Weddings are always the big day of an individual’s life, so everyone wants it to be an extravagant affair. You always look in to minute details regarding every aspect of wedding. But, budget is always a biggest affair; you always want everything to be the best yet in budget. The wedding theme is always an important part as it needs to stand out as well as remain as memorable wedding ever attended. If you are an environment conscious person why not think of considering a ‘green wedding’ and spread awareness on your marriage day. Now you must be wondering what all need to be done in a ‘green wedding’. Here are some tips to help you out.
1. Recycled invitations
Try to make everything environment friendly. Make the wedding invitation and the envelope from recycled paper. If you have patience and time, make your own invitation. Another better option would be hiring a calligrapher to write an invitation for you instead of printing them. This could make a unique as well as a great invitation.
2. Use a green bridal registry
You can find green bridal registries online. Choose only Eco-friendly items for a bridal registry. If you find a store that sells Eco-friendly things, but doesn’t have a green bridal registry, you can also ask them to make one for you. Instead of taking gifts for yourself and your spouse, direct that for some donations to charitable causes. Ask your guests to donate the money that they would have otherwise invested in buying gifts for you to a charity that guards the environment or other such good causes.
3. Recycle or rent your wedding clothes
You might not use your wedding clothes again. So why not rent or recycle them? Yes, you can get beautiful gowns and great coats on rent. Or else go for recycling any of your family members or friend’s wedding clothes. If you don’t like either of the options, make yourself a new wedding dress from green friendly fabrics.
4. Persuade others
You can also have a word with the bridesmaids, best man as well as the ones who have a major role in the nuptials to have an eco-friendly dress or rent it like you are doing. Ask them to be simple and be precise with the color theme. If this is not possible, go for a theme that allows different colors of clothes to fit in.
5. Recycled gold to make wedding rings
The mining of gold also causes devastation to the environment by leaving behind arsenic residues and several other problems related with mining. So is the issue with diamond mining. You can find several jewelers who recycle gold and make new wedding rings. This method is great not only in terms of recycling but also forms an amazing bond with the past. Another option includes considering a wedding ring tattoo instead of gold.
6. Wedding venue close to home
Keep the venue closer to your house so that it takes less distance to travel at the same time waste less energy. Go for a venue that has natural light coming in to avoid much dependence on the internal lighting. Other concerns include the capability of the venue to maintain hot or cold temperatures without making too much use of heating or air-conditioning. Go for inventive forms of transportation, such as horse carts or arrange carpools and persuade your guests to do the same.
7. Keep the wedding small
Inviting more guests means costing much on travel as well as other aspects such as the venue size and amount of food to be prepared. In addition, it becomes difficult for the couple to focus on so many people. So, it’s better to go for a more intimate ceremony and treat all attendees with personal consideration
8. Local floral arrangements
Instead of arranging expensive flowers for decoration and that too from faraway places, go for local flowers that are easily available and are fresh as well. Or else considering fair trade flowers will also be a good option.
You can reuse the flowers used in your wedding in the reception as well. Arrange someone, who can take the floral arrangements from the marriage venue to the reception venue. It is a good solution for wasting the flowers and reducing the expense as well.
9. Locally grown food
Make use of locally grown produce in the reception food. This will in turn support local growers and to a greater extent cut down costs. Organic food is an indication of starting a health focused married life. Just go around and explore with your local grocers about the specialties available with them.
10. Keep the wedding cake simple
Simple cakes can be pleasing to the eye and also conveys the same importance as an expensive one does. Go for simple themes and evade those tacky wedding couple plastic dolls on the top of the cake. Instead go for locally grown and organic edible flowers.
11. Eco-considerate honeymoon
Choose your honeymoon destination which is Eco-tourism based. It would be a better idea to travel close by or call it a local honeymoon. You never know what all you can discover in your own backyard.
12. Meat-free reception
The production of meat has a soaring environmental cost so why not opt for some yummy vegetarian alternatives at your wedding that can give guests new ideas to try different foods. Go for foods that even meat eaters munch on a daily.
Additional tips
Find dressmakers who specialize in reworking on wedding dresses to make it a day or an evening wear. They will remove bows, lace, sequins, puffy sleeves and revitalize the dress amazingly into something that you can wear often.
Hire dealers who are Eco-conscious. You can also find green photographers, video makers as well as DJs, who will reduce the use of carbon by making use of low powered output equipment.
Wastage of food in big events and marriages is a common thing. So, better calculate the food requirements cautiously. In case if you have leftovers, tell the caterer to pack items and freeze them if possible or compost as much possible.
Avoid use of disposable things. Ensure that table napkins are of cloth. Make use glasses and cups as a replacement for disposable items. If you are hiring a caterer, make him clear about your needs specially on this count.
Warnings
When you are planning a ‘green wedding’, you will find people cribbing that this is the big day of your life that comes one in a lifetime so splurge without worrying about the after effects. However, if you are truly Eco-friendly, such cribbing would not mean a lot to you. Set an example by demonstrating how you can stay by your principles at the same time having a bash at your wedding.