5 Ways to Make Your Wedding Eco-friendly

Getting married does not require you to throw caution to the wind and throw the environment under the proverbial bus. Instead there are measures that you can take to turn your wedding into an eco-friendly celebration.

1. Tighten up the guest list. Travel for weddings can really wreak havoc on the environment. It can also deplete your wedding budget. Keep you guest list tight by only including close friends and family members rather than everyone you know. Not only does it cut down on the amount of emissions it takes for guests to get to your wedding, but with less guests you'll have less food, need less space and less energy to heat, cool and light the venue.

2. Do it in the great outdoors. Another way you cut down on energy use such as heating, cooling and lighting is to throw your wedding ceremony and reception in the great outdoors. There are plenty of beautiful outdoor venues such as parks and gardens that make perfect natural backdrops for your wedding event.

3. Use natural light. Even if you have an indoor ceremony or reception, plan the time of your even to use the natural might of the sun. You can save a great deal of energy by using light from outside rather than turning on lights in the church and the reception venue.

4. Double up on the use of venues. Instead of booking one venue for your ceremony and another for your reception, combine the two venues into one. Many churches have reception space you can use and most hotels and wedding halls have plenty of space to hold the ceremony and reception in the same place.

5. Plan an organic menu. Turn to local farmers to gather the ingredients for your wedding meal. This helps to support local farmers but it also cuts down on transportation costs and emissions when your food is brought in from out of the state or even out of the country.

7 Ways to Make Your Wedding Greener

Weddings are a very important celebration--for the bride, groom, friends, and family members. Who would think that such a happy celebration could wreak havoc on the environment? Unfortunately, if you don't make conscious green choices, a wedding can be bad for the environment.

So here are seven ways you can make your wedding just a little bit more eco-friendly.

1. Pick a central location for your wedding ceremony and reception so that the amount of wedding guests who have to travel long distances are kept to a minimum.

2. Save some trees by choosing invitations made from recycled paper or paper alternatives. You can even choose environmentally friendly inks.

3. Go for a gently used gown instead of buying brand new. Wear a dress that a friend or family member has worn before you, or shop second hand stores, thrift stores, and consignment shops.

4. Register for a cause. Have guests donate to your favorite organization, or register with companies that donate a percentage of your bought gifts to an organization.

5. Choose PC flowers--politically correct flowers that are not grown or harvested by exploited workers.

6. Choose local and seasonal foods for your menu. Try to avoid foods grown with dangerous pesticides.

7. Wedding favors should serve a purpose beyond your wedding day. Plastic doodads that wind up in the trash are not eco-friendly.

If you're interested in leaving a smaller carbon footprint behind from your wedding celebration, follow these seven guidelines and your footprint will shrink.