shybutsweet need help to clarify doubt about: : What is the “greenest” thing you are doing for your wedding?
We haven’t made any great strides to be green. But I do like the idea, I just have no idea how to go about it!
To go all green would be pricey….and bare. I’ve seen the hip “green” weddings and I like the simplicity and clean look (very zen) but I don’t want that for my own wedding.
But I do want to implement earth-conscious ways where and when I can. What are some ideas?
Wow ladies, I truly cannot decide which answer is the “best”!
Try this:
Answer by fizzy stuff
Well the best way to actually be green is to eliminate all the “stuff”. Lets face it, no one needs favors (yeah, even seeds), a giant guestbook with feather pen, etc.
As for the food and drink, as much locally sourced food as you can get is the way to go.
Nothing disposable. No paper plates, no plastic cups.
You can reduce the amount of papers in your invitations and eliminate programs etc, although specialty papers really do not have a big impact on the environment as some other things.
Add your own answer in the comments!
The “green” things that will have the biggest impact:
–Hold the wedding in a place to minimize travel for guests. By far, the biggest waste of weddings is people flying in from all over the country. Such travel totally negates the effort of having recycled invitations, for example.
–Choose locally grown, organic flowers, and not many of them. Having tons of “regular” flowers are a carbon footprint nightmare for all sorts of reasons.
–Serve vegetarian food instead of meat at the reception.
–Arrange transportation (shuttle bus, etc.) for guests, or host all the wedding events within a central area so people can walk instead of drive.
–Use real glasses instead of plastic cups, OR if you use plastic cups at the bar, make sure they have the appropriate recycling symbol on the bottom for your city’s recycling. And, of course, confirm the venue recycles them. Which brings me to…
–Do it yourself. If you are bringing in and choosing the silverware/cups/plates/decorations and so on, then you have control over the items, such as selecting things that use less packaging and less waste. And you also know how and where things will be recycled, so you’ll know those 300 beer bottles are going to the recycling center instead of in the trash.
–Let bridesmaids/groomsmen wear something they already own instead of buying new clothing they will only wear once.
–Skip the programs. A rather small green choice, but hey, who keeps a program anyway?
–Use local vendors whenever possible, such as hosting the reception in a local restaurant or using a caterer that is 5 miles away instead of 45 miles away.
Some of these items might not be popular, but that just shows the difference between actually trying to be environmentally friendly and just doing the minimum to APPEAR you’re green and environmentally friendly. Good luck with whatever you choose!
We actually DID use paper plates and napkins, ( because cloth is dyed and made with synthetic fibers) even though it’s not so green to produce them, they weren’t bleached so they were used for kindling in the bonfire instead of going to the ” recycling ” plant.
As for other green ideas..:
We used homemade consumables for favors ( batch of cookies, aun’ts jam, mom’s pickled carrotts )
we had a box for food bank donations instead of gifts
we rented a mini bus and got people to ” park and ride”
we made our own cake, out of organic locally produced ingredients (hard to find canadian vanilla!)
we did not bring decorations other than lighting that could be used again. We used soy tea light candles, white christmas lights and solar lamps
food was bought at farmer’s market and later donated to a homeless shelter
we bought only brides bouquet and one stem for each bridesmaid from lady at farmers market
music was played by my brother on his acoustic guitar and some friends with harmonicas ( we did not use electricity for entertainment)
we used a wood stove to heat the cookhouse in the morning for breakfast ( homemade organic pancakes, syrup, butter and farmers sausage)
We asked guests to try buying vintage or second hand or even borrowing if they had to buy somthing to wear, not sure how many followed through, but we did see some interesting outfits!
Hair and make up was done ourselves, with organic and natural products. ( smells much better that way anyway 🙂
venue was natural outdoor setting, and left the way it was found. NO trees or land were damaged.
GOING Green doesn’t mean BUYING products that claim to be cruelty free.. it means using all your resources, reinventing, being creative, and going local!
CONGRATS!
I’m trying to have as green of a wedding as possible, without looking too much like a crunchy tree-hugger, LOL. Here are some of the ways I’m trying to be eco-friendly at my wedding:
I am not decorating the ceremony venue with anything that needs to be thrown away afterwards. I am just letting the natural outdoor environment speak for itself. Also, I am skipping wedding programs, paper fans, or any other paper goods that would just end up being thrown in the trash (or worse, left on the ground.)
I am not using any disposable cups, napkins, or tableware. We are having our reception at a restaurant with cloth napkins and regular dishes and glasses.
My guests will be blowing bubbles as we exit, rather than rice, which can harm birds if they eat it.
We are encouraging our guests to carpool from the ceremony to the reception so as to reduce pollution, and also to cut down on the possibility of drunk drivers.
We are keeping use of cut flowers to a minimum- only buying cut flowers for my bouquet, my four bridesmaids’ bouquets, and our mothers’ corsages. We aren’t using elaborate floral centerpieces or anything like that. Any floral adornment will be in potted plants, so the flowers can keep on growing and providing oxygen long after the wedding’s over.