5 Ways to Make Your Wedding Eco-friendly

Getting married does not require you to throw caution to the wind and throw the environment under the proverbial bus. Instead there are measures that you can take to turn your wedding into an eco-friendly celebration.

1. Tighten up the guest list. Travel for weddings can really wreak havoc on the environment. It can also deplete your wedding budget. Keep you guest list tight by only including close friends and family members rather than everyone you know. Not only does it cut down on the amount of emissions it takes for guests to get to your wedding, but with less guests you'll have less food, need less space and less energy to heat, cool and light the venue.

2. Do it in the great outdoors. Another way you cut down on energy use such as heating, cooling and lighting is to throw your wedding ceremony and reception in the great outdoors. There are plenty of beautiful outdoor venues such as parks and gardens that make perfect natural backdrops for your wedding event.

3. Use natural light. Even if you have an indoor ceremony or reception, plan the time of your even to use the natural might of the sun. You can save a great deal of energy by using light from outside rather than turning on lights in the church and the reception venue.

4. Double up on the use of venues. Instead of booking one venue for your ceremony and another for your reception, combine the two venues into one. Many churches have reception space you can use and most hotels and wedding halls have plenty of space to hold the ceremony and reception in the same place.

5. Plan an organic menu. Turn to local farmers to gather the ingredients for your wedding meal. This helps to support local farmers but it also cuts down on transportation costs and emissions when your food is brought in from out of the state or even out of the country.