What are some good ways to go green at a wedding?

Question

So far I have thought of:

-using mass transportation from the reception site to the ceremony site and back.

-using recycled paper for the invites and RSVPs, or just using the internet!

-giving a tree seedling as the favor

-Having an outdoor wedding and using natural lighting.

Any more ideas??

Answer 1

My husband and I live on a permaculture farm.  We live very green lives.  We were married just over two years ago.

My side of the family is tiny...as in if my Mom and I are together, it is a COMPLETE family reunion.  My husbands side of the family could fill entire stadiums.

I wanted a very simple, but meaningful wedding. For me/us, it was not about the actual wedding, but rather the marriage (if that makes sence).

We got married in our house, in the livingroom.  My husbands father built this house in the 1970's (hubby purchased it from his parents).

Our entire guest list was 9 people.

My Mom

His two parents

His best friend (best man)

Best man's daughter (who is like my daughter)

Best man's parents (who are like our second set of parents)

Our Bishop

The Bishops wife

At first mother-in-law pitched a fit that I was not having a big wedding and inviting all of hubbies syblings and their spouses, and children.

We had the wedding, and then sat down to a formal dinner, my mother and I had cooked.

Each placecard for the guests was a 100+ year old postcard.  After the meal, I asked each guest to write a thought, best wish, advice, prayer, ect on the back for us.  They are now in our photo album.

The main things I purchased for the wedding were gobblets, and a custom embrodered linen tablecloth, and napkins.  Those items have been used over and over again many times for special dinners since then.

I baked the wedding cake myself.  It was lopsided, but completely delicious.  The best man (a master carpenter) had fun propping it up.

My wedding ring was my granmothers.  My husbands was brand new, and made from titanium (not rare/precious metals and gems).

Every time I walk into my livingroom I can smile and remember my wedding.  At the end of the meal, my Mother-in-law stated, "This was lovely, all weddings should be so simple and beautiful."

I didn't know whether to kiss her or to strangle her, as she was the sole cause of several months worth of stress for us, over not having the big wedding.

Basically for a green wedding, rent as many of the items you will NEVER use again as possible.  If there is any chance you will use them again, buy good quality items.

Keep it simple and meaningful, and always, always remember it is not about a "princess wedding party," but rather the actual marriage.  Don't concintrate so much on the wedding you set yourself and your spouse up for disapointment and depression after the actual wedding is over, and the party time ends.  So many young couples do that.

~Garnet

Homesteading/Farming over 20 years

P.S. On the bride's dress, I completely forgot.  Please join in bringing back a VERY OLD tradition!  Have your wedding dress taken apart and make a christening, or baby comes home from the hospital outfit for your future baby.  You can also use parts of the dress to make, or embelish a grogeous blanket, and bonet for your baby.  It will become a completely tressured family heriloom.

If you carry a hankie for the wedding (I reccomend it, hard not to tear up) the hankie can very easily be made into a bonnet for your baby.

Answer 2

only invite 2 people (witnesses) simple... go via horse and carriage.

Answer 3

I have seen green invites in the past. You literally plant them in the ground when you are done. Not a clue where they came from. They may have been home made. But they had a small pocket of seeds attached to them. Bit gimmicky, but a fun idea.

But watch your recycled paper, some ironically is worse than new stock. You need chlorine free paper basically. Double bleaching of old paper stock is hugely destructive. Sometimes people just assume recycled is better. Unless it's bleached with peroxides, which degrade back into water btw, they are not serving any purpose.

You can also set up a fund instead of donations to yourself. Maybe get involved with a company you admire and ask people to donate to them instead of buying you more c**p.

I would rather have no present at all than receiving something I automatically know is just 'landfill waiting to happen'

Answer 4

Instead of giving tree seedlings, contact the Woodland Trust, they will plant trees where they are most needed and then dedicate them to you and your partner as a permenant reminder of your special day. You get a certificate and location/information about your tree(s).   The price is excellent and you can visit the tree to watch it grow along with your love (aaahh!). It will also offset your carbon emissions and provide many creatures with sanctury. I admire you for thinking green on your special day, what goes around comes around....

