Getting married is a special time for anyone, and making the day unique to you and your partner is important. Don’t forget your Toronto wedding photographer! That’s not to say that you won’t spend a lot of money on matrimony. It’s estimated that the average wedding costs a whopping £27,000 ($46,326 CAD) and that’s before we take into account the potential environmental cost.Green weddings are becoming ever more popular as we become more conscious of our impact on the environment, and people are making steps to try and minimise the impact of their special day.
If you want to break away from the norm and turn your white wedding green, here’s a few things to consider.
Wedding Invitations
When you think about the environmental impact of making several dozen paper invitations, it’s clear that there better ways to get the word out that don’t involve couriers putting CO2 emissions into the air. Some people opt for responsibly source materials for their invitations, but if you want to really go green, using email invites and phone calls goes a long way.
Guest Favours
You can show your guests how to be creative in an environmentally friendly way through the wedding favours, traditionally left on the table. Incorporating some kind of sustainable element is becoming increasingly popular, and there’s all kinds of ideas online that you can look to incorporate.
Transport
Though it might seem a bit much to ask all your guests to not drive to the wedding venue, you can lead by example with the wedding vehicles you choose. Electric cars are becoming increasingly popular as the market has more models available now than they ever have. If you want to go completely out of left field be sure to investigate a horse drawn carriage, or even a bike if you want to turn a few heads!
Food and Drink
Everyone likes a tipple and something to eat when a wedding comes around. And you can still provide this to your guests without endorsing intensive agriculture that plagues a lot of the planet. Some caterers are especially equipped to provide clients with food that is organic and ethically sourced. You can do some research into beers and wines that are from green manufacturers to keep the theme going.
Confetti
Yes, you can even make a difference when it comes down to the confetti and rice that your guests will throw outside the church. Though this tradition isn’t quite as popular as it once was, it has been well documented that throwing plastic rice outside a church can have a negative effect on the local wildlife, as birds eat what they find and become sick. If you want to update the tradition, have a look at some of the environmentally friendly options on the market.
Ethical Wedding Rings
A lot of work goes into the precious metals that are used to make traditional wedding and engagement rings. Not to mention the fact that gold and silver mines are often worked by people who are unfairly treated. You can look at a wedding loan to finance buying a ring from a Fairtrade supplier, or even second hand if you want to keep an eye on your spending.
Getting married is a special time. Give something back to the environment by being mindful of how your day will have an effect on nature as a whole.
