1. Send out save-the-dates that are made from seed-imbued paper that your wedding guests can plant. Check out Green Field Paper Company if you like this idea.
2. Announce your engagement or wedding date by sending your friends and family organic treats.
3. If you want to send out paper invitations, use 100% post-consumer waste paper.
4. Buy handmade, recycled envelopes from Of the Earth.
5. Make your own paper from recycled printer paper and envelopes and print your invitations on this handmade paper.
6. Find a printer to print your invitations with soy or vegetable inks such as GreenPrinter.
7. Decorate your ceremony and reception with organic flowers that have not been grown with chemical pesticides and petroleum-based fertilizers.
8. Check out Organic Style for premade bouquets.
9. If you would like to use dried flowers, use pesticide free flowers from a company like Dried Flowers Direct.
10. Instead of using flowers, have your bridesmaids carry lanterns down the aisle.
11. Make your aisle decorations do double duty by having your wedding planner transport them to the reception location and use them as centerpieces.
12. Is there more than one wedding at your reception location on your wedding weekend? Ask another bride to share centerpieces with you and you can split the cost.
13. Donate your flowers and centerpieces to a local nursing home or hospital after the reception.
14. Green floral foam is not compostable or reusable, so ask your florist to use small rocks or dried beans instead.
15. Collect jelly and jam jars to utilize in your centerpieces. They can be used for your flower vases, and can be reused again at home.
16. Take public transportation to your ceremony and reception, and encourage your guests to do the same.
17. Rent a hybrid vehicle to get from place to place on your wedding day.
18. Do you love to bike together? Leave your reception on a two person bicycle (after changing out of your wedding dress of course).
19. Include local food items in your guest baskets.
20. Use solar lighting options that you can find at Target or Home Depot.
21. Make your own guest book from recycled paper.
22. Get creative with your guest book. Have guests sign squares of fabric and turn it into a quilt.
23. Ask your friends to collect wine corks, and use them to hold the name cards.
24. Use natural materials for decorations such as pinecones, seashells, fruit, pumpkins and gourds.
25. Find organic, eco-friendly flower girl dresses at Conscious Clothing.
26. Get your eco-chic wedding dress from Encore Bridal.
27. Get a conflict-free diamond engagement ring that originated in Canada. Don’t buy a diamond that originated in West Africa.
28. For a unique wedding favor, print out a few of your favorite recipes on recycled paper to make handmade, small cookbooks.
29. Plant a tree in the name each wedding guest as their favors.
30. Use potted plants as wedding decorations and have your guests take them home at the end of the night.
31. If you’re having a garden wedding, collect soup cans to use as the vases in your centerpieces. This will add country charm to your beautiful reception.
32. Set up carpool options for your guests by establishing a ride board on your wedding website.
33. Are you getting your wedding dress altered? If you’ll have extra fabric from your wedding dress after it’s altered, ask your seamstress to keep it for you. Use the fabric to make a DIY ring pillow.
34. Instead of using sparklers that will only last a minute for your send off, have your guests hold soy candles that they can keep as wedding favors.
35. Utilize nature for your name cards. For a summer wedding, write the gests names on smooth river stones or sea glass. And for a fall wedding, utilize small pumpkins or leaves for the name cards.
36. Make your centerpieces stand out by using edible decorations. Here are a few ideas for edible centerpieces:
Cupcake stand filled with cupcakes. You can save money by skipping expensive flowers and the wedding cake.
Candy filled, clear boxes stacked on top of each other. At the end of the night have your guests fill clear bags from their centerpieces. This doubles as the wedding favors.
Make a pyramid of seasonal fruit.
Place chocolate fondue fountains in the middle of each table for your guests to enjoy. This could also take the place of a wedding cake.
37. Ask your caterer to utilize local food in your reception menu.
38. Serve organic wine and beer options at the reception.
39. Support your local vineyards by serving your guests local wine or putting a bottle of local wine in the welcome baskets.
40. Serve your guests organic, fair trade, and shade grown coffee and tea.
41. Ask your caterer to use unbleached coffee filters when preparing the coffee.
42. Purchase fresh-pressed apple cider from a local orchard to serve to your guests if you’re having a fall wedding.
43. If you want a large wedding cake, decrease the chance of having leftover cake by asking your baker to add a couple fake tiers to the wedding cake.
44. Make sure that you have a clean up plan in place, so things are recycled at the end of the night.
45. Supply your guests with Tupperware containers and encourage them to take home leftover food.
46. Donate leftover to food to a homeless shelter or food bank.
47. If you’re going to use disposable cameras, make sure to buy ones that have been recycled.
48. Ask your guests to make a donation to a charity of your choice in your name instead of giving you material items.
49. Plan a local honeymoon. You don’t have to travel to have a romantic vacation and you’ll save lots of money.
50. Make sure that your guests know that you’ve taken steps to make your wedding environmentally-friendly by writing a note to include in the gift baskets or on the back of the program.
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