Going Green for the Big Day

by Diana Mojica Valadez.

In recent years a number of politicians, celebrities, and other public figures, have embarked on numerous campaigns that have helped raise awareness about the environment. As a result, more and more people, including engaged couples, have sought out ways to incorporate eco-friendly techniques that calls for a healthier living that is beneficial to their wedding budget and the environment. From local organic catering to recycled or electronic invitations, now more than ever, the environmental movement has changed the way couples are thinking about weddings.

1. Stay Home
Although a destination wedding located in an exotic island in the depths of the warm South Pacific sounds intimate and endlessly romantic, planning a destination wedding can easily become complicated due to high gas prices that inevitably cause airline ticket prices to sky-rocket. Furthermore, international marital laws leave a lot of room for planning errors. Therefore, rather than traveling thousands of miles overseas many couples have decided that it’s far more convenient and cost-effective to get married in their hometowns.

A local wedding is beneficial for a number of reasons, primarily due to familiarity with the area that allows couples to save money on gas. Familiarity simplifies and saves couples time–precious time that is essential to wedding planning. A local wedding saves couples from driving long distances for food caterers and florists while enabling them to explore small businesses.

2. E-vite
With the Information Age in full swing, invites and RSVP’s are now a click away.
The Internet has completely and forever revolutionized the way people communicate and in an effort to save paper and money, according to a number of wedding magazines, websites and surveys, many couples are skipping out on mailing physical wedding invitations for electronic invitations that can be massed emailed to all their guests. Opting for electronic invitations, is not only beneficial to the environment because it saves ecological resources, but it saves couples hundreds of dollars- money that can easily can be used to pay off the ceremony and reception venue.

3. Set the Mood Green
Regardless of the location and theme of a wedding, lighting is an essential component to any wedding, especially for a couple that seeks to add an element of romanticism. Using soy candles allows couples to cut back on some electricity while using a clean product that burns longer than regular candles. Soy candles are found in nearly every size and scent that can easily accommodate any theme.

An environmentally contentious wedding doesn’t mean hosting a wedding in the deep redwoods of Northern California and having alfalfa sprouts as the main course–it’s all about reducing, reusing and recycling a stylish wedding that is in accordance with the style of the bride and groom.