1. Shorten your guest list – the more guests that you invite to your wedding, the greater your carbon footprint will be for the event. The more people that are on your list the more food that will be consumed, the more miles that will be travelled and the bigger your venue will have to be to accommodate your wedding.
2. Time of Year – The months of April, May, September and October typically in our Canadian climate will take less energy to heat/cool your venue, therefore leaving a smaller carbon footprint.
3. Ceremony & Reception Venue - Consider an outdoor wedding in the park or at a beautiful natural spot so you can take advantage of nature’s décor and reduce the amount of added decorations. Have the reception at the same location, or at least nearby to shorten guest travel and reduce car pollution.
4. Choose Local Vendors- By using a local Photographer/DJ etc. You will lower the carbon footprint by having less travel involved with your oh so important vendors. Also work with vendors that are digital, leaving less paper trail.
4. Wedding Dress and Tuxedo - Consider one of the following: buying a vintage dress and tuxedo from a resale clothing store; buying an organic silk/hemp wedding dress; wearing a simple dress or suit that you can wear again. Have your dress made by family or friends. If you are buying new, at least buy your dress from a Canadian (local) manufacturer.
5. Invitations – Consider printing your invites, thank you notes, programs and all other related items for your wedding on handmade seed paper so that your guests can plant the invitations and enjoy the flowers that grow from them. You can also encourage your guests to recycle the paper and make that your keepsake from the wedding. Also think of using less paper by using a postcard for the replies and forgoing the envelope and creating a wedding website with all the necessary information so that you do not have to do too much printing. Remember... 1 invitation, 1 envelope!
6. Flowers – Consider using a florist that uses flowers from local and/or organic farms or use a wildflower grower at your local farm market to create bouquets & table arrangements. Try to find potted plants instead of cut flowers for centerpieces and guests can take them home to plant and watch your love bloom!
7. Food – Consider donating the food left over from your reception to a local soup kitchen or shelter instead of throwing it out. This will assist them to feed so many persons that rely on them for a daily meal and it will reduce the waste produced from your celebration.
8. Jewellery - Work with a jewellery designer that uses all recycled beads and materials to make all the jewellery for the bridal party. Another great option would be to make the jewellery yourself or have the wedding party get together to create it.
9. Favours - Choose something recycled, or a bulb/plant that can be re-planted, or do a donation to your favourite charity in the place of favours.
10. Gifts - Ask for donations/monetary gifts instead of traditional wedding gifts. This will cut down on waste, and lower car pollution from shopping.
Dan and Laura
Our Views from the Mountain... Looking Over the Skyline of the City!
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