You will already be aware of the fact that weddings use up lots of resources and are least environment-friendly, unless you attempt to make it otherwise. Fortunately, many couples today consider the environmental impact of everything they do, and choose to make wise and eco-friendly choices. The same applies to weddings too, and there are various ways in which you can plan an exciting, but sensible wedding that doesn’t harm the environment any more than is absolutely necessary.

There is a huge misconception that making green choices for your wedding means you have to compromise on style or function, and also that it can end up being very expensive. This is in fact, far from the truth. You can have a fantastic green wedding with as much an impact as any other wedding, if you plan it well. Additionally, there are several advantages of . Let us first look at what they are.

• Our planet can no longer take the brunt of our demand for paper, water, energy and resources. Every wedding creates huge quantities of garbage and affects the environment in many different ways. A few eco-conscious choices can control this damage to a great extent.
• When you make green choices and introduce this concept to your friends and family, they will also be intrigued by the options on offer. You can thus not only do your bit, but also promote an environment-conscious move, through your choices.
• Simple actions like using less paper, making use of seasonally and locally available resources etc, can save you a lot of money and help you plan a budget wedding with huge impact. It is all about exploring the available options and keeping an open mind.

We have discussed some ideas in our previous post on planning a green wedding here. Let’s continue with some more ideas today. So, join in the fun.

1.Eco Jewelry

Do you really need that solitaire diamond for your engagement ring, for it to be meaningful? Wouldn’t responsibly and sensibly sourced jewelry and those that make use of recycled or repurposed stones and gems be equally unique? It could actually be extra-special, precisely for this reason! Ethically sourced diamonds are a valuable find that will give you what you want, sans the guilt. Cultured diamonds and other gemstones look equally good as their original counterparts, but with the added advantage that you will be wearing a stone that isn’t tainted by the sad stories behind the mining and extraction of such precious stones. Although these rings are grown chemically in a lab, they possess similar properties to the original stone and so would be just as durable and last as long as an original. The other great option is to use family heirlooms. If you aren’t a fan of the style, you can always have it reworked as it would still be a greener choice than getting a brand new one. Antique jewelers offer you opportunities to find something really special and perhaps with a history to it. So, explore these options to find not only your engagement ring, but also your wedding day jewelry. We found this wonderful article on the Inhabitat page that opens up a world of options in eco-friendly wedding rings. Why don’t you check it out to see the various choices that you can consider for your green wedding jewelry.

2.Reusable bridesmaid dresses

Choosing eco-friendly bridesmaids dresses may not be too easy, as we would be looking at choices in unusual fabrics like hemp or bamboo for it to truly be eco-friendly choices. Although it isn’t impossible to find a dress that fits the needs, it isn’t necessary that you will be able to acquire them as easily as you would if you were to go shopping the usual way. So, what we suggest is to look at this idea from a different perspective. One of the common things most brides do is to choose bridesmaid dresses so they fit the wedding theme perfectly. This can narrow down the choices drastically, as standard bridesmaids dresses aren’t usually preferred for use on another occasion. If you have your mind set on peach or yellow as your bridesmaids dress color, you can easily imagine how many of your bridesmaids will bother using the dress ever again. Fortunately, you can quickly change the picture by making a different choice. We suggest choosing bridesmaid dresses in neutral colors and in universally flattering designs, so they find use more than just once. Colors like black, brown and navy, as suggested in this previous post, are universally appealing colors that aren’t typical bridesmaid material. So, your girls are more likely to find better use for it, and you do the planet a favor by choosing a dress that will be used adequately for the resources that went into creating it.

3.Digital photo albums

One of the budget bombers in a wedding is the photography package that a couple books. Apart from the huge amount that goes into hiring a professional photographer, more money is spent for the rest of the things like photos in frames and the wedding album. Just think of how necessary all this actually is. Do you really need that wedding album or would the pictures on the CD do just as well? The main advantage of digital photography today is that it reduces the need and use of paper, which is a diminishing natural resource. Since you will mostly be sharing your pictures with all your friends and family online, ask yourself if you need more prints than what you will be displaying in your own home? And if you opt out of the wedding album option, you may be able to save a significant amount on the photography cost. Before you go and order your wedding album, wait for a while to make sure you think it is necessary. If you do, you can always have one made from the wedding photos you will anyway have, and perhaps gift it to yourself as an anniversary gift. Article on the Green Bride Guide also suggests asking your potential photographer whether they use green practices such as rechargeable batteries and non-toxic inks, if you are looking for the right person who shares your vision.

