Tips for Planning a Sustainable Wedding

1. Invitations:

• Use organic or soy ink on recycled paper
• Choose paper not made from trees. Paper alternatives include bamboo, hemp, banana stalks, and even cotton.
• Save paper by skipping the multi-envelope invitations and using a postcard for your Save the Date
• Use online invitations or create a wedding website to give guests details of events such as the bachelor/bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinner, and bridal shower, hotels

2. Location:

• Have your wedding and reception in the same place to avoid wasting energy and natural resources on transportation
• Have the wedding outside, instead of in an energy-inefficient reception hall. If you have an outdoor wedding, you can utilize the natural beauty of the site to have fewer wasteful decorations
• You can also locate an LEED-certified space to have an indoor wedding. LEED stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” and means the space is sustainable and conserves water, energy, and electricity using solar power, insulation panels, and other state-of-the-art technology. Visit the U.S. Green Building Council’s website to search a list of LEED-certified locations by city or state

3. Flowers:

• Use potted plants — then have your guests take them home as favors and reuse them. Or have them donated to a local hospice or elderly care center.
• If you do want flowers, get organically grown flowers – meaning they are grown without pesticides or insecticides. Consider organic roses, which are a beautiful option and have an amazing – and real – fragrance. Non-organic roses are actually sprayed with perfume. Have your guests toss the organic rose petals as you walk down the aisle. (Be aware that organic flowers won’t last as long, however, so make sure your florist considers timing.)
• Get flowers from a local nursery to avoid using up natural resources during shipping.
• Find an Etsy seller that creates wedding bouquets out of silk, fabric and broaches.

4. On the table:

• Choose an organic menu, with seasonal or locally grown products (to avoid shipping costs). You will be hard-pressed to find an all-organic caterer, so simply instruct your caterer to shop at local farmer’s markets and choose fresh, season ingredients, such as heirloom tomatoes and fresh herbs in the summer. Be aware that with a seasonal menu, you should find a caterer you really trust, because it’s not likely you’ll be able to taste the menu ahead of time.
• Donate any extra food to a homeless shelter!
• Choose organic wine or beer selections. Make sure they are registered with the USDA National Organic Program
• Use recycled napkins and table linens
• Use natural products for place cards – one couple used a pressed tree leaf with each guest’s name on it as a place marker. Or writing guests’ names on a smooth river with a paint pen is an eco-friendly option.
• Choose beeswax or soy-based candles over those made with petroleum, a non-earth friendly product. Best of all, beeswax candles smell amazing, like honey!
• For the serious eco-friendly couple, request biodegradable utensils and plates – made out of potatoes, cornstarch, or sugarcane. Then have them composted after the wedding.

5. Gown & tux:

• Purchase a secondhand or vintage gown. Have it altered to look more modern and to fit your body perfectly.
• Donate your gown after the ceremony
• The groom can wear a hemp tux
• Buy a dress – and have your bridesmaids buy dresses – that you will wear again or can have altered

6. Rings:

• Buy a conflict-free diamond. The Blood Diamond controversy is very hot right now – this means diamonds mined in war-torn African countries that help fund rebel armies, and finance arms purchases and other illegal activities in those countries. Be sure to ask for certified conflict-free diamonds.
• Opt for a vintage piece of wedding jewelry. Or you can have an old piece of jewelry melted down and made into a new ring.
• A lot of eco-friendly couples are opting for wooden rings. They’re custom-made and inexpensive (a few hundred dollars). Touch Wood rings are gaining popularity. www touchwood.com

7. Gifts:

• Create a registry where guests donate to a favorite charity instead of buying you gifts. Avoid something political that guests might take issue with. Stick to organizations that benefit international aid, nature, animals, disease prevention, or relief efforts. Their contributions will be tax-deductible, and you won’t end up with a bunch of crystal glassware that you use once a year.
• Register for a home-delivery service that delivers organic food products. Ask for national park passes
• Register with wedding vendors, like the Photographer, to put towards your heirloom wedding album

8. Honeymoon:

• Instead of a lavish honeymoon, go on a volunteer trip! Build houses for Habitat for Humanity or help hurricane victims.
• Take an eco-friendly or low-impact honeymoon. Stay in a green resort, go camping, visit a local B&B.

9. Travel and Carbon Credits:

• Carbon dioxide emissions from guest travel are the single biggest environmental impact from your wedding. The energy needed for lighting, catering, DJs, etc. always plays a role. Use an online “wedding carbon footprint” calculator to determine the amount of greenhouse gases and carbon emissions that will be generated by guests flying and driving into town. Then, the couple can purchase “carbon credits” – which puts money toward U.S. carbon-reducing energy projects — to help offset the environmental damage of the wedding. One site designed specifically for wedding planning is www.terrapass.com. You might also ask your guests to contribute to carbon credits, instead of buying a wedding gift.

By Alex A. Lluch, author of over three million books sold and President of Weddingsolutions.com, WedReviews.com, and UltimateGiftRegistry.com.