The Rings:
Most people do not realize that much of the gold left to be mined is microscopic, and is being taken from the earth at enormous environmental costs. The production of one gold ring generates 20 tons of mining waste. Visit No Dirty Gold to learn more. Purchase recycled gold, fair trade gold and platinum and/or conflict-free diamonds for your commitment ring. Visit greenKarat, Brilliant Earth, Sumiche Jewelry, and Leber Jeweler Inc. to see ecologically and socially conscious ring options. It can be equally fun and rewarding to search for the perfect antique rings together. The rings may even be in your family! Don't like glitter, but appreciate hand artistry and want something simple? Check out handcrafted wooden rings at Touch Wood Rings .
Wedding Attire:
Consider buying a vintage dress and tuxedo from a resale clothing store. Buy an organic silk/hemp wedding dress and/or suit. Conscious Clothing and Faernyn's Grove Sustainables offer hemp silk wedding attire. Choose a simple dress and suit that you can wear again. Learn how you can donate your wedding dress for charity through the I Do Foundation.
Foods & Dishes:
Find a caterer who will provide vegetarian and organic entrees. If you are having an outdoor wedding, or will be, having a casual rehearsal dinner/weekend events for your guests, consider one of the following:
- Renting real glasses, dishes, and cloth napkins, to avoid using disposable plates, etc.
- Using biodegradable, compostable dishes and flatware made from cornstarch, sugar cane, or tropical leaves. Check out Simply Biodegradable or Earthware Biodegradables for compostable-ware.
- The Green Glass Co. creates attractive goblets, stemware, and vases from 100% recycled glass that would make lovely keepsakes/centerpieces.
Photos:
We can't recommend any green photographers here, but there is a great recycled frame company, Green House Framing,
that creates high quality handmade frames from reclaimed lumber and finishes them with vegan and earth-friendly stains. Their mats are thick sheets of Twisted Limb's handmade 100% recycled paper.
Flowers:
Find a florist that uses flowers from local and/or organic farms. Both California Organic Flowers and Organic Bouquet provide organic flowers and ship nationwide if you can't find someone local. Find a wildflower grower at your local farm market to create bouquets & table arrangements. Use potted plants in place of cut flowers for centerpieces. These can then be given as gifts or enjoyed in your home.
Gifts:
If you are already settled into a home, and do not need kitchenware or furnishings, you may prefer to state on your invitations: "Please no gifts" or "Your presence is your gift to us," or recommend that guests donate to your favorite environmental group in honor of this special occasion. Create a gift registry at Changing the Present so that your guests can contribute to the causes most important to you in lieu of material gifts.
If you are still establishing a home, think about registering with an eco-conscious retailer to minimize receiving unnecessary trinkets from guests who aren't sure what you need. Visit Register Locally to set up an eco-friendly gift registry.
To find other earth friendly offerings, visit The National Green Pages , which lists several houseware alternatives.
If you are going to be buying gifts for bridesmaids and bridesmen, consider non consumptive options like massage therapy gift certificates, useful gifts like wine, soap, fair trade coffee, and local health food coop gift certificates, or 100% recycled or tree free gifts.
Rice Throwing Alternatives:
Throwing birdseed is a good alternative to throwing rice ONLY if you are having a city wedding, or will be tossing birdseed in a manicured, non wild yard. Standard birdseed mixes contain invasive plants not native to your area, and throwing birdseed in a natural wedding spot, like in a nature preserve or state park, can cause havoc to that ecosystem.
Alternatives to rice and birdseed are throwing native wildflower seeds or petals, ringing handballs, or blowing homemade bubbles from recyclable containers.
Programs:
Have your program printed on 100% recycled PCW paper that has been processed without chlorine. See our selection of recycled programs. Use your program to let your guests know how important the environment is to you, and all the ways you have considered the earth in planning your wedding. Collect programs at the end of the ceremony and recycle them.
Favors:
Instead of favors, let your guests know in the program that you have donated $1-$2 per guest to your favorite environmental organization. Visit the I Do Foundation website to find out wonderful ways to raise money for charity through your wedding favors, gift registry, and even your honeymoon!
Counteract all of the carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere from your guests driving and flying to your wedding by giving each guest an 11-watt compact flourescent bulb.
If each of your guests replaces a 50-watt incandescent bulb with their wedding favor flourescent bulb, they can save 685 pounds of carbon dioxide. We found this climate-neutral wedding tip in Sierra Club Magazine's interview with an environmental studies and biology professor from Oberlin, Ohio.
Another way to have a climate-neutral wedding is to offset the CO2 pollution from your guests' travel with a donation to Native Energy, which helps Native Americans build wind farms.
Give a recycled handmade paper bookmark with wildflower seed as a favor. This very useful gift can then be planted for even more enjoyment. In place of a bookmark, give a small envelope of wildflower seeds to your guests. See more of Twisted Limb Paperworks' selection of eco-friendly favors. EcoParti offers earth friendly, all natural wedding favors and party accessories as well as water soluble, biodegradable ecofetti, and unique cones for a beautiful wedding toss with no cleanup.
Give tree saplings from the National Arbor Day Foundation.
Location:
Consider an outdoor wedding at a favorite natural spot to add to the beauty of your celebration and to remind yourself why you make environmentally responsible choices every day. Have the ceremony and reception at the same location, or at least near to each other to avoid having your guests drive between the two.
Honeymoon:
Visit Green Concierge Travel or The Green Hotels Association for socially and environmentally sensitive travels. These sites identify hotels that recycle and reduce the amount of unnecessary laundering, offer vegetarian meals, facilitate holistic adventures and assist with electric/hybrid car rentals.
Creating Your New LifeTogether:
Practice making sustainable choices in your daily life together. For helpful ideas, visit Simple Living , The Simple Living Network, Alternatives for Simple Living, New American Dream, Green Sense and Green Matters.
Invest in socially responsible companies when planning for your retirement and financial well being.
Visit The National Green Pages to find responsible investment firms.