4.Artificial bouquets and boutonnieres

Are you aware of the environmental impact of cut flowers? These flowers are usually grown in greenhouses, using loads of chemicals and transported from abroad to make it to your wedding. Imagine the damage each of the steps in their growth, packing, preserving and shipping cause the environment! Make a green choice by opting for artificial flower bouquets instead. You can recycle material like paper or fabric to create beautiful bouquets. The Its Always Autumn blog provides plenty of tutorials on how you can design beautiful flowers for your customized bouquet. You can also preserve an original flower bouquet, but it is expensive to do so and requires maintenance, and still needn’t look the same as it did. Now, if you simply must have an original flower bouquet, at least consider faux flowers for your bridesmaid bouquets and boutonnieres. Not only will it be a lot easier on your wallet, it will also look stunning if you plan it well in advance and do it well.

5.Reusable décor

The most common wedding décor involves lot of flowers and foliage, most of which will be trashed at the end of the day. Make a change by choosing your décor wisely so that it finds further use. Options you can consider are potted plants like succulents and décor accessories like soy candles which can be used again. You can also create interesting table and aisle decorations with faux flowers and artificial foliage. Another interesting option is to deck up your tables with cacti, lucky bamboo or other interesting potted plants which double up as party favors for your wedding guests. This way they will find a home after the ceremony, and will live on as interesting keepsakes from your wedding day. Plants like lucky bamboo and succulents are easy to grow, and even guests with a black thumb will not be able to kill them off, try as much as they might! Take it further by personalizing your décor with natural elements like twigs, cones, acorns and branches that bring the outdoors into your venue. With a little creativity and inspiration, it is possible to craft stunning centerpieces and venue décor that is environment friendly in every way.

6.Reuse a wedding dress

You do not need a brand new wedding dress to be a brand new bride. You can do the same with a second-hand wedding dress or even a rented one. Not only is this the right choice for an environmentally conscious bride, it is also easy on your budget. At stores like Best for Bride, you can find great wedding dress choices from a range of top-notch designer collections on rent, and these will hardly cost you anything for the look you achieve with them. If you click on this link, you can find out all the information you need about renting your wedding gown and even the rest of the accessories to go with it. The other idea is to remove your mother’s or even grandmother’s wedding gown from the attic and give it new life by have it redone in a modern style. If you have ever watched the show “Something borrowed, something new,” you will know that a talented gown designer can transform any old-fashioned wedding gown into the most modern silhouettes, while keeping the original charm still alive. As you breathe new life into an heirloom with a re-purposed wedding gown, not only do you make a conscious choice, you also add more meaning to your wedding day by bringing in memories from another happy marriage. One other thing you may not have considered is that the color of the fabric is an indication of how much bleaching the dress has been put through. Remember that bleaching introduces several toxins into the environment, and you may be better off with a natural organic white color than stark white, if this factor bothers you.

7.Make your menu organic

Every location has its own organic farms, and most vendors will agree to work with organic ingredients to create your wedding menu. You may have to think outside the box to make it work with what is available locally and seasonally, but it is definitely worth the effort. One thing many people associate with organic is bland and boring. But, this is wrong. Almost every fruit, vegetable, meat and dairy product you find on the regular supermarket shelves will also have an organic version. They can all be used in exactly the same way as you would with the inorganic counterpart. So, don’t let this idea limit you in any way. Organic is undoubtedly tastier and there are no dearth of choices in dishes. When the food you serve is free from additives, preservatives and artificial flavors and colors, it will go down well with your guests and you do them a big favor by choosing to serve a healthy hearty meal. Our favorite in the reception menu where organic food is concerned, are naked cakes without elaborate colored frosting. Usually decorated with fruits, berries and flowers, they are a delight as they are natural and delicious in their own way.

We hope we’ve shed some light on the different ways in which you can plan a stunning wedding without compromising on the details, and yet do it in a green and environment friendly manner. At Best for Bride we are constantly exploring everything that is even remotely associated with weddings. So, keep visiting our blog page for the most hot and happening updates in the wedding world. Also, don’t forget to visit our one-stop bridal website for all your wedding needs. We bring you not only wedding dresses, but have an impressive collection of bridesmaids dresses, décor options, cakes, favors, invitation cards, photography packages and much, much more.