Dear Wendi Wednesday...Green Weddings

In honor of my birthday and of course Earth day, I have saved this question:

Dear Wendi,

How can I make my wedding earth friendly and green?

Thank you so much for this questions! I wouldn't say that I'm an expert on green weddings, but being that Mother Earth and I share a birthday today, April 22nd, I have a pretty great connection to the topic.

Green weddings are so easy to do! I love working with environmentally conscious companies and clients. Many options don't cost any more then non-green products. You can be environmentally friendly with almost every aspect of your wedding. You don't necessarily need to go over board, but a few of these ideas can make a big impact on your wedding day, and benefit the wonderful earth we all share! Here are a few of the ways.

Invitations:
Using invitations made of recycled paper, out of cotton or bamboo with soy ink is a really earth friendly thing to do. The bamboo and cotton are grown quickly and easily specifically for the purpose of harvesting into paper, saving our trees and rain forests. The non-toxic soy ink is a great substitute for the harsh alternatives.

Also, ditching the inner envelope and RSVP envelope saves a lot of un-needed paper. Opt for a postcard reply card or an online option. Brown Sugar Designs has a great collection of green options!

Flowers:

Flowers grown locally and in season are great way to help the environment. There is little transportation involved causing less carbon emissions.

Also, double using flowers from the ceremony for reception causes you to use less. The bridal bouquet makes a wonderful centerpiece on a sweet heart table, and the brides maid's bouquets can be used as arrangements on the bar, guest book table, around the cake, and many other places. This will reduce your flower order significantly. Using the flowers from wedding day at a brunch the next day, or letting your guests take them home to enjoy extends the life of the flowers.

Lastly, wrapping the bouquets with handkerchiefs or organic ribbon is a beautiful alternative to wasteful one time satin ribbon.
Food:

Using an organic green caterer is a great and green idea for your wedding. Organic caterers buy directly from local farmers. This garuntees freshness and quality, which is so important for your wedding day meal. It also cuts down on green house gas emissions and supports the local economy! Green caterers don't stop there! Most compost all left over food, and packaging associated with the making of the meal. There is little to no waste left over! Two fantastic organic and green caterers in Seattle are Herban Feast and Ravishing Radish!

Transportation:

Having your ceremony and reception at the same location cuts down on the amount guests travel. If you have to travel between two locations think about green options for shuttling your guests. The less cars on the road the better!

Favors:

A donation to your favorite charity is a great option for a green wedding favor. There are also many companies that offer tree saplings or flower seeds that are customizable for favors. Edibles are also a fantastic favor. They are an unexpected treat for your guests!

Additional: One last thing you can do if you are truly looking to make your wedding environmentally friendly is purchase a Terra Pass. A Terra Pass helps Fight global warming by reducing your carbon footprint today - It helps individuals easily and affordably balance their environmental impact from their driving, flying, energy use, and more.

I'm sure there are many more, and I would love to hear about them. I love increasing my Rolodex of green vendors and products! If you have a green idea or company please share it with us! I know that this is becoming a way of life and not just a hot trend!