5 steps to Pull Off an Eco-Friendly Wedding

Lots of eco-friendly enthusiasts dream of going green during their wedding days. However, to some, these dreams remain to be just fantasies because of the assumption that it will take too much work to host a green wedding. Before we go any further, let me stop you right there! There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t host a green wedding. As long as you and your beloved have set their mind on hosting an eco-friendly wedding that will remain memorable for the rest of your lives. All you have to do is plan but only use eco-friendly tactics. To make it even easier for you, here are tips on how to have a green wedding without sacrificing your budget, resources, and most importantly, your sanity.

 

Eco-Friendly Wedding

 

1. Pick an Eco-Friendly Venue

Choosing the venue is one of the most critical decisions one has to make when planning a wedding. This decision gets easier and more affordable if you are planning a green wedding. The ideal strategy to cut down on energy is by picking spectacular nature venues such as a farm, vineyard, or even at the beach. The advantages of an outdoor venue are that you get an unlimited source of natural light and enjoy fantastic wedding photographs.

Not everyone loves the idea of an outdoor wedding. If you must conduct it indoors, you will need to pick a suitable destination. Bear in mind that weddings involve lots of travel by both car and air. To minimize the fuel that would have been used, kindly pick a venue located near your relatives, friends, and colleagues.

You could host a green wedding in your home town. If you choose a destination wedding option, then plan your preparation, ceremony, and reception at the same resort to avoid transportation! Guests will appreciate it a lot! Also, ensure there is a lot of sufficient natural light. If that’s going to be a problem, hire a venue that recycles and uses energy-efficient appliances.

 

2. Use Paperless Wedding Cards, Invitations, and Other Stationery or recycled paper ones

Every day millions of trees get cut down to make paper products. And as if that’s not enough, the paper making process pollutes our environment. So, where does that leave you in regards to inviting your guests? The good news is, there are several eco-conscious choices. You can invite your guests by sending invitations via email or on social media.

And, if you must make wedding cards, use recycled paper products and vegetable-based inks. For the wedding venue, kindly keep off the paper stationery. You can use boards made of boards indicating directions and congratulatory messages. If you wish to be unique, you can buy botanical paper works that are embedded with seeds. Therefore when sent to your guests as messages, after reading them, they can plant them in their backyards.

 

3. Organic Flowers Only

Flowers are a must-have decoration for most weddings. Unfortunately, not all flowers are organic. There are some profit-oriented farms that use chemicals to speed up the growth of flowers as well as keep insects away. These chemicals are dangerous to the soil and can affect organisms living inside the ground.

Ensure that you get fresh flowers from a farm that is 100% organic. It is best to get these flowers from a farm near you since it will minimize the refrigeration period meaning zero electricity used. Don’t be tempted to use plastic flowers since they stand for exactly what you are against. The flowers that will be used for the decoration shouldn’t be thrown away. They can be distributed to the guests for recycling or planting.

 

4. Prepare Foods that are Kind to Mother Earth

It’s surprising how people always act like there is a planet B? Forgetting that she is all we have got. Food is and will always be the center of all events, especially weddings. During weddings, people tend to prepare foods such as junk and pastries that are super unkind to mother earth.

One thing people forget is that going green during your wedding doesn’t mean that you should sacrifice taste. There are many sources of organic, healthy, and fresh foods suitable for weddings. Make sure that the food is obtained from a nearby farm to minimize the use of transport fuel. You can spark things up by using herbal plants and terra cotta pots to hold the food and decorate the tables.

 

5. Wear Your Mother’s Wedding Dress or Have a Designer Make One Using Sustainable Fabrics

A wedding can never be complete without the bride putting on a stunning wedding dress. In this case, the most eco-friendly decision is to wear your mother’s dress or any wedding dress that falls under the family’s heirloom. If your mother or grandmother’s wedding dress is out of the picture, then you can look for one at vintage clothing shops. There are a lot of online consignment boutiques that can let you rent beautiful pre-owned gowns.

If all of the above fails, locate a designer who will come up with an elegant wedding dress using sustainable fabrics like hemp, organic cotton, or silk.

 

With the above tips, you can easily host a memorable and fun green wedding without running your pockets dry. Instead of gifts, you could ask for charitable donations for campaigns that aim to make our world a better place. For your honeymoon, you can opt to volunteer for local environmental activities such as assisting in a beach clean-up or touring an animal sanctuary. During anniversaries, you can always choose to dine at restaurants that source their food sustainably. Think about it!