Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Green wedding tips to please Mother Nature

Photo from http://ruffledblog.com/eco-friendly-handmae-wedding/

This article appeared on GreenAnswers.com by Paulina Perlin.

With a little thought, any bride or groom can make green one of the wedding colors. Read up on some simple tricks to make your big day a bit more eco-friendly.
 
Remember an invitation for Mother Nature
Think about how many invitations you’re sending out, and how many trees you’re killing in the process. Try using paper made from recycled materials for your invitations and envelopes. Alternatively, if you’re not high-strung about traditions and formalities, you could skip the snail-mail entirely and send out e-vites.
Big weddings can mean big problems
While you’re thinking about what kind of invitation you’ll be using, you should also be thinking about just how many you’ll be sending out. I get it: it’s hard not to invite every aunt, uncle, and cousin twice removed, but whittling down your guest list from two hundred to one hundred can benefit you in more than one way. First of all, fewer people means fewer people that need to be fed and fewer people that need to drive or fly to get to your wedding. And secondly, fewer people also means a more intimate (and more romantic) affair.
Think about transportation
Encourage your guests to arrange carpools in advance, or pick a venue that’s close to a train or bus stop (most big city sites are). Consider having the bride and groom arrive by horse-and-carriage: green, but also a nice wedding touch. And finally, try to pick a location at least somewhat close to where you live; not only will it cut down on transportation miles, but it will also likely please local guests.
Food for thought
Most weddings will leave guests—and rubbish bins—stuffed. In addition to having way more food than anyone could possibly eat in a day, wedding dinners are also usually loaded with meat, meat, and more meat. Rather than trying to impress your guests with flashy catering, go for a few thoughtful dishes that will still leave everyone feeling light enough to dance. Go for organic food. And chop a few meat dishes from the menu; your planet, your vegetarian guests, and your wallet will all give you a hearty thanks.
Something borrowed is something green
Before shopping for wedding dresses, I never knew just how much fabric those suckers used. Ball-gown-style dresses can have up to ten (ten!) petticoats, and some dresses weigh as much as twenty-five pounds. While every bride wants her dress to be special, we need to face the truth here: wedding dresses are fairly generic. You don’t need a custom-made or even new dress; instead, try checking out a consignment shop to find a used dress. Because they haven’t been worn much, the dresses are still in fairly good condition and any problem with fit can be addressed by a good tailor.
Ask for green gifts
This one’s pretty simple. You’re going to get loads of presents on your wedding day, so might as well give a gift to Mother Nature as well. Ask your guests to make donations to your favorite charities, or request eco-friendly products. 
All in all, don’t let your special day be obscured by materialism. It’s not about the swank of your ceremony; it’s about the choice to spend the rest of your life with someone you love.
To choose an eco gift in Australia visit Biome Eco Stores.

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