food and flowers from local farms – or even grow your own! Look for organic foods and flowers grown without pesticides (1, 3, 4, 5).

7. Find Vintage Gowns and Jewelry

After all, as the saying goes, a bride needs something old. Ask if you can re-use a relative’s old wedding gown or a special family ring. Or, check out vintage, antique or consignment shops – some carry gorgeous, unique gowns and rings in elegant, classic, traditional styles. Don’t worry – if they don’t quite fit or aren’t quite the right style, rings or gowns can be altered or re-sized. Mining metals to create new jewelry and making man-made fabrics for new gowns wastes energy and causes pollution (1, 3).

8. Donate Your Leftover Food and Flowers

After the reception feast, when all the guests have had their fill, chances are there will still be food leftover. Consider donating it to a local homeless shelter where the needy can enjoy it (2). Let guests take home floral centerpieces and decorations from the ceremony and reception – or donate these to hospital or nursing home patients to brighten their day (5).

9. Think Carefully about Party Favors

Party favors require packing, wrapping and other materials that contribute to waste. Often, guests wind up throwing the favors away and not even using them. So, consider making a contribution to a charity whose cause you support, and let your wedding guests know what you’ve done. Or, buy eco-friendly favors for your guests, like packets of seeds they can plant or sweet treats in recyclable containers (1).

Sources

1. Albright, Tia. Green Weddings: Your Eco-Friendly Wedding Guide. (2009). The Knot. Retrieved August 16, 2009 from http://wedding.theknot.com/real-weddings/green-weddings/articles/eco-friendly-wedding-guide.aspx?MsdVisit=1

2. Lincoln, Cat. Eco-Friendly Wedding Ideas. (June 17, 2009). Green Daily. Retrieved August 16, 2009 from http://www.greendaily.com/2009/06/17/eco-friendly-wedding-ideas/

3. Nelson, Sarah. The Eco-Friendly Wedding Planner. (February 14, 2007). About My Planet. Retrieved August 16, 2009 from http://www.aboutmyplanet.com/environment/the-eco-friendly-wedding-planner/

4. Grover, Sami. Top Green Wedding Tips. (May 9, 2009). Planet Green. Retrieved August 16, 2009 from http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/weddings/top-green-weddings-tips.html

5. Green Weddings: 6 Eco-Friendly Wedding Reception Ideas. (n.d.). The Knot. Retrieved August 16, 2009 from http://wedding.theknot.com/real-weddings/green-weddings/articles/organic-and-earth-friendly-wedding-reception-ideas.aspx?MsdVisit=1

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Posted under Eco-Friendly Ideas, GDM Lifestyle, Living.