Green Wedding Series: Eco-Friendly Venue Tips

Paper products become a huge part of your big day. Once you’ve sent out your save the dates, bridal shower invites, wedding invitations, RSVP cards and thank you cards, you’ve gone through quite a bit of paper. That doesn’t even include any menus, programs, or place cards you plan on using at during the ceremony and reception celebration. Of course, all of this paper requires cutting down quite a few trees. However, there are several steps you can take to still have invites, place cards and more!

Eco-Friendly Paper Ideas for your Wedding

Recycled Paper & Other Options

More and more companies are producing paper made from 100% recycled material. This is a great solution to your paper problem. When placing your order for invites, place cards or any other paper goods, ask for recycled paper. You can even put a reminder on the back of your invite to recycle once the wedding is over. This will help cut back on the environmental impact of your wedding. Some companies are printing on paper made from cotton or bamboo. Both are environmentally friendly options. You can also find paper goods that turn into plants when put in some soil and watered. This is not only great for the environment, but it’s also a creative way to send your guests home with a little something special.

Electronic Notification

If you want to eliminate paper all together, consider sticking with evites or your wedding webpage to keep guests informed about all of the festivities. However, sending evites isn’t quite formal enough for a wedding and some of your older guests may not even have email. You could try sending evites out to all of your computer savvy friends and family and mail out invitations the old fashioned way to all of the rest. Evites would also be great for a bridal shower or bachelorette/bachelor party. Truthfully, it truly depends on the personalities of the bride and groom. If everyone understands your laid-back lifestyle, they’ll probably be more accepting of a wedding evite.

Don’t Worry About the Unnecessary Pieces

Formal wedding invitations often come sealed in an envelope which is then sealed inside of an outer envelope. You can always skip the inner envelope (it’ll save some money too!). You can also consider limiting the number of additional cards you include in your envelope by encouraging guests to check out your wedding website for information on lodging, parking, transportation, etc. You can also ask for double-sided printing when you order your invitations.

Many weddings also include programs, paper place cards, paper fans (if it’s warm out), menus and more. Really examine which pieces are necessary for your wedding. If everyone is being served the same meal, skip the menus. Instead of printing programs with details about your wedding party, consider framing pictures with a little tidbit about each bridesmaid or groomsman and display them at your reception. Instead of place cards, just print a large list with table assignments instead. There are many options, so you can really get creative!

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