Engagement Rings

Choosing to go eco-friendly for your wedding is one of the best decisions you can make in favor of the environment. This is also the right way to go, especially considering the various adverse changes observed in the global climate nowadays. Even small contributions would add to large-scale improvements over time, and that though has prompted many a couple to take this approach seriously and stick to it on their big day. An eco-friendly wedding ensures greener ways of celebrating people joining as one, and unlike most people think, this does not force you to compromise on cleanliness or budget. It even brings benefits on both fronts, considering the methods involved are mostly cheaper than traditional ones. Below are a few eco-friendly wedding and engagement ideas to consider this month.

The Reception Venue

Choosing the venue is a big part of wedding planning. You can choose to go with a venue which minimizes impact on nature. The best way to do that is by selecting an outdoor venue. Nowadays, several options, such as vineyards, farms, and hilltops, are available as wedding venues. These places would help you minimize energy consumption, by removing the requirement of artificial lighting. They also have basic facilities like toilets and sinks.

In case an outdoor ceremony is not a possibility for you, you can hold one indoors, but with more natural lighting than normal. If you do this during the day, you can avoid artificial lights altogether and save big on energy bills. Furthermore, you can also look for biodegradable products and eco-friendly appliances.

The Stationery

A huge number of trees get chopped down every year to fulfill the stationery needs of people around the country. Weddings contribute to a fair share of this by using tonnes of paper, and that is just for wedding cards. Alternatives do exist though, and in many different types. These let you ensure minimized impact on the environment. You can also choose to go digital by sending out wedding invitations through popular social media websites. This is an emerging trend, where people share details in creative forms, such as short video clips and digital letters. All kinds of details can be shared this way.

If you are particular about sending out invites, you can also choose plantable wedding cards. These can be sent and afterwards be planted in your garden. Once planted, they produce flowers and herbs. The cards contain embedded seeds, and are eco-friendly.

The Flowers

It is a common belief that all flowers are organic, but they are not. There are many ways to grow flowers using inorganic practices, which can bring adverse effects including health problems to workers planting and managing such flowers. Therefore, you have to ensure that your flowers are sourced from companies which grow them organically and safely. Look for companies that follow farm-to-table practices, which means they cut the stems and get the flowers to you within a short period.

You can inquire with the local florist regarding the local flowers available in that particular season. This should get you the best flowers at the lowest prices. Furthermore, there are options like using flowers over again, to keep from wasting them. Many companies have arrangements to pick up the flowers after the ceremony, and use them on a different occasion. Make sure you sign up with one of these when considering your wedding and engagement decorations.

The Catering

Food is the central attraction of any celebration. There are several ways to ensure that your wedding is eco-friendly, without compromising on your taste. The farm-to-table service is available almost everywhere, and you can ensure the use of farm-fresh food items in your feast. However, you must note that organic food costs more than normal, and that this can be overcome by choosing local produce, which costs less.

Furthermore, you can approach your neighborhood baker to get locally produced raw materials for the cake. This would also help you cut down on transportation costs, and require very little space for storage. All this contributes to reducing pollution by the tiniest bits, but every one of those counts.

The Wedding Dress

Choosing to go with an eco-friendly dress for your wedding may bring to mind the option of re-wearing your mom’s old wedding dress. Check if that is possible, and try to make necessary changes to fit your style. If you want to look for other options, go on a few websites which rent out wedding gowns, and borrow one that you like.

In case you are looking for a brand new wedding dress, prefer one made out of sustainable fabrics. This includes hemp, silk, and organic cotton. Many designers specialize in these materials, and offer great designs customized exclusively for you. There are companies that accept custody of past wedding dresses and keep these in top shape, so that later on, other people can come and get these to wear on their own special day.