A destination wedding can be a truly festive occasion with friends and relatives arriving a few days before to share in the excitement and festivities in the lead up to the wedding day. If you’re having a destination wedding, getting married out of town or coming home to get married, planning can be a little more challenging than with a local wedding. Read on for some helpful tips to make your destination wedding around Perth and the South West just that little bit easier.

The Internet

The internet can provide an abundance of tools and information to help you. Choosing professional services such as wedding planners, wedding photographers, the venue, etc…. Take the time to look for professional wedding service providers with a positive reputation. Talk to them as well. Set up a conference call or Skype with them to talk about their offerings. The type of response you get will be a telling sign of how experienced the provider is with dealing “long distance” relationships.

A Planning Trip

It’s not always possible to visit your wedding venue if it’s long distance. If you can, make a planning trip it’s helpful. Visiting your wedding destination ahead of time can help you carefully scope out the venue, taste some cakes, plan the menu, meet with the musicians, wedding photographer, and so on. If you’ve narrowed your choices before hand and arranged a schedule a head of time it should only take a couple of days to do the rounds.

Don’t Forget the Guests!

If you’re planning an out of town wedding consider where you’re guest will be staying. You may want to arrange group accommodation at the one resort. This can create a great atmosphere as everyone has a chance to get to know each other before the wedding. You might also like to arrange transport to and from the various venues on the wedding day.

Delegating

Are you getting married somewhere else because there’s family there? Ask for help. You can have a friend or relative who lives there help you with the planning and visit venues, take photos, be on site for a meeting with you on the phone, etcetera. As a trusted friend or relative to visit a potential wedding photographer. Your friend will get a feel for quality, reliability and whether the personality will fit with you on the wedding day.

Here are some tips for smooth planning for your long distance wedding:

• Plan early. Have extra time for things to get done. Because you’re not available on hand to make things happen, you’ll want a time buffer.
• Plan for a buffer in your budget for the unexpected. Some destination weddings are more expensive and others are way cheaper than a local wedding but it’s always important to carefully outline a budget and to allow a bit of a buffer (say, 20%) in case of unforeseen expenses.
• Arrive early — if possible. If you can arrive a few days or a week ahead, you can plan to meet with all your service providers, check out the locale, and have time for all the pre-wedding festivities as well as last-minute inspections.
• Get organised. Keep a wedding binder or planner with phone numbers, receipts, contact information, etcetera.
• Make sure all the legal stuff is researched and done early. You want to be sure all marriage license paperwork is in order.
• If possible, hire a wedding planner at the destination. This person is your eyes and ears on the site and is accountable for making sure your plans and wishes are flawlessly executed. It can be an additional expense to hire a wedding planner but if it’s an option for you, it could substantially lower your stress level.  Don’t leave it all to the wedding planner; expect continuous updates so you’re sure the planner is fully aware of your ideas and dreams for your wedding day.

A destination wedding can be beautiful and careful planning can help it be anxiety-free. An out-of-state wedding or out-of-town wedding can be flawlessly executed as well, despite your being off site to do the planning. Don’t be afraid to get help and plan everything well in advance to be sure your wedding is everything you’ve dreamt it would be.

Hiring a wedding celebrant for a wedding in Perth or the South West is necessary when you’re not getting married either in a church or a registry office. There are many reasons why people might choose a celebrant. Perhaps you’re having a destination wedding or want something that isn’t faith-based. Here is some helpful information that may make the job of choosing a celebrant for your ceremony easier as well as help you ensure you hire the right person for the two of you.

Tip:

If you’re getting married in Australia be sure that the celebrant is authorised to perform a wedding ceremony in Australia. A certificate in Celebrancy (CHC42608) is required. You might have a friend or family who wants to perform your wedding ceremony.  If this is the case, a certification is required. Information can be found at http://www.ema.gov.au/www/agd/agd.nsf/Page/Marriage_Becomingacelebrant_Becomingacelebrant.

Ask For Recommendations

Have you been to a wedding where you found the celebrant to be particularly charming? Ask friends for recommendations. A celebrant’s personality will have an impact on your memory and the significance of the day. Someone with a great sense of humour can make you enjoy the ceremony. Someone with the right sort of presence can create or set the wedding’s tone.

Ask Questions

Don’t just book someone based on price or availability alone. If you were choosing a wedding photographer, you’d do more than search for a name and an availability date. You’d make sure that the photographer had the skills to achieve your desired outcome for your photos. In terms of your wedding ceremony, the same planning and selection process is a good idea. While you can’t always view a professional portfolio of a celebrant online, it’s a good idea to schedule a meeting with a few different people that you are considering so that you can determine whether or not their personality and style is in line with your vision for your wedding. Then, you can talk about the type of ceremony you want, review vows, and ascertain whether or not the celebrant’s personality appeals to you and suits the theme of the event. You can gather a lot of information about the individual in a meeting and get a feel for whether or not they are the right person for the job. Yes, the ceremony is about the bride and the groom but the chosen celebrant can help facilitate the ceremony in a way that appeals to the bride and groom making it not only memorable to the couple but the guests too.

