Going Green!

If you are "Eco-Maniac", there's a way to incorporate your lifestyle into your wedding. In fact, it's the latest (and a very fast) *growing* trend in the wedding world. Here are some ideas you can use to infuse your wedding with good vibes!

1. This is my very favorite idea! There is actually paper that you can PLANT! Send your invitations on this paper, and it actually has wildflower seeds embedded in the paper that your guests can plant after the wedding! The paper is bio-degradable so it dissolves and the seeds grow into beautiful flowers! To save even more paper, ask your guests to RSVP by phone or email. (Saves you some postage on those return envelopes as well!) My absolute favorite site is http://www.botanicalpaperworks.com - their invitations are contemporary and beautiful!

2. Make a donation in honor of your guests to your favorite eco-friendly charity- WWF.org is a personal favorite.

3. Instead of trash bins, set up recycling bins for your bottles and cans at the reception.

4. Use locally grown flowers instead of having them shipped from all over the World. Many foreign countries use pesticides when growing flowers, and some are illegal in the US. If you must import your florals, make sure they are organic and not sprayed with pesticides.

5. Make sure your rings have conflict-free diamonds! Ask your jeweler if you're not sure.

6. Donate your leftover food to a shelter, and your flowers to a nursing home! I can't tell you how many brides just leave their flowers at the reception to die (or for the staff to take home! I have soooo many vases. It's kind of scary.) You spend thousands of dollars on these flowers for one day, and just leave them behind. Take them to a nursing home or hospital so that it brings someone else joy! Personally, I think real flowers are a waste of money. Most of them look like funeral flowers, and they cost more than a car sometimes! Plus, many guests probably have allergies like I do and if there are too many flowers they are struggling to breathe all night. (Stargazer lillies are the death of me!) If you use silk flowers, you can reuse them to decorate your new love nest, and it's a great way to remember your special day-everyday!

Hopefully you find some of these ideas inspiring. It's a great way to make a statement, you're helping to make the earth a better place!