Answer 5

Have a vegan wedding with locally grown food. We did and it was a huge success, even though most people there weren't veg. If you register ask that gifts not be gift wrapped when sent.

Answer 6

Look for a venue with LEED certification or practices.  This will help with a lot of the things you are looking for like public transportation access, natural lighting, natural ventillation, built with sustainable materials, etc.

Tree planting for favors is an awesome idea.  

Try to get everything you use to be made within 500 miles of your location.

Get used rings, dresses, etc.  Go shopping at a thrift store - I got all my flower girl baskets there.  

Only register with local stores for gifts.

Answer 7

Some good ideas if you haven't seen it already here (first result):

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&...

Topics covered include:

- planning and budgeting

- wedding attire from natural fibers

- holistic beauty and natural products

- tree-free invitations and stationery

- earth-friendly locations and décor

- ceremonies and vows

- organic food and beverages

- favors, flowers and eco-gifts

- honeymoons, green hotels and eco-travel

- newlyweds, sustainable living, values investing and natural homes.

And have you seen these ideas/resources too?

http://www.blissweddingsmarket.com/store...

http://www.beau-coup.com/beaucoup-introd...

http://www.greatgreenwedding.com/

Answer 8

First the negative bits:-

An outdoor wedding would save lighting but risks bad weather and also some guests may not be able to hear well if there is any wind. The set-up costs of this also have to be taken into account and may well be more expensive and create more vehicle emissions than a church or hall wedding venue.

Transport is the main emitter of un-green pollution which is under the control of individuals, followed by un-necessary lighting (e.g. upward facing floodlights that mainly light the bottom of clouds).

For example: It's very sweet to have a wedding on a tropical beach or a Carribean island; but the CO2 emissions (as well as the cost) of getting everyone there is obscene.

If you have to shuttle the wedding party between venues then hiring a bus would be ok. It would also make parking easier at the reception - but where would the guests leave their cars at the wedding venue? Would they be safe?

Also, what about those who want to leave at different times? There's always some who don't want (or can't) wait around to the end of the festivities.

Now the positive bits:-

It would be a Green decision if you had the sites adjacent or in easy walking distance of each other.

It's not everyone's cup of tea, but to go green why not have the wedding in a venue local to where the majority of the guests live.

You could try asking the bridesmaids to use second-hand dresses instead of having specially made gowns. This isn't as mean as it seems - it's eliminating waste on the production and materials for clothes that would otherwise only be worn once ( the bride's dress is the natural exception).

Best of all to go Green would be not to fly anywhere for your honeymoon. If you're travelling beyond a hundred miles  then go by train (the greenest of all transport except for a bicycle). Try spending your wedding night in a railway sleeper compartment. That could actually be extremely romantic (James Bond always makes it seem so) and the train crew will make a big fuss of you.

Answer 9

try collecting petals from fresh flowers and drying them.. store in airing cupboard... an excellent confetti.. with spring on its way there will be plenty of fresh blossom soon. Package it in recycled paper boxes or bay and hand out in church to all guests with order of service.  We did this for my sisters wedding and it was great

Answer 10

How about you, the vicar, and the groom stand on a square of turf when taking your vows?

Answer 11

recycle whatever you can after the wedding horse and carrige

Answer 12

you are entirely right about "going green should be simple" - all too often people make it extreme and really hard

this is my wedding suggestion

http://www.gomestic.com/Entertaining/Pla...

and I mean it with all seriousness not to take away anything from you... too many people forget that weddings are about marriage...

a tree seedling is a wonderful idea.. assuming every one has a place to plant them.. maybe a thing of marigolds or tomatoe plant instead for those who have smaller spaces??

PLUS with tomatoes you teach them about growing some of their own food..

speaking of food - what you serve will impact the environment too.. locally grown is always GREENER than something shipped to the store.. support farmers markets

if there are candles use BEESWAX candles - not parrafin.

