Weddings are beautiful, and months of planning lead up to a day that is nothing like a dream. That agreed, we also have to acknowledge that if not careful, weddings can also have a lasting impact on the environment. All the pretty flowers sourced from the best of sources and the carefully chosen menu additions can end up being a waste after the wedding is done, and the decor that you curated and planned over the months can end up in the trash. However, in recent years, many couples are choosing better alternatives while making their wedding decisions and also dealing with the waste more efficiently. Green weddings are not just a cool wedding aesthetics or a trend, but it is the need of the hour. Being mindful of our resources is no longer a luxury or an option, but rather a mandate. If you are a bride who thrives to make eco-friendly choices, looking into some ideas to make your wedding more sustainable and environment-friendly is a good idea. Not only will your heart be happy knowing that you are not leaving a huge carbon footprint as you are stepping into a fun and exciting chapter of your life, but it is also potentially going to be easier on your pocket, which is always a positive! Today we have some fun green wedding ideas that you can test out if you are planning for a wedding in the upcoming days. 

Choose the ring well
The journey of a green wedding starts from the time a couple looks for a ring to propose to their loved one. When picking out your engagement ring or wedding bands, track the sources of your diamond or gemstones and go for a conflict-free stone. There are several great resources that are specifically meant for tracking your stones, but it’s also essential to ask your craftsman where they generally source their gems and stones from. While it may seem counter-intuitive, lab-created stones have less impact on the environment, as there is no mining involved in the creation process and are thus not harmful to the earth, and also not involved in any conflict trade. Another fun way to switch up your approach to finding a ring with next to no environmental impact is by going vintage. Consider proposing with a family heirloom, which always makes an endearing story, or going for a rare vintage find which comes with a legacy and a story of its own.

Eco-Friendly invitations
Paper invites can have a negative impact on the planet and one can go for increasingly environmentally conscious options including recycled paper, upcycled fabrics, leather, and wood. Not only does this give your wedding an alluringly rustic look, but it is also a more sustainable option. Another fun earth-friendly stationery is printing invites, programs, and menus on seed paper, a biodegradable material that grows into flowers when planted in a pot of soil. Isn't that amazing? In case you want to avoid paper altogether, go for e-invites. E-invites have gained acceptance in the recent year as sending out emails became harder and less safe, and making a wedding website and sending invites through email became more common. 

Eco-friendly and charity registry
If you are committed to an eco-friendly lifestyle, setting up the right gift registry might make sense, as these are the things that you will eventually be taking home and if it does not align with your beliefs, it will go unused or underappreciated which is just sad. So setting your right foot forward with the right gift registry supports your mission and keeps sustainability on priority. Whether it is those wooden toothbrushes, silicone cupcake liners, or reusable coffee filters, put it all down, and at least you know the gifts you receive will be the ones you love. If you don't want any material gifts, funding a cause that you truly adore and support is a great way to host a green wedding. Whether it is a foundation with its focus on the environment or animal welfare, or whether it is a foundation that plants a tree in each guest's account, the options are inexhaustible. A charity registry is an exceptionally good idea if you and your partner already have everything that you need and won't want to collect more stuff and would rather fund a passion cause.

Go for an eco-friendly venue
It is amazing when your personal beliefs and choices for your special day align perfectly with a wedding venue, and venues that offer eco-friendly services can just be the perfect fit for a green wedding, as they already know how to shrink your celebration's carbon footprint. The good news? Well with more and more couples going green, more venues have opened up their options too, which means you won't have to sacrifice style to be sustainable. Another beautiful way to get married sustainably is to choose a venue that comes with a beautiful outdoor space, whether it is a lush forest, picture-perfect hills, a stunning beach, or a romantic vineyard, all make beautiful spots to say “I do.” Choosing a wedding venue that comes with decor? Now that's smart! Keep your eye out for spaces that offer details that fit your wedding style without much fuss and offer a lot when it comes to aesthetics. We are talking wineries, botanical gardens, parks, and greenhouses that already feel dressed up for a wedding, without you doing much. Not only does it eliminate the need for excessive decor, (because nature already does that for you!) but also allows you to save on your energy usage and lighting! What's not to like? And get ready for amazing wedding photographs which show off nature at her prettiest best!

