It's Easy Being Green: A Bride's Guide to Green Wedding Basics

By: Tracy DiNunzio of Recycled Bride

As an engaged bride, you’ve probably noticed a lot of eco-friendly wedding attire and accessories in wedding magazines and websites . So what’s this green wedding thing all about, and why would you want to be a part of it? This three part series is your personalized beginner’s guide to saving money and the planet by making your wedding a little bit greener.

Images by Jennifer Hughes, Styling by Elegance & Simplicity

You don't have to be a dedicated environmentalist to plan a green wedding. It's easy to make small choices for your big day that have a huge impact on the Earth. If you're new to going green, your wedding is a great place to start being more Earth-friendly, because the purchasing decisions you make as a bride can have more impact than at any other time in your life.  Concerned it might be a big hassle?  Don't stress!  Any effort you can make to green your wedding is something to celebrate.  And with the simple advice contained in this beginner's guide, you'll see how easy it can be!

Did you know that engaged women are the most powerful consumers in the country? Businesses pay extra-special attention to the things we buy, because we're about to assume the purchasing power for an entire household for the rest of our lives. We also control the spending of all of our guests when we create $19 billion in sales through our registries each year.  Making green choices about your registry items is heard loud and clear!

So when you make good green decisions during your wedding planning, companies large and small take notice -- and they change their products and policies to meet the demand for more eco-friendly goods. How cool is that? 

You don't have to change your bridal style to make a positive impact. Weddings come in all shades of green, and every Earth-friendly gesture makes a difference. Stay tuned for more information about choosing vendors and products whose values and eco-goals match yours!

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.

Photos by Jennifer Hughes, Styling by Elegance & Simplicity