Indiana residents, use at least four of the Bloomington Green Wedding Package
vendors and receive a special gift from each vendor that you work with.
INVITATIONS:
- Buy 100% PCW recycled invitations that are processed without chlorine. Encourage guests to recycle their invitations, or have seeds embedded in the paper so that guests can plant the invitations and enjoy the flowers that grow from them.
- Use a reply postcard (no envelope) and forgo the inner envelopes—you’ll save paper and money.
- Choose a small simple design or a self-mailer—again, less paper!
- Create a website with details about your wedding—directions, hotels, other weekend events, to avoid having to print this information out for everyone. (OR, only print cards with this information for family and friends without Internet access.)
- Locally, Twisted Limb Paperworks is part of the Green Wedding Package
EVENT PLANNING:
- Even if you can’t find a wedding planner exclusively dedicated to organizing green events, express your interest in having a more environmentally responsible wedding with the planner you choose. Ask your event planner to help you recycle and compost at the wedding, offset your guests’ carbon emissions from traveling, as well as connect you to green vendors in your area.
- Locally, Blooming Branch Green Events is part of the Green Wedding Package.
WEDDING DRESS AND TUXEDO:
- Buy a vintage dress and tuxedo from a resale clothing store. There may be an heirloom gown in your family.
- Buy an organic silk/hemp wedding dress. Conscious Clothing, Threadhead Creations and Rene Geneva Design offer hemp silk, organic and fair trade wedding attire. These are beautiful dresses! Some are dreamy and fanciful, others simple and elegant, and others, funky and daring.
- 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.
- Locally, Beky Makris at The Studio (812-679-8008) is part of the Green Wedding Package.
THE RINGS:
- Visit No Dirty Gold to learn why you should 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 and want something simple? Check out handcrafted wooden rings at Touch Wood Rings.
THE CAKE, FOOD, BEVERAGES & DISHES :
- Find a caterer who will provide vegetarian and organic entrees made with locally grown produce and locally pasture raised meats.
- Remember that cakes can also be vegan and/or made with locally sourced organic ingredients.
- If you are having an outdoor wedding, or will be having 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.
- Green Glass Co. creates attractive goblets, stemware, and vases from 100% recycled glass that make lovely centerpieces.
- Serve local beer and wine and organic varieties when possible.
- Have carafes of water at each table to avoid bartenders handing out bottled water.
- Locally, Feast-the art of Catering (320-3372) is part of the Green Wedding Package.
- Locally, BLU Boy Chocolate Café and Cakery is part of the Green Wedding Package.
BRIDAL PARTY HAIR AND MAKE-UP:
- Choose all natural and organic hair, skin, and make-up products and the salons that use them.
- Locally, Les Champs Elysees is part of the Green Wedding Package.
FLOWERS:
- Find a florist that uses flowers from local and/or organic farms. This may be an organic flower grower at your local farm market.
- Use potted plants in place of cut flowers for centerpieces. These can then be given as gifts or enjoyed in your home.
- Locally, Harvest Moon Flower Farm is part of the Green Wedding Package.
PHOTOS:
- Frame your wedding photos in recycled frames finished with earth-friendly stains. Locally, check out Reframe at 116 W. 6th Street
(333-6330). Nationally, visit Green House Framing.
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.
PROGRAMS:
- Forgo the program or have your order of service printed on 100% recycled PCW paper that has been processed without chlorine.
- 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. Have an usher collect the programs at the end of your ceremony and recycle them.
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 handbells, or blowing homemade bubbles from recyclable containers.
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 I Do Foundation where you can find out wonderful ways to raise money for charity through your wedding favors, gift registry, and honeymoon!
- Have a climate-neutral wedding! Offset the CO2 pollution from your guests' travel by investing in renewable energy initiatives with: Native Energy, Carbon Fund, or Terra Pass.
- Give a recycled handmade paper bookmark with wildflower seeds--this is a very useful gift, which can then be planted for even more enjoyment. In place of a bookmark, give a small envelope of wildflower seeds to your guests.
- 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.
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 going to be buying gifts for the people standing up in your wedding, consider non consumptive options like massage therapy gift certificates, useful gifts like wine, soap, fair trade coffee and your local health food coop gift certificates.
HONEYMOON:
- Visit Green Concierge Travel, Veg Travel, and iStayGreen for socially and environmentally sensitive travels. You’ll get hotels that recycle and reduce the amount of unnecessary laundering, vegetarian meals, holistic and off the beaten path adventures and electric/hybrid car rentals.
- Visit Green Hotels to find a listing of hotels in the Green Hotels Association.
CREATING YOUR NEW LIFE TOGETHER:
FOR EVEN MORE IDEAS:
