You want your wedding to be the most memorable event of your life, right? Each year more and more people are deciding to make their weddings “Green,” so they can save a bit of the environment for everyone and some money for themselves. If you are already taking eco-friendly initiatives in your daily life, it only makes sense to have a green wedding too. Let’s take a look at how weddings are becoming eco-friendly, and then we can easily see why they have become so popular.
Invitations
Now that we are in the digital age, the world of the Internet is frequently being utilized as the preferred means of communication. In being green, people are making it easier on themselves and the environment by
sending e-invitations for weddings and other events. If you want to stick to traditional methods, choose invitations made of recycled paper or sustainable materials such as bamboo or hemp. Address the invitations with calligraphy and choose an eco-friendly ink such as one made from soy or flax seed.
Venue
Perhaps the most important aspect of choosing a venue for your wedding is the location. Green weddings cut down on the financial costs of travel and environmental degradation by taking place within reasonable distance of the guests’ homes. People are now choosing to have their weddings in spaces surrounded by nature to embrace the earth’s beauty on their special day. If the event is not in one of those natural spaces, it can be accented with natural décor such as greens, berries, and live plants. A great location is a friends backyard who uses a home wind turbine to provide power for your special day. Make sure if you have guests coming in from out of town that you suggest environmentally friendly hotels close to your venue.
Dress
The bride’s wedding dress may be the most anticipated surprise of that special day. Instead of spending so much money on a brand new dress that you will wear only once, join other eco-conscious brides and choose a vintage dress with modern tailoring or purchase an elegant gown that you can also wear for other occasions. The latest designs in wedding fashion were created by university students in England, where they made wedding gowns that dissolve in water to produce five separate fashionable pieces that can be worn again and again!
Centerpieces
Do-It-Yourself Eco Friendly Wedding Favors
Preparing an elegant wedding reception is another task that can become green. Try something different to accent the guest tables with some beeswax or soy candles and pleasant organic fruits. If you really want to use flowers, make sure they are organic with no pesticides and grown locally to cut down on the effects of their transportation. Try making your own wedding favors . . . like Do-It-Yourself soaps that can actually be used and enjoyed by your guests.
Rings
Save the environment some of its precious resources and look for wedding rings made of recycled metals and stones. With Americans spending $16 billion a year on engagement and wedding rings, it is a huge industry that could better be invested toward the support of eco-friendly alternatives such as jewelry recycling and purchasing vintage or antique jewelry items.
Food and Beverages
Green weddings often top off the event with an eco-friendly meal. Select a healthy menu that features local products from start to finish. Choose locally grown organic items that cater to the tastes of your guests, and use china and glass to eliminate excess waste. Finish the meal with lovely organic wines and champagnes, and your guests will leave with a lighter carbon footprint.
Photography
Make Green Memories (Photo by Greener Visuals Wedding Photography)
Those memories will last a lot longer if you choose green photography methods. Find a photographer that is concerned about the environment too and request only digital prints to save the environment of the materials needed for printing. If you want to have some handy around the house, choose just a few for printing and display the rest in a digital photo frame.
So why is it that green weddings have become so popular? Your wedding is one of the few things in life that you can make all your own, so you want to make it special. For a specialized wedding, you want it to be memorable, unique, and personalized. Having a green wedding makes it possible for you to choose all the fine details for yourself and get creative in the process.
Something else that makes green weddings much desired is the healthy environment they both create and promote. By providing organic food, a convenient setting, and eco-friendly attire and décor, your wedding can be safer for the environment than the average and encourage environmental awareness in those you care about most.
The reasons for the popularity of green weddings don’t end there. Another reason is that when done properly, arrangements for eco-friendly weddings are actually cheaper than typical weddings that are not eco-friendly. Finally, what better way is there to start a life together with the one you love most? A green wedding is the ultimate statement to each other that protecting the environment is one of your priorities, and you can share that together in an eco-friendly life. Join the others that have made the commitment to the environment and plan your green wedding that will have no comparison.
