There’s always a greener way for everything in life, even a greener way to say I do!

Not only will keeping your wedding an eco-friendly event be beneficial to the planet, it will also keep your wedding at a more affordable cost.

Starting off with the engagement ring. Choose silver, not gold. Silver mining has a much lower impact and there are plenty of gemstones besides diamonds to choose from. When purchasing your diamond make sure it is mined without conflict. (All Canadian-mined diamonds are conflict free).

Invitations consume a lot of paper and often use non-recyclable elements such as plastic, which ends up in landfill. Use post-consumer recycled paper and stay away from bright whites, which use a lot of chemical bleach. You can also avoid using any type of paper at all. Tree-free paper is made from recycled coffee beans, denim, organic cotton, or hemp fibre. You can also take advantage of technology and make e-vites online!

Choose locally grown flowers, even from your own garden. Cut flowers are toxic both to the environment and the workers who grow them.

As for the ceremony, you can cut the cost by choosing a botanical garden or park and use the venues natural backdrop as your (free) décor. Also, Make your wedding be easily accessible for the majority of your guests. Transportation also leaves a huge carbon footprint.

The food you serve should be organic, locally grown. If you’re having a small town wedding there should be plenty of local farmers to choose from. Be sure to serve your food and beverages in eco-friendly reusable dishes, not disposables.

Last but not least, the dress. The simplest way to “green” your gown is to purchase one you can wear again like simple yet elegant, organic cotton summer dress. It’s a waste to spend thousands of dollars on a one time only dress. You can also buy a second hand wedding dress or borrow one from family. You can also look into wedding gowns that are made from organic hemp/silk blends.

Tags: eco-friendly wedding, green wedding, organic wedding

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