- There are many ways to make your wedding more eco-friendly. One of the most simple and effective ways is to find a naturally beautiful venue. There are plenty of lovely venues that can be rented or used that need very little to no additional decorations. Also, look at having your wedding outside at places like botanical gardens, parks, and forests, even meadows or fields. There are endless possibilities, and nature is often the most beautiful backdrop any bride could ask for.
- Help save trees when thinking about your Save the Dates and/or invitations. More and more, earth conscious couples are going paperless when it comes to their weddings, letting people know about the upcoming nuptials via email, text, and the web. Use a company like Paperless Post or Greenevelope to send invites, or design them yourselves and send a PDF or jpeg file to your guests. If you still prefer good, old fashioned paper, find companies that offer recycled paper, or even plantable paper, that has seeds embedded in it and can be planted in the ground.
- Forget the paper products. Use leaves or plants like succulents as place cards for your guests. Instead of printing programs & menus that will likely just be tossed in the trash, write all the necessary information on chalkboard, piece of reclaimed wood, or glass.
- Scrounge around thrift stores, garage sales, flea markets, even the homes of your friends and family if they are willing, to find things you could use for decorations: jars, vases, brooches, candle holders... the list is never ending. You'll save the environment and some money while you're at it.
- Use florals that are locally grown and in season, when possible. Flying in flowers from long distances uses a lot of fuel, and most big greenhouses and growers use pesticides and other harmful chemicals. Don't be afraid to think outside the box: use wildflowers, succulents, branches, flowers from your yard, vines, fallen leaves, even vegetables can make beautiful arrangements.
- If you plan on doing a grand exit, think about having guests throw natural things like leaves, lavender or other dried herbs, or flower petals. These things are biodegradable and can be found on the cheap - or even free.
- If you choose to have favors for your guests to take home, think about choosing something edible or reusable, like locally harvested, organic honey or a cotton tote bag. Plants or seeds are another great favor for your guests.
Hopefully, you can use some of these ideas to make your wedding elegantly eco friendly. Happy Earth Day!
All images via Pinterest.
