The idea of a green wedding might elicit initial thoughts of a brown-paper-bag wedding gown, a biodegradable fiance and a drought-resistant bouquet in hand.
Accent those thoughts with blue recycle bins as centerpieces and you are probably hitting the brakes on the entire idea altogether. On the contrary, planning a green wedding does not mean that you have to go bohemian. There are hundreds of creative ideas that can make your wedding greener with little compromise. Directing your wedding plans toward a greener forum simply means creating an event that will have less impact on the environment and yield a smaller carbon footprint. So why go greener The community is making a move toward being more environmentally friendly through education, water conservation and recycling programs. Unfortunately, for large events, including weddings, there is a sizable expenditure of resources and a high output of waste. Being green and being mindful of our carbon footprints often takes a backseat. A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases produced by activities people individually or collectively engage in and the products they purchase and use. define our carbon footprint. For example, riding your bike to pick up a few items at the grocery store versus driving your car helps to decrease your carbon footprint. So how do weddings affect one’s carbon footprint you might ask Consider a typical wedding and the items that might impact one’s carbon footprint. For example: imported flowers, synthetic linens, aerosol hairsprays to preserve the bride’s hairdo, and wedding favors that unfortunately many guests toss in the garbage at home. With some careful thought, you can plan a green wedding that is not only stunning, but also environmentally friendly. The following are a few useful guidelines to aid you: Size does matter. No doubt, the larger the guest list, the larger the carbon footprint. Speaking from experience, invitation lists can explode very quickly. Before beginning the list, define boundaries in terms of maximum numbers and how many out-of-town guests. Creating an A and a B list may help determine whether Aunt Lucy’s brother’s dentist will make the cut.
Location, location, location. Choosing a location that requires less travel will not only be appreciated by guests, but also by mother earth. Green your transportation by encouraging carpooling and arranging shuttles for out-of-town guests staying at nearby hotels.