Weddings are beautiful.  However, they can also be wasteful.  In fact, each year American weddings produce around 400 to 600 pounds of garbage.  If you're looking to reduce your wedding's carbon footprint, there are plenty of green alternatives that will help your big day be more eco-friendly.  

Say 'I Don't' to White Dresses

While white is a popular choice for a wedding dress, it's not the most environmentally friendly option.  In fact, toxic chemicals are used to achieve that ultra-white wedding dress color.  Greener choices include hemp silk, organic silk, and organic cotton.  These options may be off-white or cream in color.  You can also choose to purchase a secondhand wedding gown.  

Eco-friendly Invitations

Between the save the date cards, reply cards, envelopes, and the actual invitation, a lot of paper is used to inform your guests about your big day.  Here are a few ways to be less wasteful:

• Use recycled papers and soy inks for your invites.  Some invitation options even contain embedded seeds so guests can plant them.
• Rather than a save the date card, you can make a video where you invite everyone to your wedding.

With this Ring

Is the bling on your finger ethically sourced?  Here are a few ways to make sure your wedding band and engagement ring are earth-friendly:

• Gold: The average gold engagement ring band is responsible for creating 20 tons of mine waste.  A better option is to look for a ring that uses recycled gold.  It's melted down and re-refined, so it looks the same as new gold.
• Diamonds: Every year, over 150 million carats of diamonds are mined.  This process involves using heavy machinery and explosives to remove huge amounts of earth and, sometimes, entire ecosystems.  To prevent this destruction, you can purchase a vintage ring or look for a jewelry shop that sources environmentally friendly diamonds.

Going Local

Since local products don't need to be shipped from faraway, fewer fossil fuels are burned.  Here are a few ways you can go local:

• Flowers: While some flowers are available year round, others are seasonal.  Choosing flowers that are in season will help you support local businesses and reduce your carbon footprint.  In addition, local and organic flowers are not sprayed with chemical pesticides, which destroy organic matter in soil.
• Venue: By choosing a wedding chapel and reception site in the same area, your guests don't have to drive between venues.  You can also choose to have your wedding and reception at an outdoor venue.  Not only is this convenient, it reduces the amount of carbon emissions your event will produce.

A Greener Send Off

While plastic confetti or paper streamers are a fun way to send off the bride and groom, there are a number of less wasteful ways to say goodbye.  Tossing flower petals, herbs, or bird seed are a few biodegradable options.  You can even find confetti that dissolves, so there isn't any waste.

Perhaps, after using these eco-friendly wedding ideas, you'll make sure you're wearing something old, something new, something borrowed, and something…...green. If you're looking for the perfect venue to host your green wedding, keep Chapel of the Bells in mind.