The thing about weddings that ALL brides should know is that it can be beautiful, inexpensive and eco-friendly all at the same time. Having a green wedding wouldn’t require you to sacrifice aesthetics, creativity or fun. It doesn’t entail spending a fortune either. To prove that, here are some tips on how to plan an environment-friendly outdoor wedding that will be a major success.
Tip # 1 – Hold the ceremony and reception at the same place
This isn’t only for convenience sake. It can also efficiently reduce your carbon footprint. You and your guests will not have to travel far anymore to go from the ceremony site to the reception venue. This will save gas and reduce energy consumption. It’s also a practical idea to hold both the ceremony and reception parts of the wedding outdoor. The sun can provide your light and you won’t have to use heat, light or air conditioning anymore.
Tip # 2 – Send eco-friendly invites
The most eco-friendly form of wedding invitation would be the e-vite or the electronic invitation. This, however, can be problematic to those who are not internet-savvy like your older relatives. Some traditionalists, meanwhile, consider it tacky to receive wedding invitations via email. To resolve this matter, you can send e-vites to your younger and more hip guests and send traditional invites to the rest. But take note that the traditional invitations should be made completely with recycled materials and soy- or vegetable-based ink.
Tip # 3 – Light up with candles
If you’re going to have an outdoor dinner reception, it would be more romantic as well as friendlier to the environment to make use of wedding candles to light up the area. See to it that you use candles made of soy or beeswax as these don’t have harmful chemicals like paraffin candles. Paraffin is made from petroleum, a non-renewable source. Not only that, beeswax is nontoxic, natural and can burn much longer and brighter.
Tip # 4 – Shoot in digital
Shooting with digital cameras is a much better option where the environment is concerned. For one, you don’t have to print everything. You can view the photos taken in the computer and choose only the best ones to print. The rest can be kept in a disk.
Tip # 5 – Serve locally grown organic food
Let’s start with the cake. Buy a wedding cake that’s made of organic ingredients. Ensure that you choose icing that won’t melt easily under the strong heat of the sun. For the dishes, go for simple ones that don’t require long and elaborate preparations to save on energy and gas. All ingredients should be local and organic.
Tip # 6 – Give away eco-friendly favors
The little things you hand out to your guests at the end of the event will serve as a lifetime memento of your wedding. Leave a lasting memory by giving away eco-friendly wedding favours like beeswax candles, wildflower seed packets, mini flower pots and reusable nylon bags.
We only have one earth. If we don’t treat it with respect, we’re eventually going to lose our home. Plan an eco-friendly wedding and make your Mother Earth smile.
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