As we are all concerned for the environment, one of the biggest trends in wedding planning today is having a “green” wedding. Bridal Guide magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Diane Forden offers us these fabulous green wedding tips.
1. Save a tree, cordially
Start with your invitations. Find a stationer who offers uncoated, recycled or recyclable paper. Many stores sell beautiful papers made from cotton fibers (recovered from garment factories) or 100% recycled handmade cards embedded with flower seeds.
2. Eat, drink and be merry
Serve guests an organic feast of foods produced without chemical fertilizers, antibiotics or pesticides, and top it off with organic drinks. During cocktail hour, for example, try Square One vodka and Juniper Green gin, both fermented without additives.
3. Let your wedding bloom
Brides and their florists should choose eco-certified flowers. Organic blooms are often requested by season, such as tulips for spring weddings and sunflowers for nuptials in autumn.
4. Give a little back
Provide your guests with party favors they will enjoy and can reuse. Consider fair-trade tea, coffee or chocolates, tree seeds or saplings or re-usable totes. Natural soaps and body lotions are also a favorite.
Charitable registries are also a great way to give back. Companies like Target and JCPenney will donate a percentage of each gift purchased off the couple’s registry to a charity of their choice. Or forego gifts all together and suggest that guests contribute money directly to a good cause. Sites like the IDoFoundation.org provide great charitable wedding ideas and resources.
5. Getaway in green
Going green doesn’t need to end with the wedding day. You can be eco-conscious on your honeymoon by choosing a hotel dedicated to preserving and enhancing its environment. Green hotels, for example, use low wattage bulbs, soap dispensers instead of bars and only change towels and sheets daily if the guest so requests it.
Recommended Book For Planning Your Green Wedding
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