How to green your wedding

Weddings should be heartwarming—not global warming. So how can you make your wedding a little more environmentally friendly? Learn how to go green with your eco-friendly wedding.

You Will Need
* An eco-friendly bride and groom
* A wedding web site
* A pre-owned wedding dress
* A great thrift store
* Eco-friendly guests
* A local organic market
* Access to green transportation
* A carbon calculator

Step 1: Plan a small wedding
Planning a small wedding is greener than a big wedding. Less waste, less transportation usage.

Step 2: Skip the paper invitations
Skip the paper invitations and direct your guests to your wedding website. No dead trees.

Step 3: Wear a used wedding dress
Wear a used wedding dress. Face it, it’s only been worn once or twice, and you’ll give the kids in the sweatshop a day off.

Step 4: Skip the bridesmaids’ dresses
Let the gals loose in a thrift store or their own closets. To go even greener, encourage them to do each other’s hair and makeup, rather than traveling to a salon.

Step 5: Rethink your wedding transportation
Ditch the limo and have the ceremony and reception in the same place. Make sure it’s centrally located and accessible to public transportation or other green means of transport.

Step 6: Rethink the flowers
Imported flowers cost a lot of energy to grow and ship. Instead use local, organically grown flowers.

Step 7: Have a green gift registry
Sign up for gaiam.com or vivaterra.com. Or ask your guests to forgo gifts completely and make a donation to your favorite environmental group.

Step 8: Skip the traditional honeymoon
Travel by train, or go somewhere locally.

Step 9: Have a vegetarian reception
Make sure the menu for your reception is vegetarian and comprised of only locally grown produce.

Step 10: Make sure your settings are reusable
Make sure all your place settings are reusable.

Step 11: Elope
To really make your wedding green, elope!