Simple Tips for Planning a Green Wedding
Selecting Eco-friendly Options
Many clothing retails have green options for all members of the wedding party. Look for organic, vegetable dyed fabrics for the bride, bridesmaids, even the flower girl. A great online resource is Getconscious.com - specializing in hemp silk wedding attire. Their wedding gowns start at around $700 and are available in a variety of styles.
Catering, Food & Drink
Consider using a catering company that uses only local sources for their ingredients and/or certified sustainable resources for fish and chicken. To locate one in your area, use Google search and type in 'organic catering'. Many of the popular wedding directories online will also show listings of caterers and other vendors that are eco-friendly.
Invitations
There are a few different eco-friendly options for wedding invitations, including printers that use 100% cotton paper with vegetable dye, linen, or recycled paper. To get an idea of some of the styles available (or to order), visit the website InvitationsByDawn and check out the Naturally Ever After line of earth friendly invitations.
Flowers
One great alternative to traditional floral arrangements is to use potted plants or dwarf trees to decorate guest tables . Consider also using certified organic cut flowers in your wedding bouquets. There are many local and online resources that offer them, even big box stores like Sam's Club offers Fair Trade flowers for weddings - check out their Ecuadorian Roses for less than $2/stem.
Engagement Rings & Wedding Bands
Opting to use antique or vintage wedding rings is a great alternative to buying new from major jewelry retailers. Perhaps you have rings that have been handed down through your family. If not, antique dealers, Craigslist, or even Ebay can provide you with a variety of ring choices that may be suited to your personality and budget. **Before buying an antique or vintage ring, be sure to do some research on both the ring style and gemstone cut, as well as the seller's reputation.
Honeymoons
Yes, there are even options available for environmentally friendly honeymoons. Several travel sites are available to help couples plan their green honeymoon online. Try starting with the World Wildlife Fund's travel partners for some exciting and memorable locations.
Additional Resources
There are several books available for planning a green wedding. One of my favorites, available at Amazon.com is The Green Bride Guide: How To Create an Earth-Friendly Wedding On Any Budget.
Having a green wedding is a perfect way to acknowledge your commitment to each other, and to the environment.
Published by Angela Fuller
Angela is a freelance writer with a passion for all things relating to "green" as well as things that make households and small businesses run better. She has written more than 400 articles and maintains two... View profile
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20 Comments
Post a CommentI like the fact you gave specifics of where to get started and not just a general order to get green. People are often willing to change when they know how but will give up if it is not clear how to get there. Great article.
Greenvelope.com is a cool site for sending "formal" online wedding invitations. Hope this helps!
good ideas
Great advice. Another "green"option that I've seen at weddings is to give guests flower seeds to plant inside of some plastic trinket.
Very nice! The concept of a "green" wedding never even occurred to me 8 years ago when I got married, but these are really cool ideas. Well-written, too. :)
I love the idea of potted plants....time for some of these conservative practices to be utilized!
I'm getting married in July-I will check out some of these ideas-Thanks!
My sister is getting married in May. They've "gone green" on some things. She has an engagement ring that has been in the groom-to-be's family. They are also having no floral arragements since they are getting married in a garden. My sister says the garden itself is her floral arrangement.
Excellent advice!
Some great advice here, especially when more and more couples are interested in "green" options.