Surely, you want your wedding to create long-lasting memories. But surely, you don’t want it to create an irreversible impact on the Earth. Green weddings are a la mode nowadays. More and more conscientious couples are ensuring that their weddings don’t adversely effect the environment.
Let’s start at the very beginning… with wedding invites. For those of you who are die-hard supporters of no-paper, there is always the e-vite. Email invitations or invitations posted on your wedding website are becoming increasingly popular. Trees don’t have to be chopped down, and they’re received instantaneously.
However, for those who don’t think an e-vite is formal enough for a wedding, or for those who have technologically-challenged guests, the traditional paper invite still carries weight. Choose 100% recycled paper, or get creative and send out wedding invites in the form of fabric scrolls. If you’re going to be hand delivering, you can even send small potted plants with a recycled paper tag including all the wedding details – not only are you reducing the use of natural resources, you’re actually boosting afforestation too!
Next comes the all-important wedding venue. Banquet halls, hotel ballrooms and other such wedding venues make extensive use (and wastage) of electricity and also water. Opt for a natural venue instead – like a farm, beach, lakeside, or even a botanical garden. A day wedding at such a venue will ensure that you use pure solar illumination. An evening wedding can be made greener by using less electricity and more candlelight, or even complete candlelight!
After the venue, the next link in the chain is doing it up. Showcase your eco-friendly ideology through the wedding décor. Keep in mind the ideals of going green: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Reusing materials will also save money. Pick items for the altar decoration, walkway, entrance, and guestbook area that can be recycled for the reception as well. You can even consider donating them later, and collecting some good wishes on the way! Use as many natural elements as you can – succulents are a great idea and they can even be replanted!
And then of course, there’s food! Start by having as accurate an estimate of your guests as you can – that way you can ensure less wastage. Make advance arrangements to donate extra food, if any, to a soup kitchen or any place that will accept fresh leftovers. Going seasonal and going local are the next steps – explore the local market, vendors, and suppliers for food options, and choose what’s in season – that’s sustainable and healthy too!
And choosing green transportation is one more way to show you care. How about a horse-driven carriage or tandem bicycles or maybe even a canoe if it’s a water-destination wedding? You’ll be making a very green style statement that will be remembered for a long time! Arrange guest accommodation close to the venue, so many of your guests can walk to it too.
Little things like biodegradable plates, eco-friendly wedding confetti (such as seeds), soy candles and natural illumination will make a hugely positive impact on the environment. It’s actually easy to be green… all it takes is a firm resolve and creativity!
Images: Featured: Ecobrides | Greenerideal | MyHotelWedding |Greenbrideguide
Dipa M
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