Visit One Of Their Ceremonies

Aside from word-of-mouth, asking for recommendations and questions, you can also search for celebrants online.  Visit their websites then shortlist those that you feel suit your needs.  Contact the celebrant by phone or email and make an appointment to meet them in their office.    If you think it can help you decide, you can also ask the celebrant if it could be possible for you to witness at least one of their conducted ceremonies.

Book Early

Just like you need to choose your venue and you need to book a Perth wedding photographer early, the same goes for booking your celebrant.  The earlier you start planning the better your chances for finding the right person, particularly if you’re getting married on a Saturday in Perth or the South West.

If you’re planning a wedding in Perth or the South West you might be considering including a flower girl and a ring bearer There are pros and cons to having kids in the bridal party. Some couples are undecided about how to approach including children in the wedding party and in the wedding celebration.

If you’ve got kids, this will most likely be an easy choice, you’ll probably want them to be part of the wedding party. You can have flower girls, ring bearers, and junior bridesmaids and ushers or make your son or daughter a best man or maid of honour. There aren’t any rules about ages or how many kids can or cannot be involved.  It’s your wedding, it’s your rules. If you’ve got nieces and nephews or close friends with a child who would look adorable in your wedding photos this might be something you’re also considering.

Kids can look adorable all dressed up and having cute kids in some of the photos make for beautiful wedding photos. As Perth wedding photographers, we see a lot of great opportunities for wedding photos that include cherub-like flower girls and ring bearers. If your wedding will include children as part of the overall day because you’re inviting kids from your family to the wedding, then it’s probably natural for you to imagine kids in the wedding party and present throughout the day and evening.

If you’re including flower girls and page boys in the bridal party be sure to have someone either in the bridal party or to come along to the photo-shoot with whom the kids are comfortable. The last thing you want to be doing on your wedding day is babysitting. Young children will get tired and it’s helpful to have a parent or close relative/friend to handle any demands or perhaps even take them away for a rest once the photographs including them are completed. Once rested the kids can join the festivities at the reception. A kids table is often arranged at a reception, but once again ask some one to be there to look after their needs.

Some couples decide their wedding will be a kid free zone and this will be made known to guests. Some couples love the thought of an all inclusive family wedding where all the young ones are welcome. Others will welcome children at the ceremony only. Whichever way you decide, make sure you let your guest know in advance so arrangements can be made.

If you’re planning a wedding in Perth or the South West, transportation is an element you’ll want to consider.  You’ll want transportation to take you to the church, the park, the beach or to wherever you’ve chosen to have your wedding as well as the photo-shoot location, reception and finally to  your honeymoon suite or the airport after the big day is done.

There is a variety of wedding transportation options available.  You may want your transport to reflect the theme of your day or to be  simply practical, to get your from A to B. You can have a traditional stretch limo, a fancy SUV limo, a horse & carriage, a hot rod, Mustangs, or you can even hire a cool vintage car or ultra-expensive luxury car for the day. There are some great creative transportation options available throughout the South West area and around Perth. Wedding photographers and other wedding service professionals can likely make recommendations to you as well.

You’ll want to consider if the two of you want a car to yourselves and another for the bridal party or if you want everyone to travel together.  A Perth wedding photographer will tell you that there are great photo opportunities involving cars, whether they’re vintage with “just married” signs on the back or are lovely stretch limousines.

Surprise Wedding Transportation

Wedding transportation can make for a great treat as well. A groom might surprise his bride with a horse and carriage. Or a bride may surprise her groom by hiring a special car that he could only dream about driving!

A Perth Tram Rental For Your Wedding

An increasingly popular idea for those having a wedding in Western Australia is to hire a tram to transport the bridal party or even the guests. This type of transportation is ideal especially if you’re wanting to create a party atmosphere amongst your guests. Trams also have air conditioning units. It can definitely make your guests feel comfortable and relaxed in case the weather is hot and humid outside.

The photo opportunities for this type of rental can be endless and help capture some great moments for your wedding album. Popular choices for this service include Fremantle trams at http://fremantletrams.com/ or http://www.perthtram.com.au/weddings.php.

Get There In Comfort

Getting to and from your wedding in style is important but so is spaciousness in your wedding attire. Having room to spread a full gown out is a good idea. If you’re getting married in Perth’s warm summer season you’ll definitely want air conditioning. You may also want to consider having transportation available for guests at the end of the evening so that you won’t have any worries about drinking and driving. Buses can be arranged for this and reception centres are generally happy to oblige with calling taxis for guests. If you have out of town guests staying at a local hotel, you might even consider rental of a shuttle service. The hotel may even arrange this for you.

Do you find it romantic to write your own vows? Many couples do, it’s a way of ensuring you have the opportunity to say exactly how you feel in your own words. If you’re getting married in Perth or the South West we have some helpful information and some important considerations for those thinking about customised wedding vows.

