A wedding is one of the most important days in a couple's life.If you don't want your special day to come at the expense of the environment or workers in other countries, here are some ideas to create the eco-friendly wedding of your dreams.
The Rings Wedding rings are a durable reminder of the marriage commitment between a couple.Ensure that your rings have a healthy origin, not mined in war zones or to fund conflicts. Here are some options to consider: "Conflict-Free" Diamonds - Consider buying diamonds minded in Canada or Australia and refer to Amnesty International's buyer's guide for questions to ask your jeweler. Vintage Rings -A family heirloom, antique find or your old gold melted down and refashioned. Consider choosing a vintage ring that can be passed on to family. Lab-created diamonds - Don't forget to have these diamonds set in recycled gold. Wooden Bands - Although not as durable as gold, wood bands can speak volumes about your commitment to the environment.
Location There are endless possibilities when choosing the location for your green destination wedding.Why not consider supporting a location already interested in environmental issues such as a eco-friendly resort or retreat centre. Ensure that your location offers organic and local menu choices.You may also want to ask to have left-over food donated to a homeless shelter on you behalf. Your green location should also run on eco-friendly energy sources such as solar or wind power and have comprehensive recycling facilities. If you have a lot of family overseas, consider choosing a venue close to where they live. This will help cut down on the environmental costs associated with travel. Consider an outdoor setting such as a beach, park, organic farm or garden to further emphasis your green theme.This will also minimize the need for decoration and provide the perfect backdrop for wedding pictures.
Wedding Attire Your wedding dress is one of the most important and memorable choices for your wedding.Here are some options for beautiful and natural wedding attire. Vintage Clothing - Consider an elegant vintage gown, or tailor a family members gown to make it more modern. Rental - Why not rent your wedding dress for your special day rather than buying a new one just to have it packed away? Eco-friendly Dress - If you do choose to buy your gown, consider donating it to a charitable organization after your event.Have your bridal party choose dresses and suites that they will wear again. When selecting clothing, pick items made from hemp, organic cotton, silk or bamboo. If you find the selection of styles made from these fabrics are scarce, buy the fabric yourself and have a dressmaker or tailor create something for you. Shoes - Buy something you will wear again or use vegetable dyes for shoes you already own. If you are planning a beach wedding, consider going barefoot or buying flip flops from a local market at your destination. Accessories - Make your accessories "something borrowed".Ask a stylish friend or family member to borrow costume jewelry or consider buying recycled or vintage jewelry.
Invitations, Programs & Seating Cards Your invitation is the first impression you will give your guests, and a preview to your destination wedding. Let your invitation set the tone and unify your special day. When selecting invitations consider the following earth-friendly options: Paper - Recycled, chlorine-free papers printed with soy or vegetable-based ink.Avoid metallic or plastic coated papers which are difficult to recycle. Tree-Free - Organic cotton invitations, or invitations made from natural products such as hemp or bamboo. Online - There are many online options to help avoid or reduce paper use.Consider sending online invitations, a wedding blog or wedding website.You can also send an initial save-the-date postcard with your wedding website on it so that all other information regarding bachelor parties, rehearsal dinners, etc. can be found online.Having guest reply online will also avoid the use of multi-enveloped notes.
Flowers & Decor Choosing a Florist or Decorator who is as concerned about environmental issues as you are will make your planning much easier.Select a florist who will source locally raised organically grown flowers. When using candles, choose soy-based products over paraffin or petroleum. Many natural products such as leaves, branches, berries and organic flower pedals can be used to decorate.Consider natural alternatives such as using rose pedals rather than rice throwing and planting a family tree for your unity ceremony.
Gifts While some cultures give monetary gifts to the bride and groom, many do not. Guests may find it difficult to travel with a large or fragile wedding gift. Consider creating a gift registry with a retailer from which you can collect your gifts after you return home. Also, your guests may not make as eco-friendly product choices as you would make for yourself. Consider choosing a gift registry from a retailer that gives a percentage of gift purchases to your chosen cause or offers local, fair-trade, handmade, organic, or other eco-friendly products.As an alternative to a gift registry, you can also ask for gifts to charity instead of material gifts from your guests.
Favors When selecting your favors, in addition to making eco-friendly choices, keep your destination wedding theme and colors in mind. Also, try choosing favors that your guests can use during your destination wedding such as flip flops or beach towels. Your gifts should also fit easily into your guests' luggage. It can sometimes be easier to choose gifts that are local to your wedding destinations, this will both support local businesses and remove the need to ship your gifts to your hotel in advance.Flowers, chocolate or local crafts can make great gifts.