Answer 13

Getting hitched is meant to be the ultimate expression that you want to spend the rest of your life with the person you are marrying (I did say 'meant to be' - obviously, there are exceptions to the rule - people who marry for money etc).

There is more and more pressure to turn your 'big day' into an over-the-top 'extravaganza'. (and get into a shed load of debt as a result unless you are lucky enough to have rich parents or a pretty penny yourself!)

Anyway - on the 'green' front:

There is the option of asking your guests to make a donation to a 'green' charity in lieu of a wedding gift and choosing not to increase your carbon footprint by jetting off to some exotic honeymoon destination but I suspect a lot of people would still opt for white goods from Debenhams and 2 weeks in the Maldives instead.  That said, many couples want their big day to be a public expression of their union, shared by family and friends and if that is what they want (and they can afford it) then that is their decision - it sounds like you want to get hitched ecologically, and that is commendable - you have got some good ideas already by the sounds of it.  Congratulations and good luck! (by the way, my wedding was very understated - something to do with the shotgun perhaps....)

Answer 14

Darling this is the most important day of your life,,,,,forget the green issue for once,,,,you can do that another day,,,bless you for your care,,,,have a wonderful day,,,cake please,,,

Answer 15

Growing your own wedding bouquet or getting the flowers from a local supplier rather than having them flown half way round the world!  And using local suppliers for the catering too.

Answer 16

Drink too much, then smoke anything especially a very, very bad cigar.

Come on folks. It is your wedding. It is hopefully the one day which will be imprinted upon your brain for always.

It will be if you are as lucky as I was.

Don't spoil it. Your happiness and joy of the day and thereafter will do more to save the planet than anything else I can think of. Off the top of my head which is bald.

All happiness to you both.

Answer 17

GO NUDE!....Save fabric!!!

Answer 18

* We only had locally-sourced organic food and booze – luckily in Sussex there's loads of brilliant, good-quality local wine and champagne. Sussex and the City (http://www.sussexandthecity.co.uk) was a great starting point.  

* Use flowers in season so they're not shipped in.  We gave away wildflower and herb seed in matchbooks as favours – everyone loved them (http://www.coxandcox.co.uk/index.php?mai...

* Porridge Papers do bespoke plantable invitations embedded with seeds – contact them through http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?lis...

* Have an eco-friendly list: http://www.ourgreenweddinglist.com.

Answer 19

ask all the guests to plant a tree instead of bringing presents and all clothes to be organic.

Answer 20

Instead of throwing rice or birdseed over the happy couple,

how about wildflower seeds!

Answer 21

Marry a rich person and ask only for money as wedding gifts. Have everything catered with gree food coloring. Have bride and bridesmaids dressed in green. Have groom in black. He'll be in mourning soon enough !

Answer 22

use bird friendly confetti

ask guests to car share

Answer 23

What about, buy everyone in the wedding a hybrid car.

Answer 24

Off to Gretna then.

Answer 25

Get your head out of the sand are you getting married or saving the planet?When will humans realise they are only passengers on this rock.One huge volcanic eruption and all life on this planet will end but various governments still test nuclear explosions underground.

Answer 26

I bet that bus idling in the parking lot while they gather everyone up uses at least as much gas as people would have just driving.

Go ahead and use your recycled paper.

I would bet virtually everyone throws their seedling away.  

Outdoor weddings are nice - we had one.  "Natural lighting" wasn't a consideration.

Have fun with your hippie wedding!

Answer 27

Best way to go green, is to remember the girlfriend / boyfriend who dumped you, and look at the slug you are marrying

Answer 28

don't get married and it will save on paperwork

Answer 29

Only invite one person to act as a witness, and invite them via email.

Insist that the solitary guest walks to your house for the wedding.

Get married in your home so as not to be wasting fuel travelling to and from the site.

Get married in outfits you already have.

Dont have any wedding food or drinks

Dont have any flowers, rather fashion a bouquet with a used newspaper.

Instead of rings, use old curtain rings

Don't have a honeymoon, instead, spend the week in the house with the electricity switched off.