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The Top 10 Ways to
Make Your Wedding More Environmentally Green

Everyone’s talking about green weddings these days, since our focus is so wisely on protecting the environment and making smarter choices about our energy consumption. The great news is that there are a lot of ways that you can plan your dream wedding and still make great green choices! Here are the top 10 tips for environmentally-conscious weddings:

1. Hire environmentally-conscious vendors.
   Experts in every area of the wedding world, from caterers to limousine companies to photographers, are adapting to new green business practices, such as using organic materials in their creations or refusing to buy from socially irresponsible companies. Look online for experts who advertise their earth-friendly philosophies, new fleets of hybrid rental cars, and other perks for the earth. Most notable are caterers who cook with organic, locally-grown foods that don’t have to be transported across the globe, and the new organic wines. Most edible parts of your day, even the cake, come in organic tastes that are friendlier to the earth. Schedule tasting sessions with organic caterers and bakers now.
   
   
2. Print your own invitations.
   When you do your own printing you have the most control over the materials you use and the waste your projects produce.Mountaincow’s papers contain varying amounts of post-consumer recycled content, and Mountaincow’s shipping department reuses materials sent from vendors and only purchases packing peanuts made from organic starch that decompose in water to minimize their impact.
   
   Epson has a long history of protecting the environment, achieving net zero emissions at all production facilities as of 2003. Epson has also recently introduced larger, recyclable ink cartridges and eco-friendly cartridge packaging. If you are replacing your printer, bring the old one to Staples and pay $10 for them to recycle the harmful electronics instead of sending them to the landfill.
   
   
3. Use a “green” gift registry.
   Many wedding gifts are intended to last a lifetime, so make sure you register for things you like. At the same time, you can be as choosy with your registry as with your other wedding vendors. If you shop with Gaiam or other companies committed to the environment, register for gifts with them. Search for “green gift registry” on Google for other new services that are popping up all the time to service this growing segment. Or go all the way and avoid the entire consumer and gift-wrap process by requesting donations to your favorite environmental non-profit organizations in lieu of gifts.
   
   
4. Plant trees
   Planting trees offsets our carbon footprint on the earth, so every seedling you put in the ground is a gift to the environment. If you’re flying to a far-off honeymoon, you can even plant trees to offset the carbon footprint of your flight. You can either join community efforts to plant more trees yourself, or donate to non-profit organizations that use the money to plant trees, like the Conservation Fund’s Go Zero program. Even though most pulp used in U.S. paper products now comes from trees farmed specifically for that purpose mixed with recycled post-consumer waste, your donations will go a long way towards helping combat deforestation in the U.S. and worldwide.
    
5. Spread the word.
   This is your wedding and you get the pulpit to write and speak about what’s important to you. Mention the environment-protecting steps you took in your wedding program, in your speech, on favor tags and menus. Be careful to be informative, not preachy, but if it’s really important to you, you can even add it to your vows: “to love, honor, and protect each other and the environment for as long as you both shall live.”
   
   
6. Have your ceremony and reception in one place.
   Many hotels, banquet halls, arboretums, estate homes and even houses of worship specialize in hosting both the ceremony and the reception on their grounds, offering you a separate area where you’ll take your vows and then a grand reception area. This is a fantastic way to be more environmentally-conscious since your wedding isn’t requiring all of your guests to drive to a new location, you don’t have to hire limousines or party buses, and your décor is centrally-located. It’s a big savings of money for you, as well as a big favor to the environment.
   
   
7. Use organic fabrics.
   Did you know that polyester is a petroleum-based product? You may not be planning on buying a polyester wedding dress, but what about those tablecloths? Ask about smarter fabric choices, such as organic cotton for your décor, table linens, chair covers, table runners, as well as your wedding dress. Search the web for sites like Rawganique that feature “eco couture” such as organic wedding attire including soft organic cotton and hemp blends, and the luxurious organic cotton and silk blends that many dress designers are showing right now. Share this news with your bridesmaids, the moms and even the men for their tuxedoes.
   
   
8. Give seedlings as favors.
   Guests love receiving a useful favor, especially one that is earth-friendly. So check with your nearby nursery or florist for the wonderfully inexpensive mini pots of flowering plants, herbs, ferns, and other living tributes to your wedding. You can add a note to each favor, saying, “We hope you’ll plant this tree in your garden and enjoy watching it grow for many years to come!”
   
   
9. Give out organic favors and gifts.
   If you prefer a more traditional favor, you can find organic chocolates, organic wine and champagnes, and all-natural candles. Right now my favorite favors for bridal showers are bamboo hand towels and washcloths. You’ll flip over how soft these are! And bamboo has a swift re-growth rate, so it’s one of the best green choices out there. Another option for a green favor that’s been popular for a while is making a donation to a charity, such as Heifer International, that focuses on earth-friendly practices instead of giving out trinkets that may wind up in landfills.
   
   
10. Honeymoon someplace green.
    Hotels and resorts across the globe are now advertising their conversions to environmentally-friendly practices and amenities. It’s a whole new world out there, and many resorts take their green status very seriously. As honeymooners at these resorts, your first getaway is all pleasure for you and no pain for the planet. Visit www.travelandleisure.com to explore some of the top green resorts, and also know that there are earth-friendly travel agents out there who specialize in finding the best new green getaways.