When you were young, your wedding day plans danced with visions of tasty food, gorgeous flowers, loads of guests and a wedding gown to die for. But now, you've grown and, while your visualization is still very much the same, you have also picked up a knack for being eco-friendly. Your car of choice is a hybrid, vegetarianism is your middle name, you don't understand how people don't recycle and you have made fighting for animal rights your hobby of choice.
So, now you have to figure out how you will make your two passions -- planning the big day of your dreams and keeping things green -- mesh in all the right ways.
Well, it's a good thing that wedding vendors have also picked up on your keenness for keeping things green. Caterers, florists, transportation rental companies and wedding planners have all come up with creative ways to make sure your nuptials are as green as you ever hoped they would be.
Hiring a Green Team
The first element you must be sure to get in place is a plan. Mapping out details of the eco-friendly aspects you would like to see in your wedding will help you to better convey your wishes to vendors and a wedding planner.Choose people who understand your green plan. That means a wedding planner who knows the meaning of "eco-friendly," a caterer who really won't cook with animal products and a florist who knows you're looking to do as little damage to the earth as possible.
Having these people in place will make your wedding planning much smoother -- just like your favorite natural peanut butter.
It's All in the Eco-Details
Your wedding can be as large or small in its green details as you would like to be. This means that you can choose to only make the obvious elements eco-friendly or you can take your do-good wishes right down to your wedding bands.If you are using any throw-away utensils or dishes during your receptions, consider earth-friendly cups, straws and cutlery from Nat-UR. You may also want to spring for fair trade coffee, recycled paper invitations, a completely vegan menu and soy candles as your romantic lighting of choice.
Selecting your wedding bands can also be an eco-frendly event. Consider styles from jewelers, like Brilliant Earth or Alkemie Jewelry. It's a good thing to check out, considering the fact that hard rock gold mining produces more toxic waste than any other U.S. industry. The green options are endless when planning your big day.
A Green-Inspired Romantic Get Away
Want to have a green-inspired honeymoon? Check out The International Ecotourism Society for vacation options, like Maho Bay in the U.S. Virgin Islands.If you are feeling adventurous, you can also sign up for a honeymoon that involves volunteering. Scope out Charity Guide for a list of organizations around the globe -- all of whom would love to have two newlyweds lend a helping hand.
Down to the Last Eco-Moment
The green-i-licious thing about planning an eco-wedding is that the day is yours to design. Just like any wedding the important thing is that a couple makes it unique to the two of them.Embrace your green-tudes and add as much eco-flair as you want to your big day. That way, you'll be saying "I do!" to not only each other but to the Earth, too. Show it some of that love.
