A green twist for traditional weddings

This environmental take on wedding planning was originally run in the the Live Green Cincinnati column in the Pulse on May 13, 2008.

Weddings may be based on age-old traditions, but that doesn’t mean you can’t innovate and transform your ceremony into an environmentally friendly affair. Choose to have your personalized, time-honored commitment while keeping a small environmental footprint!

Consider these options to green your wedding:

Rethink your registry. Consider registering with a local store or an environmentally minded store like Park + Vine. Recommend that your guests wrap gifts in recyclable newsprint or a reusable canvas bag so there’s no wrapping to throw in the trash. You can also forgo the obligatory toaster and waffle-maker purchases by asking your guests to make a donation in your honor to the local park system or even to a Web site that allows you to choose which charity or socially conscious project you want to receive your gifted funds, for example GlobalGiving.com.

Give eco-friendly favors. Consider using small potted plants, recyclable paper origami doves, or a bowl of fruit stamped with your name and wedding date as ideas for guest favors. Giving something living or edible will allow your guests to enjoy their favors without adding any waste to the landfill.

Light up your life. Choose to have your wedding and reception during the day so that you and your guests can enjoy the great outdoors and save energy by taking advantage of natural daylight.

Use vintage class. Finding your wedding formalwear in a vintage shop is a thrifty way to find an amazing and unique look. Using a gown or tux that has been passed down in the family is an even better way to reuse, and it can create a very intimate family bond on your big day.

Give your decorations a longer life. If you can reuse flowers from a wedding earlier that day or decorations you inherited from a parent or grandparent, you can conserve natural resources. If you buy or make your own flowers and decorations, consider donating them to an assisted living facility or your community center so that they can be enjoyed by someone else as well.

Send green invitations. Consider paper with post-consumer recycled content when printing your invitations. You can also find seeded paper, which can be planted after it’s used. If your guests are connected, try sending a digital invitation to use no paper at all. There are even online RSVP services so that your guests can confirm attendance with a call or Web site visit instead of using self-addressed, stamped reply cards.

Serve local fare with flare. Select a caterer or chef who will prepare your party food using locally grown and raised food. Nothing beats the taste of fresh, in-season tomatoes and corn grown right here in Ohio. You can also ask that the tableware be reusable and not disposable to minimize waste. If you want to go all out, add the food scraps to your compost pile and use it to help grow a backyard garden with foods you can eat while you celebrate each month you’ve been married.

Consider this: Location, location, location. Choose a location that is near the majority of your guests. Destination weddings may be dreamy, but whisk her away alone on the honeymoon instead of transporting the guests the extra miles. Getting hitched in your local church or community center can make carpooling or even walking more convenient for your guests. Having the wedding and reception at the same venue in the center of your community or at a hotel saves gas and travel time, all the while reducing the chances of any of your guests driving after the champagne.

If you’re up for the challenge, put together your something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue in an environmental theme. You’ll open up a new level of creativity in the event planning, and you may even save a few bucks in the process!