Eco-friendly weddings are getting a makeover: they are no longer seen as cheap or unglamorous. Nowadays, a green wedding is synonymous with creativity, uniqueness and beautiful sentimentality.
Here’s how to make your big day green and glam!
Green gowns
On your wedding day you want to look like a stunning bride, but that doesn’t mean the planet has to suffer! Luckily, there are many gorgeous ways to ensure that you look your best and still show some love for the environment.
- Go the sentimental route. If there’s a dress that has worked its way down generations in your family, then it could be a great gown idea if it means something special to you. Of course, if it’s not exactly up to scratch with your style you could always find ways to give it some flash or get it seen to by a tailor.
- Something borrowed. Wearing a second-hand dress doesn’t have to make you think of tacky wedding gowns. Visit antique or vintage shops to find something fun and unique that will add creativity to your day and save you some money.
- Get an eco-designer. Wearing an eco-friendly gown tells the world what matters to you. “A bridal gown, possibly the most important dress a girl will ever wear, is the culmination of her personality and what is important to her,” says Dimity designer Wendy Schultz. “EcoBride takes all of this into consideration, allowing a bride to display her care for the environment (through careful fabric choices) and the people who live in it (through development of rural skills of crochet and lace making).”Dimity’s EcoBride collection uses materials and procedures that don’t harm the environment. A bonus is that some gown styles are designed as separates (for instance, corsets and blouses) that can be worn after the wedding, thus breathing new life into your wedding attire. Visit the Dimity website here.
Double up on the venue
When choosing a church and reception for your wedding, opt for a venue that features both. Not only is this kind to your guests who won’t have to travel from one place to another, but it will cut down on all your guests’ carbon footprints.
Make it memorable
As with any event, the details go the distance in making it memorable. There are many ways in which you can make your wedding a beautiful memory as well as incorporate eco-friendliness:
- Choose to make your invitations from recycled paper and use natural trimmings, such as feathers or flowers. Alternatively, send e-vites that won’t result in the chopping down of trees for paper.
- Flowers are a huge part of any wedding, but make sure they fit in with your eco-friendly theme by choosing live succulents that can be used as table centerpieces and in your bouquets. These can be planted again after the wedding.
- Choose thoughtful gifts for your guests. Organic candles or mini palm plants that will be pretty and useful without harming the environment are some creative ideas.
- Use bird seed instead of confetti!
Summer lovin’
An eco-friendly time to get married is in the warmer months because you and your guests won’t require a lot of extra clothing, such as shawls and coats. This will cut down on how much material you and your guests will use in order to look your best. A summer wedding also means that you could easily have the wedding outside.
Get an eco caterer
There are many eco-friendly caterers out there who can offer you a gorgeously green feast that will also be a unique experience for your guests. An exciting example is Dial-a-picnic. They offer local and organic food that is packaged in biodegradable, re-usable or recyclable containers. Their picnic wedding idea can be theme-based to tailor to your wedding desires and it’s the perfect addition to an outdoor wedding.
The Live Eco team
