Many couples who live eco-friendly lives often find themselves buried under the carbon footprint of their precious wedding day. This is a special day and you want it to be incredible. But you also feel the need to stay true to your core values and save as much energy as possible.

We have some ideas that will help you have a beautiful eco-friendly wedding.

The Venue

There are many botanical gardens, parks with gazebos, and some beaches that have restrooms available. By having your wedding outdoors, you save a lot of energy.

Have the wedding and the reception in the same place or at least within walking distance of each other so no fuel is used to travel from one place to another.

Use Recycled Paper Products

Set up a social media wedding site and remind your friends online to look to it for details. However, some people in the crowd will not use a computer (think grandma and Aunt Bea) so you will not get away from ordering any invitations, save the dates cards and envelopes. But you can shop around for a paper manufacturer that uses recycled paper, and some even give a donation to charity if you order your invitations on 100% recycled paper.

Bridesmaids dresses

You could spend a fortune and lots of fuel going from wedding dress shop to wedding dress shop looking for bridesmaids dresses. Instead, check out the selections online of hundreds of gowns at Azazie.com. Then for a small deposit, they will send you the gown to try on at home. Once your selections are made, you can place the order online.

Flowers

When the wedding is over, have someone from your bridal party gather the flowers used in the wedding and reception and donate them to a local nursing home. Be sure you check with them first.

Food

When shopping for a company to cater your event make sure they use recycled products. Explain that they will need to package the food and serve as needed. Unused food that has not been served from (the container) can be donated to homeless shelters.

Party favors

One of the hottest trends right now is for the bride and groom to give out seedlings instead of wedding favors. A seedling with the root wrapped in gingham and a bow is a beautiful way to celebrate your new life. A note reading something like “Plant this tree in honor of the birth of our lives together.”  You can get great advice from seed need. They will tell you which plants are more easily grown than others.

Your own tree

Make sure you save one or you to plant when you settle into your home. This tree symbolizes your love as it grows year. Watch it carefully. There will be times when it seems to have new growth every time you look at it. Other times branches will weaken and parts of the tree will die. But the mother tree will repair and restore it. The tree will bend when the winds of life blow. Sometimes you will think it will surely snap but it holds tight. The roots grow deep and strong. Not for the beauty of its branches but for its fortitude to remain. If your marriage is loved as this tree does. You will be a very happy family.