It's A Nice Day For A Green Wedding...

With the onset of spring (and summer soon to follow), many young couples are making wedding plans.  Financing a wedding is often a concern.  I have compiled a list of several ideas to help lower the wedding budget while not compromising the quality of the event.  Additionally, these ideas are good for the environment.

1.       Wedding Invitations

Let's face it, most people still prefer to receive an invitation mailed to them.  However, you can send an invitation and request that guests respond electronically.  This will eliminate the need for an RSVP card, envelope, and stamps.  It will also reduce the mailing weight of your invitations, possibly requiring less money for postage.  Ask guests to RSVP via a phone call or to an email address that you have created just for this occasion.  Alternatively, to be even more green (and save more green), you could send out invitations electronically, through the Evite website. 

2.    Bridal Shower Invitations

Invitations for showers can be sent electronically through the Evite website.  If you know of someone who doesn't use email regularly, send them a paper invitation in the mail.  Similar to the wedding invitations, ask guests to RSVP via a phone call or to a an email address that you have created just for this occasion. 

3.    Wedding Location

Rather than having the ceremony and/or reception indoors where electricity and energy usage is high, embrace the environment and opt for an outside location, if weather permits.  An local park or community garden, arboretum, or on the grounds of a historic building (home, courthouse, etc) would provide a beautiful background.  You could possibly reserve one of these locations for just the price of a permit.  If it's necessary to hold the wedding indoors, due to weather or other, try to coordinate the ceremony and reception at same location.  This will eliminate the need for guests to drive from one place to another; hence, reducing their emissions and carbon footprint.

4.    Attire

The bride should reconsider the purchase of a new dress that will likely only be worn the one day and then stored away in a closet somewhere for years to come.  Instead, look for a dress at a thrift/consignment shop or find a gently used one on the internet (craigslist or e-bay).  Another option is to find a rental shop.  Men rent their tuxedos; why not rent your dress?  The same ideas could be applied to the bridesmaids' dresses.  It isn't necessary for the bridesmaids' dresses to be identical.  A common trend recently is for the bride to choose a color for the dresses and the bridesmaids can pick whatever style of dress they want in that color.  If you do decide to purchase a new dress, keep in mind the potential to sell it to someone else after the special day is over.

5.    Decorations

During the ceremony and reception, use topiaries and other live plants, if possible.  Cut flower arrangements are attractive, but their beauty is short-lived.  Instead, use potted plants or small bushes that can be taken home to enjoy afterward, either in the house or by planting in the ground.  Table centerpieces with green foliage plantings and a few cut flowers added for color would also be pretty.  This is the way to get the biggest bang for your buck.

If plants aren’t in your plans, consider making centerpieces out of recycled or reusable materials.  For example jars filled with pieces of recycled glass, or candles that can be used at home at a later date.  Candlelight is romantic and helps to save on electricity.   These types of decoration items may possibly be found at a thrift store.  On the internet, Recycledbride specializes in selling gently used wedding items, including many decorations.

6.    Dinner

Eliminate the name cards on the tables and let guests determine their own choice of seats.  This will save on paper, money, and most importantly your time.  As for table settings, use fabric tablecloths and napkins.  Paper plates, cups, and plastic utensils should only be used as a last resort. 

7.    Favors

I know I’ve taken home, and subsequently tossed, at least a few wedding favors that were printed with the happy couple’s name and were not of much use to me.  Live green and save green by giving out a small gift that won’t end up in the trash the next day.  Some ideas include:  a packet of seeds with a small card saying “Seeds of Love” or something to that effect, birdseed cakes formed in the shape of a heart or bell, votive candles, tiny pots planted with fresh herbs, or cuttings of lucky bamboo.  Several of these items could be used as table decorations and then go home with the guests at the end of the event.  Most of these items could be made/prepared at home in the weeks before the wedding.  But if crafting isn’t your forte, the website green-wedding.net sells many of these items in addition to other green favors.