Green your Wedding: Tips and Ideas

The month of April is associated with paying extra attention to Mother Earth.

Although in our opinion, this is something we should always be mindful of. In honour of Earth Day on April 22, we wanted to suggest some eco-friendly wedding tips. Now, don't get nervous, we are not suggesting wearing a hemp-wedding dress and have your wedding guests help clean up a local park during cocktail hour. We are simply suggesting some ideas that could make your wedding even more unique and memorable all while leaving a reduced eco (yet very chic) footprint on our environment.

Flowers:
Your flowers are a huge part of the decor of your wedding so we would never suggest not having them. But, ask your florist to buy locally grown flowers. Inquire with him/her about which flowers are in season: Spring welcome boronias, tulips, hyacinths and lily of the valley. You can even grow your own. We know of one bride whose sister grew 200 tulips in her large backyard for the reception centrepieces. Once your wedding is done, consider donating the flowers to a hospital or rest home.

Favours:
Some of these ideas we have seen for years, they are nothing new but even more appreciated in this day and age. Consider giving your guests organic cookies (baked by you or a local bakery). Bestow them with seeds, plant bulbs or tree saplings ready to be planted when they arrive home. Not only are they helping the environment but they will always have a piece of your wedding day right in their backyard. Or if you prefer traditional favours just add an environmental twist on them like giving soy-based or beeswax candles, natural soaps or fair-trade coffee. Prefer to donate to charities instead of handing out favours? Consider the WWF or Friends of the Earth or let your guests know you have offset their travel costs to attend your wedding at http://www.nativeenergy.com/

Invitations:
Look into using recycled, handmade, tree-free paper or plantable papers. Sometimes, you fall in love with a type of paper that may not be environmentally friendly- no worries, maybe just opt not to include the RSVP cards with your invitations and ask that your guests RSVP at an email address instead or a wedding website if you have one. Bonus? You save on the cost of postage stamps!

Decor:
If you are having Christmas white lights decorate your tables, trees or anything else, buy ones with LED lights. Be warned, we find them not as bright so maybe buy more than you think you need. Or if you want a softer look, think about using (beeswax) candles in mason jars.

Add a chic, eclectic look by mixing thrift store plates glasses, and serving ware (think vintage-inspired) for your reception. Donate them back when you're done.

Food:
Speak with your chef about serving locally grown or organic foods and ensure the venue has a good recycling program. For example, Michael Blackie head chef at the NAC's Le Cafe and one of the most respected chefs in Canada, is very environmentally conscious with his menus. Proving that you can have delicious food while respecting the environment.

Dress:
We understand that buying a brand new dress is something that every bride dreams of since she was a little girl. But consider donating your dress after your big day. The Breast Dress Project is a project Marry Me started with Groovy Linen (here in Ottawa) to raise money for breast cancer research from the sale of every gently used wedding dress.

Honeymoon:
Giving our environment 'the love' doesn't have to end after the wedding reception; check out http://www.sendusoff.com/ which is a website that educates travelers on how to reduce their carbon footprint and travel eco-friendly. Or a quick way to search an eco-friendly hotel you want to honeymoon at is to visit http://www.greenhotels.com/


As you can see, the ideas are endless. You can go full tilt and ensure every aspect of your wedding is 'green' or just pull one or two ideas from this list to make you feel good about doing your part.