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There is a common misconception that eco-friendly options are more expensive than conventional options. While that may be true for some specific products, when it comes to having a wedding, you can save up to 40% by going green! The following example illustrates how making just a few green choices can decrease the impact of your wedding on the environment and save you $11,000 at the same time. Please note that The Green Bride Guide Online does not advocate for these particular choices. No two weddings are the same, and which green options will work best for you will depend on your style, your priorities and your budget. Take a look at The Green Bride Guide to find dozens of money-saving eco-options for every part of your wedding.
Have a local wedding vs. a destination wedding
Every thousand miles you fly releases about 500 pounds of Co2 (a green house gas that contributes to global warming) into the atmosphere. Average cost to fly per person is $250.
Savings on a destination wedding to Bermuda for 25 people? 35,000 lbs of Co2 and $6,250
Use local, seasonal flowers instead of conventional flowers
Conventional flowers cost on average $2,000 and are usually shipped in from South America, covered in pesticides, sprayed with artificial scent and make workers ill. Local, organic flowers cost $200-$400.
Savings? $1,600
Choose a recycled dress instead buying a new dress
Depending on the style, wedding dresses can use up to16 yards of fabric. Most fabrics these days are made form petroleum products, and bleached with toxic chemicals and are shipped from China. A new dress costs an average of $1,300. When you buy a once worn dress, average cost $200, no new resources have to be used to create it.
Savings? $1,100
Wear a vintage diamond engagement ring
Diamond mining leads to water pollution, erosion and flooding and is responsible for 3.7 million deaths in African conflict zones. Plus, according to No Dirty Gold, the amount of gold used to create one ring produces 20 tons of mining waste. A new ring costs on average $4,600. When you buy a vintage ring you know you are not contributing to pollution or violence, and spending around $3,000.
Savings? $1,600
Skip disposable accessories
Although not very expensive, these items do add up. For example, if every wedding in the United States had 10 disposable cameras we would be throwing away 25 million cameras a year!
Instead, ask friends to bring digital cameras and post photos online, rent an aisle runner, use real flowers on top of the cake, or make a donation in honor of your guests in lieu of favors.
Savings? $600
