Category — Green Wedding

It’s a common misconception that planning a green wedding…an eco friendly wedding focused on minimizing the event’s “carbon footprint” and using as many local, organic, and natural materials as possible…costs a lot of money.

The truth is that planning a green wedding will SAVE you money.  (Learn more about how green weddings save you money in my previous blog post.)

But if you want to plan a green wedding, where do you start?

Check out these great green wedding resources:

Google - That’s right, Google triumphs again.  Just type in a quick search for “green wedding favors” or “green wedding invitations” and you’ll get lists of great options and green wedding ideas.

Natural Resources Defense Council - A terrific resource for “greening” your life and your big day.  Check out this guide to finding and identifying green businesses that tells you what to look for and how to know that a business advertised as “green” is actually living up to its eco friendly promises.

Organic.Clothing.Blogs.com -  This post lists numerous sources of green wedding dresses and attire, along with ideas for the eco friendly wedding on a budget.

Etsy.com - Shop here for natural crafts and natural made items that are often less expensive than their plasticized, environmentally unfriendly counterparts.

When you’re planning green, just remember to think REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE.

Reduce your energy consumption with local, organic ingredients; borrow or buy used items whenever possible or purchase items you will reuse again; and support recycled goods.

Yes, you’re going to have to go “against the grain” when those wedding traditionals insist it has to be done the old, wasteful way.  Grandma might not get it.  But you’re going to plan your wedding your way anyway, right?

When it comes to weddings, green is the new June.  I’ve been seeing the phrase “green wedding” batted about everywhere.

But when you’re planning a wedding on a tight budget, an eco friendly wedding might not even make your priority list.  I mean, you’re more worried about saving your green…CASH, that is.

The good news: planning a green wedding that’s good for the environment is also good for your pocket book.

Green weddings are all about conserving energy, making environmentally friendly choices, using local and organic products whenever possible.  But it turns out that many of these eco friendly wedding options will also save you money.

REDUCE.  REUSE.  RECYCLE.

Those three words embody the task of the budget bride…and go hand in hand with planning a green wedding.

Green Wedding Dress Savings - A green wedding dress uses eco friendly, all natural fibers and no imports, like these selections from Threadhead Creations.  Unfortunately, these green options often come with a high price tag.

The answer: buy a used wedding dress.

You can buy a designers wedding gown at a steal AND help save the planet by reusing a dress that otherwise gets worn only ONCE.  Find your used wedding dress at the links in my previous posts on Used Wedding Dresses and Discount Designer Wedding Gowns.

Green Invitations Savings - Buy invitations made out of recycled paper and request that your guests RSVP by telephone or email.  You’ve just saved a bundle on reply cards, envelopes and postage.

Take it to the next level of green wedding planning by skipping physical invitations altogether.  Send email wedding invites through a site like Evite.com…FREE.

Green Wedding Flowers Savings - Have your florist use local, in season flowers for your wedding.  Local blooms are the most economical option and they require much less in travel and delivery costs.

Green Wedding Favors - Ideas for green wedding favors can be found online with a quick search on Google.  Wildflower seed wedding favors are available for less than $1 each.

Go one step further and SKIP your favors altogether.  (You know I’m a big fan of this one!)  Make a donation to your favorite eco friendly charity instead.

Green Wedding Venue - An eco friendly wedding venue or caterer uses local, organic ingredients as much as possible in the menu…and they can prove it.  It doesn’t cost any extra to hire a green business; you just have to seek them out.

So even if you don’t consider yourself a “green” bride, consider these options to plan an affordable wedding.

Got a green wedding idea?  Leave me a comment.

Photo by thebittenword.com

With increased focus on environmentally friendly practices and conservation, it’s only natural (and smart for the health of the planet!) for more and more brides to plan “green” weddings.

It doesn’t take a lot to develop some green consciousness.  Every little bit makes a difference…not only in the energy consumed by your wedding, but in the example you set for your guests.

So if you want to go green…how do you do it?

To have a green wedding, just follow a few simple principles:

• Think LOCAL.  Local flowers, products and services benefit the local economy and use less energy for transportation.
• Think ORGANIC.   Use organic foods and goods whenever possible.
• Think LESS TRAVEL.  Choose a location close to most of your guests to cut down on the energy for travel.  If you have your ceremony at the same location as your reception, it conserves energy and fuel expenditure (and cost) of a limo.
• Think CONSERVATION.  Less is more, so choose reusable or edible favors that don’t use plastics.  Cut down, reuse and recycle wherever you can: it’s good for the environment…and your wallet.

Here’s a comprehensive article on how to have an Eco-Friendly Wedding with all the Whys and How Tos, including lists of recommended businesses and those that follow fair trade practices.

Feeling green?  Leave me a comment on your green wedding ideas.