How to Create an Eco-Friendly Wedding

As I set out to plan my wedding, my stomach couldn’t help but turn as I realized how much waste we’d be generating from the decorations, programs, travel and the list goes on. Yes, the cost of the wedding and all of that waste did come to mind, too. But, what truly made me uncomfortable was not practicing what I preach on what would be one of the most important days of my life: sustainability.

So, to incorporate sustainability into the wedding so that I could live with myself, I planned an environmentally-friendly wedding. Here are just a few ways I did it.

Going paperless…can it be done?

Weddings can generate a ton of paper needs.  The paper creation process is extremely energy and water consuming, not to mention rather destructive to our forests.

So, to be kinder to the environment, my wedding limited paper in the following ways (and a few bucks, too!)

1. We did not print a program for the wedding ceremony. After polling a few guests, and discussing this strategy with our church, we are all in agreement: no printing.

2. Instead of a guest book, which frankly, I doubt I will ever look at (I’m a less-is-more kind of girl), we created a Facebook page where guests checked in to the reception site, posted words of wisdom and well wishes, shared photos they had  snapped, and we eventually posted links to our 2,000+ photo online photo album. Brilliant, no?!

3. Invitations were printed on acid and chlorine free, 50% recycled content paper and was manufactured with 100% renewable energy power at the plant.

EcoStrategist, Andrea Nocito, details her eco-chic wedding in a nine blog series on her website, www.ecostrategies.biz/ecowhisperer

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