eco friendly wedding
Nowadays, the world is keen on going green, and
nearly every aspect of life has the potential to be done
in a better, more environmentally friendly way. Weddings
are one of these aspects, and if you’re interested in
living a greener lifestyle, then having an eco-friendly
wedding should be on your list of things to do. A green
wedding won’t just save the planet, it can also help you
stay within your wedding budget as well. Here are just a
few tips you can incorporate in your plans to have an
eco-friendly wedding.
Go electronic with your invitations.
Instead of having your wedding invitations printed out
by the hundreds—and usually, the invitation itself
consists of lots of extra materials and decorations—you
can keep it simple by sending a mass e-mail instead to
serve as your wedding invitation. It probably seems too
informal, but think of it as a practical option. Not
only will you save money, you can also keep paper waste
from accumulating. After all, not everybody keeps the
invitations they receive.
Support your local florist.
It sounds glamorous to have your wedding flowers shipped
from some faraway countryside, or even country, but
imagine all the carbon emissions being generated simply
from having your flowers delivered. Not only would it be
more eco-friendly to use local flowers, you’re also
supporting local businesses.
Pick a green wedding gown.
Not the color, mind you. A green wedding gown is made of
organic, fair-trade, and sustainably produced and
harvested materials. If you want to be even greener,
recycle a wedding dress. For example, use your mother’s
wedding gown and have it altered or reworked.
Don’t take the wedding to a distant place.
Destination weddings may be fun, but flying somewhere to
get married — and having your guests go all the way to
the venue — isn’t the most eco-friendly option. If you
really must have a destination wedding, keep your guest
list small and consider offsetting by purchasing carbon
credits.
Have the wedding during daytime.
This ensures that you won’t be needing any lights and
helps you reduce electricity use.
Choose fuel-free transportation options.
Instead of rolling to the venue in a car, why not have a
horse-drawn carriage take you to the wedding? Don’t
forget to look into other innovative ways to get to the
ceremony and the reception without burning fuel. You can
also encourage your guests to carpool to the wedding.
You should also look up car rental companies in your
area which offers a fleet of hybrid vehicles.
Have an organic spread.
Consider having locally-grown organic food served during
your reception, or even lessening the amount of meat
dishes. Also, instead of hiring a caterer from outside
your town or city, look into local caterers to reduce
your big day’s carbon footprint..