Green Wedding Ideas

Green Wedding Ideas - print version (PDF)

What makes a wedding “green” or a shade of green?
Basically, the concept of lessening our carbon footprint, being respectful of the environment and making decisions that impact the world in a smaller way, while also including the beauty of nature in your celebration.

• Host your ceremony and/or reception in an eco-friendly location with
  open air space such as a mountaintop, beach, field, Audubon sanctuary or lakeside (all available at Purity Spring Resort!).
• Minimize the amount of driving your guests will need to do once they are at the wedding venue.
• Don't register for things you don't need: give your guests the option of giving donations in your name instead.
• Daytime celebrations lessen energy use.
• Acoustic entertainment is always fun.
• Book lodging at a resort which practices eco-friendly behavior.
• If you are going to be buying gifts for your wedding party, consider non-consumptive options like massage therapy gift certificates, useful gifts like wine, soap, fair trade coffee and your local health food coop gift certificates.
• Recycling can be sentimental and continue strong traditions. Rather than buying your own cake cutting knife, ask Mom.
• Less can be more, meaningful.

Wedding announcements or invitations

These set the tone for your environmentally friendly wedding. There are many options today for 100% recycled, partially recycled or completely tree free papers from wedding invitation suppliers. Making your own invitations is always a nice touch. It is not unusual for bride & grooms to send out e-mail invitations directing guests to a wonderful homepage spelling out all their wedding details.

Visit www.weddingwindow.com for info for planning your own wedding homepage.

Favors

• Buy local
• Organic - small trees, seeds, bulbs or plants
• www.arborday.org, www.greenworldproject.net
• Blooming favors - recycled paper with seeds www.castpaperart.com
• Give a recycled handmade paper bookmark with wildflower seeds--
  • This is a very useful gift, which can then be planted for even more enjoyment. In place of a bookmark, give a small envelope of wildflower seeds to your guests.
• Homemade item that reflects interests of you
• Soy candles
• No favors at all

Centerpieces

A great addition to the eco-friendly favors on the tables is to pull the "green" theme into your centerpieces. Table decor can take the form of small perennials or baby bushes that can later be planted by your guests. If you are looking for a vessel for the center of your table to hold seashells or colorful rocks, consider vases made from recycled glass or a bamboo bowl, due to renewable tendencies. Creative items make wonderful centerpieces that have meaning and use such as frames or nostalgic items. These are also conversation starters for your family & friends.

Wedding Flowers

Your wedding flowers can be a place where you can make conscientious decisions, which can have big eco consequences. Many flowers sold are imported from developing countries where pesticide use is very high and labor conditions and wages are low.

• Choosing a florist where organically grown, in-season, local flowers are used can be a much better earth friendly choice. This will remove the need for long-distance transportation
• Buy fresh at your local farmer's market
• Grow your own or force bulbs
• Use dried or silk flowers as an eco friendly alternative

Wedding Gown

When the big day is over, consider donating your wedding dress to a charitable organization-the ultimate in recycling. Brides Against Breast Cancer sells once-worn gowns and uses the proceeds to grant wishes to breast cancer patients nationwide. The I Do Foundation will donate 20% of the proceeds from the sale of your dress to the charity of your choice, and use the remaining funds to support the I Do Foundation's ongoing work to encourage charitable giving at weddings. In addition, you receive a tax write-off from the I Do Foundation for the full value of the dress. Ask your bridesmaids to give their gowns to the Glass Slipper Project, a program that distributes formal dresses to high-school students unable to afford prom attire.

Food

• Find a caterer who will provide vegetarian and organic entrees made with locally grown produce and locally pasture raised meats.
• Meats are either organic certified or have no antibiotics, no hormones, no synthetic fertilizer, no GMO feed, and are unprocessed, great tasting…and of course they are raised humanely.

Wedding Rings

Eco Friendly Wedding Rings - Buy jewelry made from recycled precious metals and stones. And don't forget the possibilities of transforming vintage pieces into radiantly recycled classics.

Contact Information

Discover how Purity Spring Resort can simplify your planning and create the wedding of your dreams by contacting:

Lauri Campbell at (800) 373-3754 x225
or email weddings @ purityspring.com
(cut & paste email address, then remove the spaces in front of and after the "@" symbol)

An online registration form is available here.
We'll contact you within 2 business days.