{Guest Advice} 10 Ways to reduce cost & environmental impact

I love making efforts to live in a more environmentally-friendly way. I’m vegetarian, I buy organic as often as possible and I prefer to buy things used rather than submit myself to the commercially-driven culture we live in.

When I started wedding planning, though, everything “green” just seemed SO EXPENSIVE. Prices were often double the prices of the non-eco-friendly version. But Chamonix from No Impact Bride is here today to show us how to make our wedding budget friendly & environmentally friendly.

1. Stationary

Use the Internet instead of paper. It saves time, money and trees!

There are design companies that specialize in online invitations. Or, design them yourself on programs like Photoshoot, Gimp, Pixlr etc… Provide extra info for guests on a wedding website/blog and request RSVP via email. To make everything more professional, set up a wedding e-mail account. If you do use paper, use recycled or eco-friendly (hemp, elephant pooh etc..). Forego paper all together by writing on pebbles, wood, fabric, chalkboards etc…

To learn more about recycled paper, visit: Lovely As a Tree.

For all your electronic wedding stationary needs, visit: Greenvelope (Their most expensive package is only $139!)

Your Average Wedding: $1,000

Eco-Budget Wedding: $0-150

{via}

2. Music

Pay attention to what’s behind the music. Is any electricity being wasted? How did the band travel to the venue? Etc… Here are a few ideas: Hire a local band so they don’t have to travel. Ask musical friends to perform. iPod DJ-ing saves money and can be just as professional if done right. Hire a student band—universities tend to have lots of gig-playing bands which charge very reasonable rates. Find a band like Big Tree!!

Your Average Wedding: $1,000-$3,000

Eco-Budget Wedding: $0-$1000

3. Drinks

Don’t have an open bar. Provide a limited amount of choice alcohol. Most people will want a drink with their meal but they’ll be satisfied with one or two glasses of wine. Provide ½ bottle per person.  Aim for organic or Fairtrade beverages because alcohol production uses lots of agricultural resources and energy. Also, you wouldn’t guess it but a lot of alcohol contains resin from animal bones and are therefore not vegetarian. It’s also great to support a local vineyard or brewery. Interesting Tidbit: According to the Guardian, cider has the least environmental impact while spirits have the worst.

Interested in vegetarian wine? Visit: Vegan Wines 101

To learn about organic wine, visit: Seattle Times (site includes list of choice organic wines)

Eco-friendly Oregon wine: Sokol Blosser

Organic Washington wine: Badger Mountain Vineyard

Your Average Wedding: $3,000

Eco-Budget Wedding: $750- £1,500 (150 Guests, ½ bottle each, 75 bottles, $10 to $20/bottle)

4. Dress

Buy your dress second-hand or borrow one from a friend. Sometimes charity shops have bridal wear but your best bet is a second-hand bridal boutique. Lots of brides are selling their dresses and accessories online these days. Alternatively, make your own dress or support an eco-friendly designer that uses natural fibers like hemp, bamboo and organic cotton.

For more ideas and a list of eco-friendly dress designers, visit: No Impact Bride

Your Average Wedding: $1,130+ (excluding accessories or extra outfits)

Eco-Budget Wedding: $0-$500+

5. Flowers

Grow, make, pick, and/or arrange your own flowers. Growing them will only cost you the seeds. Making them with fabric scraps or paper lets encourages repurposing and creativity! Wildflowers are free but pick responsibly. Buying flowers that have been grown locally and arranging them yourself will support the local community. You can also combine these strategies together. For example, for your bouquet, buy local flowers and pick wild greenery but grow flowers in pots to use as centerpieces! Save oodles of cash and be extra eco-friendly by choosing flowers that are in season at the time of your wedding and by avoiding rare & exotic varieties.

Your Average Wedding: $2,000+

Eco-Budget Wedding: $0-$200

{via}

6. Photography

Hire a just-getting-started or amateur photographer who’s building up their portfolio. They’ll charge less because they need you just as much as you need them. Alternatively, ask a friend who’s got an artistic eye or at least understands wedding photography and the kinds of shots you’re after. If you aren’t too fussed about getting perfect photos then ask all of the guests to take photos (you could provide them with cameras) and collect them after the wedding. If you go for this option, have your guests upload their photos onto a common website/blog to avoid unnecessary printing costs/paper. You’ll have a lot to look through but you’re bound to find something worth keeping.

