Sensory Loss

If you and your guests aren’t quite ready for a paperless experience, you can easily find a solution that works for you. Many eco-conscious couples find a middle ground: they choose a company that uses recycled paper and soy inks for printed invites that are just as lovely as their traditional counterparts. Companies like Spilled Ink Press offer gorgeous invitations made from earth-friendly papers and processes. Most invitation companies are now offering some eco-conscious alternatives; for example, Crane & Co. offers couture letterpress invitations on recycled cotton paper.

Another creative solution to the paper problem is to find ways to reduce the amount of paper in your invitation package. Perhaps you choose online save-the-date cards, and then have your invitation company craft a gorgeous one-page wedding invitation. Eliminate the need for additional inserts by referring your guests to a wedding website to find reception information, directions to your venue, etc. With so many different options for limiting the amount of paper, you’re sure to find a solution that fits your style, budget and personality.

Giving Back

Many wasteful elements of weddings can be reinvented as ways to give back. A couple who already owns home goods could consider a charity registry instead of a more traditional gift registry. You can also donate your leftover food and flowers and, if you grew out your hair for the wedding, consider donating those soon-to-be-shorn tresses, too.

While donating a wedding gown is a tough sell for many brides, there are wonderful charities that make it worth considering. Brides Against Breast Cancer is one such charity of many. They collect donated gowns

Image: Brides Against Breast Cancer to resell, raising money to grant wishes to breast cancer patients. Just-married brides can donate their wedding gowns to help others, and brides-to-be can purchase couture once-worn gowns at discounted prices. While it may be difficult to part with the dress of your Image: Glö dreams, you can really make a difference for someone by donating it instead of keeping it all wrapped up in plastic. Similar charities exist for bridesmaids’ gowns, which are notorious for being one-time wear pieces of attire. The Cinderella Project and Operation Fairy Dust are two charities that collect bridesmaids’ gowns to give to young girls who cannot afford formal dresses for their proms. All of these charities provide ways to give bridal party attire a meaningful second life instead of a place to collect dust in the attic.

What if you could give back something on behalf of your guests instead of sending them home with a trinket? Making donations in honor of your guests is a thoughtful alternative to a traditional wedding favor. You can honor a charity you believe in, and share your personal values with your guests. Print out a card on recycled paper telling your guests about the donation you’ve made on their behalf, and perhaps even share some information with them about the organization and why it is important to you as a couple.

A Sustainable Start to a Sustainable Marriage

Image: Brunk Photography

Any of these simple choices will reduce the impact your wedding has on the earth, but none will reduce the style and elegance of your special day. Whether you make just one green choice, or many, every choice makes a difference, and making eco-friendly choices will likely make your big day even more special for both of you. Your eco-chic wedding will be a beautiful, sustainable start to your beautiful, sustainable marriage.

Submitted by Kate Harrison. For more information go to www.greenbrideguide.com.