A nice day for Green Wedding...

Let's be honest – one of the last thing most brides think of (if at all) when they are meeting with caterers, stationers, florists and various other vendors is "how is my wedding going to affect the environment?" Brides-to-be have a “To Do” list a mile long and the environmental impact of the tulips being shipped from Holland hasn't quite crossed her mind yet...

There are an estimated 6,200 weddings a day in the US alone, each one releasing an average of 14.5 tons of carbon dioxide. That is more than the average person's annual carbon footprint! Add all of it up and that is nearly 90,000 tons of CO2 EACH DAY in the name of love.

I have been researching different ideas and methods to be more environmentally conscious while planning my own wedding. I will share with you some “green” wedding tips to bring into planning your event to reduce your carbon footprint. Being Green has come a long way in the past few years – you can now have a totally eco-friendly wedding from your invitations to your sweet send-off without having to compromise your design.

Today’s Green Wedding Tip:
Invitations

I selected a cotton paper from Crane & Co for my letter-press invitations (Crane's Lettra Letterpress 220lb). Crane & Co. cotton papers are made with recovered tree-free fibers, the processing the papers go through is also environmentally friendly. Read more on Crane's website.


While working with my wonderful stationer, we were able to save on the impact of shipping and use the computer instead. After the initial samples were sent so I could see the different papers and colors, updates and changes were made to the design via PDFs over email. I could look at everything on the computer screen instead of having her print and ship each adjustment.

While selecting your papers, use cotton, bamboo or 100% recycled stock to preserve the trees. You can select a soy-based ink for your eco-friendly printing - in the past the printing industry has used petroleum-based inks, which have two primary environmental downsides. First, they are made using a non-renewable resource (petroleum). Second, petroleum-based inks release Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that reduce indoor air quality and can have negative short- and long-term health effects.

You may also choose to reduce your impact by bucking formal tradition and combining information on to a single card (this also saves the extra envelopes). If you are inviting everyone to your ceremony and reception, add the reception information at the bottom of the invitation instead of including the separate card. And, if you don’t mind a casual form of response, add a phone number, email address or website (many sites like WeddingChannel.com can now accept RSVPs) for your guests to reply. You will save the energy is takes to transport so many cards back to you.

Remember, little things add up!!

**Stay tuned for more details about my wedding invitations!!!