While spring may no longer be in the air, weddings are still in full bloom. And as the shift towards a more eco-friendly world continues, couples are making promises to each other and the environment through the concept of a “green wedding.”

So what exactly is a green wedding? For starters, green weddings are the number  five (5) wedding trend globally, and quickly making their way, up the ladder. They are the same as traditional weddings, except a green wedding has more eco-friendly components. Maybe the flowers are all organic or the invitations are made from recycled paper, but all green weddings have one thing in common: they all have a smaller impact on the environment than a traditional wedding. And, most green weddings actually cost about 40% less than traditional weddings without any extra effort.

“You have to make all the decisions anyway,” writes Kate Harrison, author of The Green Bride Guide, on her website www.thegreenbrideguide.com where she compares both types of weddings. “You have to choose invitations, and napkins, and what you will wear, and so all that it takes to plan a green wedding when you boil it down is keeping the environmental impact of those choices in mind as you decide.”

And, for the naysayers who do not believe that traditional weddings are really that bad for the environment, we take you back to thegreenbrideguide.com, which gives a beautiful visual for the amount of waste generated by traditional weddings. Harrison writes, “if every wedding this year used a disposable aisle runner and they were laid end to end, they would circle the globe twice!” And that is just the aisle runners. Also take into consideration the bags of rice, toxic make-up, non-recycled invitations, and paper beverage napkins (just to name a few).

Now that you have the facts, it is time to start planning your event. Where do you begin? Thanks to our friends at thegreenbrideguide.com, we have comprised a Green Wedding How-to. . .

1. Just like in a traditional wedding, you need to choose a location. “[It] can be a simple backyard BBQ or gala event with roses down the stairs,” says Harrison. You need to choose a location that fits your personal style and your personal budget. When Sheryl Woodhouse-Keese, founder of Twisted Limb Paperworks (a paper company that prints only on 100% recycled paper), reflects on the different green weddings in which her company has provided invitations, there were a couple of locations that stood out in her mind. “We’ve created wedding invitations. . . for a wedding reception that took place after a couple returned from their elopement in Africa.”

2. Once you have found the place, it’s time for the planning. You can visit www.thegreenbride.com to find a list of eco-friendly printers, beauty products, flowers, attire, and so much more! “[We screen] all of the products and services in our database and provide a vendor leaf rating to help you find the most reliable options.”

3. As far as favors go, why not try something a little different that is both tasteful and easy on the environment? You can try bio-degradable tissue paper, have guest blow non-toxic bubbles instead of throwing rice, or make your own table favors and place cards from recycled paper! If done properly, these favors could look even better than the harmful traditional favors that may end up getting thrown out.

4. After the wedding, recycle the left-overs! All paper and plastic products can be put into a recycling bin. Think about donating your flowers. The wedding dress can be given to a thrift store or post it on ebay or amazon. Also, consider having guests carpool back to hotels or homes instead of each of them driving separately.

Of course, these are just some ways to have a successful green wedding. There are plenty of other options of eco-conscious brides, grooms, and wedding planners. Using tips like these, it is easy to keep the bride, groom, and Mother Earth celebrating such a special day.

Eco-friendly wedding resources can be found at:

www.greenbrideguide.com

www.ecowedding.org

www.greenmaven.com

www.twistedlimb.com

www.greenweddings.net