Your Essential Guide to Green Weddings in 2011

Your Essential Guide to Green Weddings in 2011

As a bride-to-be, you may be wondering exactly how to plan the lavish wedding of your dreams without causing a negative impact on the environment or breaking the bank. Fortunately, you have come to the right place…

1. Give thought to your guest list. Not only will it reduce stress to only invite people that you really care about, but it will also cut down on the environmental impact caused by sending extra invitations, paying for additional guests, and asking more people to travel to your wedding.
2. Ask your guests to carpool to your wedding.
3. Check out local artists to create wedding invitations, favors, and decorations for your reception.
4. Look for a wedding photographer that prints photos and albums on recycled paper.
5. Use organic disposable items like sugarcane plates and plastic supplies made of corn-based materials.
6. Choose a convenient wedding location to cut down on gas and travel costs.
7. Opt for an outdoor wedding to cut down on the use of lighting and also provide a beautiful and natural location for your ceremony.
8. If you’re having a night wedding, light the tables with candles to cut down on lighting and also create a romantic ambience.
9. Choose a location wisely that focuses on recycling and water conservation.
10. Use green transportation on your way to the church, like arriving in a new hybrid car.
11. Have your ceremony and reception in one place to reduce travel that creates excess carbon emissions.
12. Create your own wedding website to offer convenience and cut down on save the date cards, RSVP cards, registry cards, and even invitations.
13. Create your own wedding invitation design to minimize the resources used.
14. Print your wedding invitations on cotton, hemp, and bamboo products.
15. Choose a vintage gown as opposed to a brand-new, very expensive wedding dress.
16. Customize your mother’s or grandmother’s wedding dress to offer a sentimental touch as you recycle old materials.
17. Consider renting a wedding gown to save serious money since you will only use it one time.
18. Purchase a wedding diamond that is certified as conflict-free.
19. Choose wedding diamonds from Australia and Canada that were mined in peaceful conditions.
20. For original wedding bands, choose wooden touch rings as an eco-friendly option.
21. Decorate your reception with potted plants instead of cut flowers.
22. Decorate your ceremony with organic candles made from soy or beeswax.
23. If you use balloons for decoration, make sure that they are FSC certified.
24. Choose a wedding vendor that caters local, seasonal, and organic foods.
25. As a healthy and environmentally conscious alternative, serve mainly vegetarian cuisine at your reception.


Not only will these innovative ideas ensure a fun and memorable wedding celebration, but they will also seriously cut down on your total budget and environmental impact!

Bethany Ramos is a professional makeup artist that also co-owns her own website, The Coffee Bump. For a great selection of the Bunn coffee maker, check out Bethany Ramos' website today.