Green Weddings: Ideas for an Eco-friendly Wedding

Forget Pantone’s Ultra Violet. Green is the latest color for weddings! From all the wedding guests driving to your venue to the food served at your reception dinner, your wedding will leave quite a deep carbon footprint. If you and your beloved favor an eco-friendly lifestyle, then your wedding should (and can!) embrace the green trend!

Planning a green wedding requires mindful decisions and maybe even a little DIY. You don’t have to sacrifice beauty and elegance or even go rustic, but you do have to be resourceful! And, of course, every couple can integrate eco-consciousness into their wedding…it’s all in the details.

Here are a few ways to embrace the green trend at your nuptials:

Start a carpool!

Encourage guests to carpool to your wedding. Or better yet, provide a shuttle for guests to get to and from your wedding and reception.

Choose recycled or opt for emailed invites.

Save paper and opt for emailed invites. Or if you really want those paper invitations, choose invitations that are printed on recycled paper.

Pick a flower, plant a tree.

Carrying real flowers? Flowers attract bees and other pollinators, who help the environment in so many ways. When you pick flowers for your bouquet, replace what you removed by planting more in place of your bouquet. The best way to do this? Give trees or flower seeds as gifts to guests in honor of your nuptials and encourage guests to plant them when they get home.

Go meatless.

Helping the environment can be as easy as skipping meat at your reception. The production of beef especially leaves a massive carbon footprint on the Earth. So skip the filet and prime rib and opt for meatless options.

Mind your water usage.

Don’t hand out bottled water at your event (even if it’s hot). Instead, give guests a reusable water bottle with your names printed on it! Also, be sure to save water in your own habits…yes, this means no long shower on your wedding day!

Reduce & reuse

While every bride wants a new dress for her wedding day, these gorgeous gowns are worn once and then stored never to see daylight again. Think about purchasing a pre-owned gown. Or donate your gown after your event. Everything can and should have a second life.

The venue matters.

Martha Stewart Weddings suggests that eco-conscious couples choose a venue that supports their lifestyle. There are many venues that are committed to sustainable practices, so seek them out!

DIY!

Instead of paying a vendor to supply and create the decorations, do them yourself. And be sure that the pieces you create are crafted with sustainable materials. You can use mason jars or thrifted vases to create centerpieces. Or create green dish gardens to set around your venue. Even houseplants can be wrapped with fabric and tied with colorful ribbons in place of floral arrangements.

There are many ways to add green to your wedding day. But opting for eco-friendly touches helps to ensure that your wedding creates a less harmful impact on Mother Earth. Even the littlest details can make a difference, so research and consider all the ways to say “I Do” to eco-friendly details that help preserve the environment.