Your Average Wedding: $2,000-$3,500

Eco-Budget Wedding: $0-$400

7. Rings

Instead of heading down to the high street jeweller where even simple wedding bands cost small fortunes, first play around in your family’s jewellery box. Wearing family heirloom rings adds tradition, personality, and no extra cost to your wedding budget! If that’s not an option, your next best bet is charity shops and antique stores. If you don’t find something the first time, keep going back and let the shop owners (and your friends) know what you’re looking for so they can keep their eyes peeled. There are lots of eco-friendly jewellers out there. Have you thought about wooden rings? If you want diamonds insist on conflict-free gems!!!

Interested in Wooden Rings?, Visit: Simply Wood Rings

To learn about ‘Blood Diamonds’, visit: Amnesty International

To find Conflict-Free Diamonds/Rings, visit: Brilliant Earth

Your Average Wedding: $2,000 +

Eco-Budget Wedding: $0 – $1,000

{via}

8. Honeymoon

You may not like the sound of this but the truth is, if you really want an eco-budget honeymoon, don’t even think about stepping onto an airplane. Your honeymoon can be just as much about the journey as it is about the destination. Explore your own corner of the world! The PNW is one of the most beautiful regions so take advantage of it! Traveling by foot, bike, kayak, or any other man-powered transport is the most eco-friendly option and promises great sightseeing. Provided you already have the equipment it won’t cost anything either. You’ll need to pay for food but you would have be buying groceries or eating in restaurants anyway. Accommodation isn’t an issue with a tent. Fancy ones are only a couple hundred dollars and very cozy! If you do need transport, check out buses, trains and boats (but not cruise ships because they’re a major polluter!)

For PNW Honeymoon Ideas, visit: NWWeddingPlace

To learn more about eco-tourism, visit: The International Eco-Tourism Society

Your Average Wedding: $5,000 +

Eco-Budget Wedding: $300 +

{via}

9. Food

Vegetarian Potluck Buffet! Along with boycotting air travel, eating vegetarian is the best thing you can do for the environment. Taking meat off the menu will also significantly reduce the food costs. Even if you aren’t a regular vegetarian, going down that route for your wedding feast will make a significant positive impact because of the sheer quantity of food being consumed. The potluck style, having friends bring food, saves a lot of money. Only ask friends/family that can cook well to ensure quality. Prepare for each guest to consume 3 portions (Math: Wedding with 100 guests needs 300 portions of food. If 10 people are cooking, they each need to make enough to serve 30). Make sure you reimburse them for the ingredients! If you really need to save money, have the reception in the afternoon or late at night and just serve potluck our’deurvs or dessert.

And let’s not forget about the cake! Turn first to your baking friends. If they aren’t up for it (it can be a little intimidating) find a local baker who is willing to use organic/fair-trade ingredients.

Your Average Wedding: $63/guest (A wedding with 150 guests = just under $10,000)

Eco-Budget Wedding: $30/dish (A wedding with 150 guest = $1,350)

10. Venue

Venue is a priority because everything else revolves around it. Regardless of where you are and the type of wedding you want, friends and family are always the best place to start. Does someone have a garden or a beautiful deck with a view? If not then move on to more public venues like the park, the beach, and the community centre. If you aren’t having luck there either, think vineyards, botanical gardens, conference rooms and cafes. Churches are also quite affordable. Avoid wedding season (May-October) like the plague if you really need a budget boost. Having your ceremony and your reception at the same venue is a clever way to save and holding the reception in outdoors or in the daytime eliminates the need for lighting, heating and other night-time or building expenses. Ask the venue about their environmental policies and make sure they recycle their waste!

Your Average Wedding: $12,000

Eco-Budget Wedding: $0 – $1,000

When it comes to planning your eco-budget wedding, the best and most succinct advice I can give you is to just keep chanting the 4 R’s as your mantra —

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Re-purpose!

~ Chamonix

Tweet

Pin It