Greening Your Wedding: When Every Little Counts

These days, the average cost of a wedding is around $28,000. This is minus the honeymoon. Merely for the event! Naturally, such a (pricey) price tag is likely to have an impact on one's bank account well beyond the Big Day. The same can be said of its ecological impact.

All celebrations impact the environment. There's no getting around it, but there are ways to lessen it. Such is the goal of the "green wedding," where couples make an effort to minimize their footprint. Mind you, this doesn't mean going 100% green. A partial attempt is better than none at all. As poet Gil Scott-Heron once said: "Nobody can do everything, but everybody can do something."

For instance, your venue. If possible, try and find one that's close to everyone. Transportation is perhaps the biggest contributor to any carbon footprint, and on your wedding day, getting guests to and from your event is the reason why. One option might be to rent luxury hybrid cars and carpool.

Speaking of the venue, focus on those that are LEED-certified. In addition, try and be "green" throughout the planning process. That is, think local for food and flowers. Send invitations that use soy ink versus traditional dyes. Choose favors that are useful or practical. Forego tradition altogether and request guests RSVP digitally versus the post.

Even your wedding attire can be green. Some brides already opt for beautiful vintage gowns, and in the case of a green wedding, such a choice is ideal. It takes the concepts of "repurpose" and "reuse" and turns them into something gorgeous. The same can be true for his tuxedo.

Finally, the rings. When selecting, it's a good idea to ask where the metal was mined. The jeweler should have this information and also, be happy to help you make an informed choice. Remember, what's important to you should also be important to those you work with.

As you can see, planning a green wedding can be even more involved than a traditional one. Every detail has (at least) one more element to consider. However, in the end, what could be more perfect than a successful "Green Day"? If it's what you and your spouse hope for, the greenness of it all – should prove the stuff of sustainable dreams.^{1. "She had a fabulous wedding on a budget" by Jen Haley, CNN, June 20, 2008.}