With all of the months or even years that go into planning a wedding, many brides do not really think past their big day. Making efforts to be eco-friendly as much as possible along the way, can reduce the waste at the end of your event. Paper save-the-dates, wedding invitations, bridal shower invitations, bachelorette party invitations, wedding programs, menus & thank-you cards are the typical stationary that is used throughout the course of an average wedding. Depending on how many guests you have, that is a significant amount of paper being used.
If you are not planning to rent flatware, plates & glasses you will most likely end up with several garbage cans full of plastic cups and plates from your event. In the scheme of things, most brides have their minds on "higher priority" issues such as making sure the day goes smoothly, no one forgets the marriage license and that she doesn't trip while walking down the aisle. All of that is understandable, and that is why companies are creating easy to use products that are still fashionable, yet a little more kind to mother earth.
Here are some of the latest eco-friendly products that will not only help you create a beautiful and thoughtful event, but will also help out the environment.
Compostable Cups, plates, cutlery & more are available as an alternative to plastic. These clear corn plastic cups are 100% compostable. With the same look and feel as clear plastic cups, our PLA cups will completely compost under commercial composting conditions in just 45-60 days. The great thing about these products is that they are relatively the same price as plastic products, and they are becoming more easily accessible in local stores. (http://www.biodegradablestore.com) (http://www.mrtakeoutbags.com)
Blooming Favors by Cast Paper Art; Guests will first enjoy it as a decoration on their table at your wedding but when they take it home, they can plant it and watch it bloom. Choose from year round or holiday favors & ornaments or gift tags, which would be great for a bridal shower, or a garden themed wedding. Buy the gift tags to use for adorning packages, for all sorts of occasions. The favors and gift tags can be specially ordered, and can have lettering printed on them.
Cast Paper Art also carries stationary such as invitations, save the dates, reception cards and more made from 100% recycled cotton and abaca (banana) fibers, both acid and chlorine free. Inclusions are natural plant materials and/or perennial wildflower seeds. The inks are water soluble and natural-based. All envelopes and components are comprised of 100% certified post consumer waste stock. Visit Cast Paper Art for more great products.
Featured in Bride & Bloom, these dress lines are setting trends for being ecologically aware.
Adele Wechsler, has an Eco Couture Collections, which features
dresses made of certified organic hemo or silk, vegetable dyed silks,
fair labor practices, and hand-cut elements. www.adelewechsler.com
PURE by Justin Alexander, is a line that features all organic fabrics without sacrificing fashion and beauty. The organic fabrics used include cotton, organza, pure silk, cotton sateen and chiffon. "The laces which adorn the dresses in the PURE collection are made from organic,cotton sometimes with shells, wooden beads or real pearls sewn within the pattern. " (Bride & Bloom)
Check out Justin Alexander's PURE collection.
Flowers can eat up a large portion of your budget, and are often thrown away after your event unless your guests decide to take home your extra flowers. If you have a backyard or access to some good soil, water & sunshine, a great idea is to plant the flowers for your wedding! Certain types of flowers such as hydrangea and peony's can be very expensive to buy from your florist. But if you buy the flowers from your local garden or hardware store you can simply plant them and watch them grow. The added bonus is you get to enjoy the flowers much longer, and for flower arrangements on the more simple side you can cut the flowers that you need and the plant will continue to produce more buds in the future.
Simple Gerbera Daisy Centerpiece
Simple Hydrangea Centerpiece
As favors, set-up a seed station where your guests can select the seeds they would like to plant. Provide a variety of mixed flowers, or even vegetables for them to plant, and you can dress up the seed packages or create your own envelope with your monogram or wedding date filled with seeds.
If you are curious to see what your carbon footprint is for your wedding, check out the Carbonfund.org site where you can enter the number of guests attending your wedding, number of flights taken to attend your wedding and also the number of cars & average miles driven. If your goal is to have a ZeroCarbon wedding, the website has a link to donate to their fund to offset the C02 emmission from your event.
Check back to find more Eco-Friendly wedding ideas, favors & gifts. Do you have an eco-friendly idea? Share it with us and other local brides by leaving a comment!