Okay, so you want to keep your wedding enviro-friendly but you don’t want to sacrifice anything from your special day. Check out some of the great tips for keeping your wedding green without losing any of the exceptional qualities you want for your wedding day.

One of the biggest ways you can keep your wedding day on the green side is to consider travel in all aspects of your planning. Try choosing a bridal shop close to home or public transit, as you will probably have multiple visits for fittings. Choose vendors and services that are close to home and/or your chosen locations. If possible, have the ceremony and the reception in the same place to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This type of planning also makes it convenient for multiple trips during the planning phases and makes logistics on the day of the event much simpler.

When it comes to your favours the possibilities are endless. Try organic treats like chocolate or coffee, and forgo the extensive packaging which usually ends up in the garbage. Make your own jam (or buy some from local vendors) or provide a seedling for your guests to plant. Keep them simple.

Venues – so many choices! Does the venue offer non-disposable cutlery and linens? Will they be able to handle an organic menu? Can you serve local wine and beer? Try using items your family and friends have had at their weddings. Things like multiple tea light holders are simple, cute and don’t need to be matchy, lending an eclectic air to your reception décor. Use candles that are made from a natural source like beeswax. If you are using name-tags at your tables, use recycled paper and find a way to re-use them. Your guests can write you a note on the back of their name card, and then place it in a photo album or scrapbook after the wedding.

Taking small steps like these can keep your wedding green and save you money! It’s a fun way to put your beliefs into action.

The reception – one of the best parts of the wedding day. When planning your décor and menu try to keep some of these ideas in mind.

Grow your own flowers – try potted asters, impatiens, mums, dahlias, daisies, tulips, hyacinths, and miniature roses, which are all replantable. Paint some cute pots in your wedding colours and use them as centerpieces. Then your guests can take them home as a wedding favour! Look at using bamboo as a decorating feature or wedding favour – it is one of the most sustainable materials on earth and considered very lucky in a lot of cultures. Or use shells, pretty rocks and candles (made from natural sources like soy) to decorate your tables.

Re-use your decorations. By decorating the reception site with items from the ceremony site you can save a lot of money and waste. After the day is over, take your flowers and décor and see if there is a hospital or nursing home you can donate them to.

Choose a caterer that uses organic ingredients and locally grown foods which reduces pollution and the costs of transportation of goods. Serve local and/or organic wines and beers. You can donate your leftovers to a food bank or compost the food waste. Choose in-season fruits and vegetables, and try serving 25% less meat. For the meat you do serve, use free-range organic meats and wild fish with a low mercury content. Don’t forget about your wedding cake. Ask your baker to use organic ingredients.

Organic food is food that is grown without the use of pesticides, chemicals, antibiotics and isn’t genetically modified. By using an organic menu, you will probably increase your catering costs but the food will taste so much better.