A Green Wedding Day

By Tracy DiNunzio of Recycled Bride

These wedding ideas aren’t just eco-friendly, they’re also inspired by every shade of the color green. From bright limes to cozy forest hues, this is your ultimate guide to a great green wedding.

A Green Wedding Landscape

Earth-loving brides know that nature is the world’s best (and most affordable!) decorator. You can skip the fussy flower arrangements and costly canopies if you choose a ceremony location that’s surrounded by lush greenery. Nothing beats the natural beauty of an incredible landscape.

                                                Images courtesy of Succulent Love/Yes, Please Blog

Favors for a Green Wedding

Make green wedding favors eco-adorable by giving your guests a small potted plant or seeded paper box. The favors will double as wedding decorations when they’re sitting on reception tables, and then live on in the homes of friends and family as mementos of your special day.

Green Wedding Decor

It’s kinder to the Earth to replace floral centerpieces and decorations with organic and plant-based decor. These centerpieces are made from succulent plants and cacti, but you can also use fruits and veggies (think mini lime trees!), fresh fragrant herbs, soy candles, and vintage carafes filled with organic wine.

To really stick with your green wedding theme, incorporate elements from nature everywhere – even your dessert table! Take your inspiration from this beautiful table by Amy Atlas: Hang recycled paper bags from a potted tree, then let guests pick and bag their own sweets. After the wedding, you get to plant the tree in your yard and watch it grow as your marriage blooms with it.

                                                                                Images courtesy of AmyAtlas.com

Eco-Friendly Food

When you’re going green, it’s important to make sure that your food is sourced locally and grown ethically. (It’s not just good for the environment – it’s actually healthier and tastes better that way too!) Luckily, it’s easier than ever to find bakers who use local and organic ingredients. For extra eco-points, make your cake vegan. Your guests won’t taste the difference, and you’ll reduce your carbon footprint by cutting out animal products.

Conflict-Free Jewels

Who says that diamonds are a girl’s best friend? A green wedding calls for a green jewel! Gemstone rings are a fashionable engagement and wedding band alternative that ensure you won’t be contributing to the mining of conflict diamonds. Pick an antique ring like this peridot, gold and diamond beauty, and you’ll be doing your part to recycle while rocking some serious vintage style.

                                                                             Image courtesy of LangAntiques.com

Green Wedding Style

Bridesmaids dresses made of sustainable materials like organic cotton or hemp silk are great. But since “re-use” is a big part of being eco-conscious, any bridesmaids dress that will be worn again is a good choice. These pretty green frocks from J.Crew are so versatile that they’re sure to be worn again by your maids. Customize simple dresses like these with a sewn-in crinoline for an extra shot of style.

One of 2010's hottest wedding trends is brightly colored shoes. When you choose a shoe in a hue you love, you’ll be more likely to wear them again, which helps to reduce your wedding waste. These satin pumps from Christian Louboutin are leather-free, which also makes  them a humane choice for animal lovers.

Nature’s bounty is everywhere, and a smart green bride can find affordable beauty in things that are eco-friendly, local, and natural. What are some of your favorite green wedding ideas? Share them with us in the comments below!

Green Wedding expert: Tracy DiNunzio of Recycled Bride

Before becoming a wedding recycling superhero, Tracy worked as an artist and writer, and spent many years traveling the world in search of adventure and great chocolate ice cream. When Tracy met Robert, she finally decided to settle down, and so they celebrated with an extravagant wedding that left them up to their ears in once-worn dresses and ties, spare decorations, and heart-stopping credit card bills. Tracy knew that there had to be a better way for women to plan beautiful weddings without the waste—and so Recycled Bride was born. Her blog naturally followed, giving Tracy and the Recycled Bride community a place to sound off and share ideas for creating a smarter, greener lifestyle, on their wedding day and every day.