Green Wedding Tips

My post on chocolate cake got me thinking and reminiscing a little about our wedding 4.5 years ago. It was very important to me, and still is, that we had an eco-friendly wedding, as much as possible. At that time, “going green” was very much a new thing in our area and many people had no idea what eco-friendly or green or sustainable meant. But it was still very important to me that I try my best and have a wedding day that was special to us, as well as safe for the Earth. Our top 5 things were, support local businesses, use organic and seasonal whenever possible, and follow the 3 R’s – reduce, reuse, recycle.

We did pretty well on most accounts, and it actually helped us stick to a small budget. We had around 200 people, beautiful bouquets of flowers, and a designer wedding gown, all for under half of most weddings.

Top 5 Budget-Friendly Green Wedding Tips:

Support Local Businesses: We used a local farmhouse and catering company. Our support meant not only did the money go back into our community, but we also used less pollution to travel to the wedding and for our food, linens, etc. to be brought in.

3 R’s: reduce, reuse, and recycle whenever possible. This step is the easiest by far. Keep it simple. Reusable linens, place settings, glasses, and silverware.  Recycle bottles of wine, beer, and liquor 😉 Reduce by only using what you need – chances are, people won’t notice if you leave out and item or two.  Also – this is a great place to cut budget AND reuse – I found my wedding gown on ebay for a fraction of the cost. It was a designer gown for under $300, even with the cleaning (eco-friendly dry cleaning of course!) Not only will you save money, you will also save resources by not having to make a brand new dress. Mine was beautiful, and no one knew the difference.

Organic and Seasonal Whenever Possible: If possible, opt for organic and seasonal food and flowers whenever you can. Organic means no pesticides or herbicides (aka poisons) were sprayed in the growing of the items. Seasonal means they are grown during Mother Nature’s regular harvest schedule, which in turn often limits the need for poisons, and also reduces the emissions to bring in plants that are out of season into your area. I opted for locally grown, seasonal flowers. My florist was super excited, because she got to create something special from whatever was on hand.

Homemade is the way: To make it more sustainable and organic, make it at home. I couldn’t find a wedding cake that I could eat. I wanted something organic, without preservatives, and also without dairy. My nephew and I both had milk sensitivities and I didn’t want either of us feeling sick. So I made my own! No, it wasn’t as glamorous as most cakes. But it was special. My best friend and my Mom helped me make it. We made it with love and giggles. It was fantastic. And everyone loved it, every time I have made it again.  By making my own cake, I knew the ingredients, I kept them organic, and it cut down on the carbon emissions again.

Plant it Green: In celebration of starting a new life together, we decided the best way to leave our wedding would be by sending everyone off with wildflower seeds to plant. This way they could plant the seeds and remember celebrating with us as they come up. And..sometimes people mistake them for the petals to throw as you leave and you end up planting flowers along the way 😉

Although we didn’t hit the mark on everything, we did our fair share and made the day even more special and meaningful. Why not give it a try on your big day?

Peace and love,

Jessi