Conscious floral arrangements
Flowers are important in a wedding, whether it is a centerpiece or a bridal bouquet, or an arbor decor. However, while flowers are nature’s prettiest decor, fresh-cut flowers are not always the best for the environment. Fortunately, there are excellent eco wedding alternatives out, without you having to forgo the flower love entirely. If cut flowers are going to be used, consider seasonal blooms that are grown locally rather than something exotic and difficult to avail, you can also keep an eye out for sustainable florists online who work for small local farms or grow flowers themselves, eliminating the need to transport flowers to long distances. You can also consider decorating your wedding day with foliage instead, which is not only lovely aesthetically but also is easier on the planet as well as the pocket. Succulent decors and bridal bouquets are also gaining more popularity than ever and can be used for your special day. Consider potted flowers or plants, including herbs and even trees that can later be reused at home or transplanted to the garden after the event.

Pass on the decor
Source your wedding decor from second-hand stores, boutiques, or thrift stores, as it is not just sustainable, but it is also an amazing way to find some unique and one-of-a-kind pieces for your special day. After your wedding day is done, don't throw away your decor, but rather find ways to reuse, recycle, or donate the decor so that someone else can find a way to use those. This also applies to wedding flowers as there are several organizations that will be more than happy to pick up your arrangements and donate them to local hospitals, senior centers, and homeless shelters. You can sell or donate the decor pieces like mirrors, signage, and lanterns at a local thrift store, or find a use for it at your home, or give them away to friends and family.

Meals-sourcing and leftovers
Approach wedding meals with an eco-friendly mindset, and look for caterers who concentrate on local, sustainable, and seasonal cuisine. Ask them how they source the produce and meats as the more local it is, the smaller the carbon footprint. More and more wedding venues are offering nutritious and organic farm-to-table experiences which is amazing! After the wedding day is over, it is important to ensure that there is no major food wastage. Plated dinners are the best way to go to avoid excess food and you can also look into donating extra food to a local food bank or homeless shelter. 

Rent it before buying
Consider renting before you want to buy anything, and use it as a general thumb rule in weddings! Forgo the plastic and paper in favor of vintage-looking china and stemware, and you will never regret it. However, you don't have to go out and buy them, and can rather rent them or get them from a thrift store. This will not only upgrade your whole wedding look but also will diminish landfill waste. This also applies to linens, like napkins, tablecloths, and runners. Most wedding venues provide these as a part of the package and they are reusable for many weddings to be celebrated.

Rethink your welcome bags and wedding favors
Welcome bags are lovely and make your guests feel welcomed and appreciated. However, reconsider the plastic or paper bags with plastic water bottles and plastic-wrapped nibbles. A green alternative is to gift your wedding guests personalized tumblers or even reusable bottles or offer homemade snacks or baked goods packed sustainably as wedding favors. Put them all in a fabric tote and call it a day! Similarly, when it comes to wedding favors, go for something green like cutesy potted plants, a sachet of seeds, or edible goods! Another fun way for a couple to give back is to drop the favors entirely and donate to a charity instead of in the guests' names!

Exit with grace
While making a grand exit from your wedding as you head out to your happily ever after is the norm, the confetti and best of papers and sparkles and colored plastics isn't very sustainable. However, you don't have to dim your celebrations just for this. Go for a plant-based approach with lavender buds, rose petals, fresh herbs, eucalyptus leaves, or micro flowers to create a pretty picture while still making it a sustainable choice. You can hand out pretty packages of these in recycled craft-paper bags as soon as they walk in, or keep them in large containers which are accessible to everyone!

Go green-literally
Lastly, sometimes you might have to go green by literally incorporating the color into your wedding color palette! Whether it is by using an outdoor location, using abundant foliage to make the environment come alive, or by using green as a color for your bridesmaids to get dressed up in, the effect is just as one would expect, soothing, earthy, and natural! Green is a color that goes beautifully with every season and somehow manages to look perfect no matter what. Whether you mix it with white or dusty pink for a spring and summer wedding or dress it up with gold, maroon, or black for a glam winter wedding, the color green is “evergreen,” quite literally, and will never disappoint! And what better way to bring your green wedding to life than to sprinkle a heavy dash of green throughout? 

While life is short, love makes all the difference and makes our life worthwhile! While a wedding day is a highly significant day in the calendar and it can feel like the world revolves around us during those days, it is important to be mindful of whether your special day is impacting your environment negatively. While in most cases it is not much about compromising on much but rather about making wiser choices, the difference it makes is truly immense in the broader spectrum of things. It is home after all, and while our wedding day might seem like the most important thing ever, it can't be more important than our home, planet, and our future. So consider taking that extra step, walking that extra mile, and making the decisions that not only make sense for you but make better sense for the planet too! Making eco-friendly choices is most often not difficult. It just takes some insight and prior planning in terms of acquisition and disposition. We hope this blog helps you out if you have been dabbling with the idea of a green wedding.