Being environmentally friendly might not be your biggest concern for your wedding day, but with a little extra thought it's not only easy to green up your wedding, it might also save you some money! This is because the best ways to make your wedding more eco-friendly are to scale down as much waste as possible and to follow the main principles of environmentalism: reduce, reuse and recycle.
There are many resources on the internet to help you green up your wedding, and I found so many great ideas that I'm turning this into a 2 part post. So here is part 1 of some great ideas for your eco-friendly wedding:
- Consider using an evite or setting up a wedding website where guests can RSVP online instead of sending out traditional invitations. Or if you do send out invitations, try to find ones made from recycled paper. Invitations from Twisted Limb Paper can also include wildflower seeds embedded in the paper. Your guests can plant your invite in their garden and have beautiful flowers!
- Have your ceremony and reception at the same location so your guests can save gas. (It also helps keep out of towners from getting lost!)
- Support locals! The further away a product has to travel the bigger its carbon footprint will be so try to find as many elements for your wedding locally that you can. Ask your caterer to use ingredients grown at local farms, fill your bouquet and centerpieces with seasonal local flowers, serve locally made wine and beer at your reception, and give out locally made specialties for your favors. All things local can be found at farmers markets or check out my links at the end of the post for great online shopping.
Homemade pecan brittle, handmade soaps, and local wines will make wonderful additions to your wedding
- Think outside the traditional box. There are lots of options for centerpieces instead of flowers, which typically get flown in from far away and really only serve to look pretty then don't get much use once the night is over. Try something edible like a cupcake tower or bowls of fruit that look great and provide a snack for your guests. Or maybe use favors that your guests can take home with them like candles, tins of organic tea, vintage glass bottles, or frames with photos of you and your new hubby. If flowers are the way you want to go, maybe use potted flowers and plants, which you can then plant in your garden as a continuing reminder of your wedding day!
Jenn & Gary had yummy cakes and boxes of fortune cookies for centerpieces at their reception.
- You can even go green with your dress! Can't find the perfect dress at a bridal boutique? Consider buying a dress at a resale or vintage shop and having it altered to fit your personal style. Not into having something previously owned? Look for dresses made out of organic materials like cotton, silk and hemp instead of synthetic fabrics which can be petroleum based. There are even some green options for what to do with your dress after the big day. Donate your dress to the Making Memories organization to fight breast cancer and so a less fortunate bride can have a beautiful dress. Have your dress redone, shortened and even dyed to become a cute cocktail dress you can wear again. Or make it into something completely different by using the fabric to make a quilt that will become an heirloom treasure. And don't forget about your bridesmaids. Don't have them buy matching dresses that they will never wear again. Give them a color and let them buy a dress that goes with their own style to ensure they will wear it often.
Like these tips? Stay tuned next week for more and check out these links in the meantime:
- www.greatgreenwedding.com : more tips and links for green wedding ideas
- www.ewedding.com : free wedding websites you can custom design and upload photos to
- www.crosbycafe.com : vegetarian and organic catering and cakes from Crosby Catering & Cafe in Dallas
- www.texastreats.com : give your guests a little taste of Texas to take home with them
- www.wisemanhousechocolates.com - handmade chocolates from the Texas Hill Country
- www.makingmemories.org - donate your dress for a good cause
From left to right: Recyled invitations from Twisted Limb, A cupcake tower from Cupcake Cottage, & a chocolate topiary from Chocolate Secrets.
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