by Tom Li

It’s summer time and that’s the perfect time for weddings! With over two million couples getting married in the United States each year, reducing the impact your wedding makes on the environment could cut down on the total budget as well as help save the earth. Here are five great tips to consider that can help make your wedding greener and your guests green with envy.

The Guest List
The size of your wedding will probably be the biggest contributor to its ecological footprint. Of course we all want our most beloved friends and family to come, but the size of the wedding list is the ultimate deciding factor of total waste products and budget. More guests equal more waste, carbon dioxide emissions, bigger locations and more money. This doesn’t mean that you can’t invite dear Uncle Leo, just set limitations and know where to draw the line. Remember, fewer guests mean fewer required resources.

The Source
Lets face it, you want to have great food, beautiful flowers and tasty beverages at your wedding, but there’s no reason why these can’t be found locally. For example, since your invitation makes the first impression of your wedding, consider post-consumer paper from Mr. Ellie Pooh and help out the elephants in Sri Lanka or have invitations made from paper with seeds like the ones from the Leaning Tree Museum. You could also send online invitations or a create a wedding website with the schedule of events to eliminate the need for paper products altogether.

Serve food on tableware from Verterra Pressed Leaf Trays. They are disposable and will naturally compost in 2 months. Plus, less cleanup means less water usage.

Keep the notion of waste-to-resources and recycling at the top of your wedding list to achieve the highest impact.

Location, location, location
The venue sets the tone for the entire wedding in terms of atmosphere and theme. The most important part in choosing a venue is its location. Choose a spot like a green hotel, farm or botanical garden. Check ahead of time to make sure these locations have recycling services that will take care of the waste properly. Since it's summer, weddings held outside always provide great sunlight and lots of green atmosphere for wedding photos.

I also know many people who plan to have their weddings on the beach. If this is the plan, please dispose of all waste items properly and inform all guests not to litter. We share the beach with many animals, like the albatross, and don’t want to harm them. In addition, having the ceremony and reception at the same location is another excellent idea; it will not only reduce your budget but also transportation needs in between.

Transportation
You’re almost done! The list is made, preparations are planned, the location is set, you just need to get the guests to the venue. Let your guests know that it’s important to you if they arrive by mass transit by providing a list of different types of transportation options available. You can also rent vans or buses (decorated for your wedding if you want) that will provide services to and from airports or hotels. Having your own transportation bus for your guests will cut down on carbon emissions and make the wedding more exclusive. This will make a big impression on your guests while reducing carbon dioxide emissions and the risk of drunk driving from your guests.

Wedding Gifts
Everyone love gifts. In fact, your wedding gifts may give you the foundation of your new life together (toasters, glassware...the typical.) Set your gift registry at one of the many retailers of green gifts. This is a time to ask for what you want and not feel guilty, go ahead, put that indoor herb garden and water-powered alarm clock on the list. Also if you have a pets, ask for something for them too since they will now have to share with another person in the house.

Finally, make your special day a truly special one for you!

You can find more tips for a green wedding at Planet Green.

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