The planet is turning green in an effort to reduce the harmful effects of greenhouse gasses and our own carbon footprint. It only makes sense that our traditions follow suite. Yet, how do you green up the most important day of a bride’s life?
Weddings are not usually known for their low CO2 emissions or for their environmentally friendly practices. Turning the tables to make your special day eco-friendly is a matter of choices that won’t impede upon the traditional desires regardless of the size or extravagance the day may hold.
Here are seven simple ways you can make your wedding a green occasion and save a lot of money at the same time.
1. Save a tree—Use the web
2. Skip, Skip, Skip It:
One of the easiest ways to green your wedding is to skip those items that are not eco-friendly and opt for more non-traditional routes of tying the knot. Some things you may want to consider skipping include rice, , and guest mementos of your special day.
Rice is harmful to some wildlife. Opt for birdseed or sachets of lavender and chamomile instead. In lieu of plastic wedding favors sporting your name, you can choose a package of seeds to plant or give small potted plants to guests. If you really must give the guests a memento with your names on it, why not do it via a website in the form of a poem or a special page that personifies your special day?
3. Something Borrowed
When going green for your wedding day, your gown choice could really make a difference. Choosing to wear a vintage gown or an heirloom gown that has been modified for your figure or updated with new embellishments can be more elegant than choosing a gown off the rack. Besides, this method does allow for the old bridal rhyme to be carried out: Something borrowed, something blue, something old, and something new.
4. Localize It
You can increase the green in your wedding by making sure all food is from local and organic farms. Choosing a caterer that recycles and uses local offerings when creating a menu cuts down on emissions for transporting cuisine from far away places.
5. Location, Location, Location
When planning your wedding, think about the location of the ceremony and the proximity of that location to your guests. Try to have all guests on the guest list within a relatively short distance to cut down on the number of cars driving to your wedding. If guests are not able to be close to the location of your choice, considering chartering a bus for transportation so that the emissions remain lower.
6. Gems of a Greener Nature Shine as Brightly
Wedding rings are another area that can be greened up in the wedding scene. If diamonds are a must, then make sure your jeweler uses only controversial free diamonds that are mined under laws that eliminate a great deal of our carbon footprint . If you really want to go green, then try gems that are not traditional or that have been made in a lab. These have less emissions of gasses than their natural counterparts, but shine just as brightly.
7. Carry the Green Beyond Your Ceremony
Ask guest for green gifts. Register at companies that are eco-friendly or ask for donations in your name to a charity of your choice. Believe it or not, you really won’t miss the three toasters and six food processors and dozen mixers.
