Green Weddings
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Loading ...In light of the environmental impact a single wedding can have, many couples are opting for more natural or “green” alternatives. Paper napkins, and other disposables are replaced with reusable items. Pesticide laden flowers shipped from South America or across the country are substituted with organic flowers from local growers, or flowers the bride and groom grow themselves.
You can make the commitment to lessen the impact of your wedding by using environmentally friendly, compostable, and resuable materials and supplies for your celebration. Find “green” vendors at The Green Bride Guide and local flower growers at Local Harvest.
You might also consider these alternatives:
- Use paper ribbon instead of wired satin or artificial ribbon. It’s completely compostable. If you have to have satin ribbon, figure out ways to reuse it. It would make a great addition to your wedding scrapbook as a trim or part of the background.
- Scour thrift stores and eBay for coordinating dessert and salad plates, glasses and utensils. Stack them at the cake and buffet tables and then resell them at your local thift or consignment store, on eBay or offer them on your local Freecycle when you’re done. If they coordinate with your China, keep them for a funky mix and match set for casual dining. They might end up being cheaper than rental China, especially if you can resell them later!
- Rent or borrow as much equipment as you can. You know that the items will be reused and you don’t have to worry about picking up, setting up, or returning the rental items when you’re done.
- Consider donating your reception flowers to a local nursing home or hospital. Call ahead to find out what their policies are. If you can’t donate them, find someone with a compost pile or a municipal yard waste recycling facility. Most gardeners are happy to take compostable materials if they know they are free of pesticides and other harmful chemicals. You can offer them to local gardeners on Freecycle too!
- Instead of registering for gifts that will be wrapped with yards of paper and ribbon, ask for donations to your favorite green charity instead. If you need household items, be sure and indicate in your invites that you are having a green wedding and would prefer minimal or recyclable wrapping but don’t expect it. It is the thought that counts, after all. Wrapping paper can be reused if it’s not destroyed during gift opening. Think about reusing the paper to wrap gifts, for thank you notes, handmade holiday cards or scrapbooking.
- Find one-piece, recycled paper invitations that are self-mailing with tear off return cards. You will save a lot of paper by not using multiple envelopes. Want to go completely paper free? Send e-mails or set up a Facebook invite instead.
- Consider donating your wedding dress or having it remade into another outfit. If you really want to have it preserved only to sit in your closet for years, try finding a green dry cleaner. For a really green alternative, forego the traditional wedding dress and get married in a dress you can wear over and over again to formal events and parties.
- For more money and earth-saving tips for your wedding, visit The Green Bride Guide.
