Planning an Eco-Friendly Winter Wedding

Planning an eco-friendly wedding during the winter time can be a bit more challenging than a spring or summertime wedding, due to the cold weather. During the hotter months, it is possible to choose a venue that is outdoors and utilize the beauty of nature as décor, rather than purchasing disposable items. It is still possible to have an eco-friendly wedding in the winter, by following these tips.

Use fair trade items as your wedding favors, instead of conventional ones that use unnecessary wrapping and may come from countries where their workers are paid unfair wages. The Rainforest Site has a shop full of fair trade items that are very beautiful and often have clearances on smaller stuff, perfect as a table topper for guests to take home. You can even select items that not are not only fair trade items, but also give a percentage back to the cause you believe in, in this case being saving the rainforest. You can also do this for the Animal Rescue site.

Instead of decoration such as streamers, balloons and other plastic items that are not good for the earth, decorate using nature. Bring in some potted plants, small trees or bamboo plants. Not only are these nature-inspired decorations more beautiful than streamers, they are also great for nature and those who stay 'till the end can take them home and plant them at their houses to keep the green cycle going.

Choose a venue that overlooks the winter beauty. Perhaps you can have a fireplace outside so that guests can mingle on the porch while overlooking snow-topped trees. Using a fireplace inside can also reduce heating costs. There should be a lot of windows so that guests inside can also admire nature's wonders as well.

When choosing food and drink for your special day, make sure that your items can either be washed and reused or recycled. Reduce the amount of waste that goes into the trash by eliminating paper plates and cups. If you need to, you can always purchase paper and plastic utensils that have been recycled.

When choosing the attire for the special day such as wedding gowns, bridesmaids dresses and tuxes, you can choose natural materials such as cotton, or even better, organic cotton. Cotton comes in a variety of colors and textures so it is possible to find elegant clothing in eco-friendly material. Bamboo is also an alternative, which is very soft and smooth to the touch.