The latest trend in weddings is all about GREEN. I haven’t done a lot of reading about this yet, since I’m not planning a wedding, but I thought I’d share some of my initial ideas for having a more eco-friendly wedding.
- Keep it small. I think big weddings are like a circus anyway. Why not just invite people who mean the most to you? Otherwise the whole thing is like a stage performance. The smaller the wedding party, the less it will cost and the less resources you will use. PLUS, if you keep your guest list trim, you can afford to have the reception at a nicer location.
- If you like to garden, grow your own flowers. Someone I know is doing this– she’s growing sunflowers. Keep your aesthetic and color palette in mind. If you don’t garden, try scoping out a local flower grower at your farmer’s market and ask if they could plan to accommodate your wedding order.
- Have the ceremony local. To cut down on your carbon footprint, you can have the ceremony in a place that makes it easier for your loved ones to attend without jetsetting all over the country.
- Make your own invitations, but only if you’re talented in the craft department. If you’re not, get them done professionally by a place that uses recycled paper and soybased inks.
- Get the wedding catered by a local organic restaurant or bakery. Or if it’s a really small wedding, have a domestic goddess friend take care of the food.
- Let your bridesmaids wear dresses that they will use again. JCrew has nice dresses that are not ocassion-specific and are classic enough to rewear.
- Get a conflict-free diamond. I won’t lecture you on the African diamond trade, but check out this site, which has rings made in Canada: Brilliant Earth.
- Go wherever you want on your honeymoon– it’s a once-in-a-lifetime vacation. Keep in mind that there are luxury eco spas in a lot of different countries, though. It’s worth looking into. Forbes recently published a list of some of the best.
- If you know a great vintage shop, look there before ordering a wedding dress. You probably won’t find anything, but at a high-end vintage shop, you might come across a gem.
- If you have a registry, only ask for things you really need and want. Otherwise, ask for donations to a local charity in leiu of gifts.
