Top 6 Ways to Make Your Wedding Eco-Friendly

Image credit : Evgeny PLISHKIN Photography

1. Charter a shuttle for your guests

For starters, hiring a shuttle is a great way to ensure the safety of all your guests who might offer a few too many toasts, but that's not the only benefit to offering the service. By allowing people to carpool to and from your site and reception, you're literally taking cars off the road and preventing their carbon outputs … for a few hours. Just be sure to hire a driver with at least a moderately efficient form of transportation. (Thanks but no thanks, Hummer limo.)

2. Choose natural or compostable tableware

When you're feeding a large group of people, it only makes sense to opt for single-use tableware. No one wants to spend hours after the reception scrubbing plates. Still, there are disposable options that are more responsible than others. Take a look at biodegradable or compostable tableware like those offered by EcoPartyTime.com. Just be sure that once the party's over, your compostable or biodegradable tableware is disposed of responsibly, preferably in a compost pile.

3. Go for plantable or electronic invitations

There are several ways to choose responsible invitations. While you might be excited about putting an invitation away in a drawer for years to come, going electronic is so much better for the environment. For one thing, you won't be using all the paper, but you will also be avoiding the carbon footprint of transporting those invitations through the postal service. But electronic invitations may not always be practical when they had to match your wedding theme and colors. Then handmade recycled plantable invitation is the number one eco-chic option.

4. Choose saplings as centerpieces

In following with the tradition of allowing guests to take their table's centerpiece, why not make that centerpiece valuable to the environment? Rather than opting for a floral arrangement, talk to you local nursery about purchasing a set of saplings. When your guests plant them they will not only combat carbon emissions, they'll represent your union and grow with you and your partner!

5. Cater with local food

Going local serves two purposes at once. First, you'll be supporting members of your community by purchasing goods from their farms. Second, you'll be using your power to choose local food to greatly reduce the carbon footprint of your menu. On top of those benefits, you're sure to have some of the freshest foods around! While your catering bill might climb a bit, your guests' appetites will thank you.

6. Don't stop at the ceremony and reception

For some people, the honeymoon is the best part about getting married. It's a wonderful time to get in that trip you've been waiting to take for years, but make sure you do what you can to reduce your impact in the process. Even if you're going halfway across the world for your honeymoon, there are plenty of ways you can reduce your impact as you get to where you're going.

Protect the environment as you celebrate

All our choices have an impact on the world we live in. As you gather your family and friends to celebrate your love for your partner, do your part to support the environment. Together, we can make the changes needed to protect our planet for generations to come.