10 Tips for Eco Friendly Weddings
Wedding planning can be chaotic. Between all the decisions you have to make, checks you need to write, and research you have to do you may be thinking– how do I do all this AND plan an eco-friendly wedding? Don’t fret! We have guest blogger, Jennifer Stambolsky, the creator of Earthly Affair, an earth friendly invitation boutique, and the author behind Earth Friendly Weddings, a blog dedicated to eco-friendly wedding ideas, fashion, and lifestyle tips. Below are her top 10 tips to help you consider Mother Earth while planning the big day.
1. Nearby Ceremony and Reception Locations
Plan for the ceremony and reception locations to be nearby or in the same place. By doing this, you and your guests reduce the amount of pollution released into the air due to transportation.
2. Forget the Favors
Favors are given with good intentions, but these little trinkets usually end up in the trash. If you aren’t comfortable completely forgoing favors, consider donating to a charity or offering something edible, such as chocolates or cookies that come in recycled packaging.
3. Recycled Invitations
Choose an invitation company that prints on recycled paper. You should aim for at least 100% recycled, but any amount is better than non-recycled paper. At Earthly Affair, all our invitations are printed on either 100% recycled paper or 30% recycled FSC (certified by the Forest Stewardship Council) cotton paper.
4. Serve an Organic Dessert
If an entire organic menu is out of the question or out of the budget, support your local organic bakery by hiring them to create your dessert. Remember, although wedding cakes have always been tradition, plenty of couples are now opting to have wedding cupakes or pies.
5. Offset Travel
Offsetting travel is a great way to contribute to projects which benefit the environment. Visit carbonfund.org and nativeenergy.com to offset the estimated travel completed by your guests to attend your wedding.
6. Donate Floral Decor
Purchase a few extra vases and enlist the help of your bridal party to collect all the leftover flower arrangements. Once the wedding is over, they can be donated to a nearby hospice or hospital.
7. Buy a Used Wedding Dress
Since most wedding dresses aren’t worn for more than a day, there’s usually little risk in purchasing it used. Plus, taking advantage of a used dress not only saves you money, it allows you to recycle the resources used to make the dress in the first place. A great websites for finding used dresses is Recycled Bride
8. Hold your Wedding in the City where Most Guests Live
The closer guests live to your wedding location, the less travel they’ll have to do to get there. Guests will appreciate this when they realize they’re running ten minutes late and you’ll appreciate knowing that you’re reducing potential air pollution.
9. Explore Vegetarian Options
Many people assume that a vegetarian only menu isn’t going to taste good, but that couldn’t be further from the truth with the right caterer. The benefits to cutting back on meat are aplenty (check out this blog post for details on how meat consumption affects the environment). If you’re concerned about negative reactions from guests, consider offering two different vegetarian meals and one meat option.
10. Rent!
Minimize waste by renting items such as linens, tables, and floral containers. Doing this allows them to continue to be useful even after your wedding is over.