Remembering Your Vows

Many wedding officiants, wedding photographers, and people who’ve attended a lot of weddings will tell you that whether you say your own vows or preprepared vows, any one can get tongue tied and / or have a  mind block. This can happen to anyone, just remember you’re among people who care about you and it will more that likely lighten the occasion. Repeating vows said by the officiant may be easier to get through, particularly if you’re prone to stage fright or jitters / butterflies. If you decide to write your own, you need to decide if you will reveal vows ahead of time to one another or leave the moment to be a surprise to both. You’ll want to carefully rehearse your vows so that you feel comfortable say them. In some cases, you might even want to read them to one another from notes to make sure that you say everything you want to say. Don’t feel you need to memorise your vows, isn’t a necessity.

Is it What You BOTH Want?

Is your dream to have a romantic and indelibly unforgettable moment where you bare your souls to one another? How does your fiancé feel? Writing your own vows might be a dream to one and a potential nightmare to another so talk about it and make sure you’re doing something you both feel comfortable with.

If you’ve decided that this is what you both want to do, how do you find the words? You could write them from scratch and make them truly unique or you could simply personalize your wedding ceremony so that the vows are your version of the traditional wedding vows. Talk to your pastor, priest, wedding celebrant, or whoever is presiding over the wedding about possibilities.  Not all officiants are ok with this. Some may want to see the vows before they agree to them. Some may have ideas that you can discuss for ways to personalise the ceremony but keep with the traditions of that religion.

Types of Wedding Vows

Some couples go for something traditional and poetic. Some speak from the heart and some do this but inject humour. What’s also important is that you’re both on the same page so that you both feel good about the ceremony as it happens. One wouldn’t want to embarrass the other so talk about what you both envision.

You can find samples online, you can find books dedicated to wedding vow writing, too.  Talk, as a couple, about what you both want so that the wedding ceremony is meaningful and comfortable for both of you.

If you’ve recently become engaged you’ve probably already been warned of  wedding superstitions and told about any traditions you should be following. We recently covered a few wedding superstitions here on our Peter Edwards Wedding Photography blog. In Part 2 of Superstitions and Traditions we’ve focus on some the the traditions and the meanings behind these traditions that we see in this culturally diverse city of Perth.

The Hoopa

What is the significance of the “hoopa” (tent like structure on 4 poles held by men) held over the couple during a Jewish wedding ceremony? Also known as the Chuppah, this cloth wedding canopy has many layers of symbolism. It is said to represent a temple, creating harmony from all 4 directions of the wind. It is also said to represent the couple’s future home and that the spirital ancestors are with the couple under the Chuppah during the ceremony. The world is about the marriage of many elements and being under the hoopa or chuppah is very symbolic.

The Crowns of a Greek Wedding Ceremony

During a Greek wedding ceremony crowns joined by a ribbon are exchanged three times between the bride and groom. The crowns represent glory and honour and the silver ribbon that joins them is the symbolic union of the couple. After the couple have been adorned with the crowns they will walk around the church alter three times, this symbolises the couple’s first steps together as husband and wife. Greek weddings are always a lively affair and it’s the wonderful dancing that creates this atmosphere. During the Kaslamantiano dance at the reception the bride and groom are joined by guests dancing in a circle.

Chinese Wedding Traditions

Chinese wedding traditions are also fascinating and numerous and depend on many factors, including where the couple is from.

Here are just a few:

• Oranges often decorate the marriage bed, as do red dates and lotus seeds, that signify abundance and to welcome the bride. To have an even numbers of oranges is important.
• Eggs are often part of the ceremony. At times, a groom and groom would feed each other soup with a soft boiled egg. When the yolk broke, this was a symbol of breaking the bride’s family ties.
• In terms of wedding feast food, a suckling pig is a symbol of the bride’s purity and is presented to the bride’s family by the groom.
• Dates are important. It’s important to choose an even number date for good luck. The more even numbers in the wedding date (including double digit days, month and  year, etc) the better.
• Chinese weddings also have photography traditions. You can’t take a photograph with only 3 people, for instance.
• An important part of many Chinese weddings is the tea ceremony, where the vows take place. The groom comes to collect the bride from her home to go to the groom’s house and a person who is known as a ‘good luck woman’ will hold a red umbrella over them. The good luck woman is considered a woman blessed with living parents, a good marriage, and children.  Various things will take place, including the couple kneeling and serving tea to their parents and older relatives. They will wish the couple good luck and prosperity. Even the tea that the groom and bride drink is prepared in an effort to bring them good fortune and children (with lotus seeds and dates put in the tea). The tradition of the Chinese wedding tea is important to many families and a lot of care and attention to detail is put forth in this ceremony.

If you’re looking for information or meaning behind specific wedding traditions for your wedding, you’ll find an abundance of information online. Wedding professionals such as wedding planners and wedding photographers often have experience and knowledge of various traditions. Always be sure to discuss with your wedding photographer any special traditions you’ll be incorporating into your wedding day so that he/she can be on the ready to capture important events and so time is factored into the wedding day.

Once you start planning your wedding, it’s fun to research various wedding traditions and superstitions from around the world.  Maybe you want a ceremony that matches your culture or the culture of your spouse-to-be. Perth is such a cosmopolitan city and we have a wonderful mix of cultures here on which we can draw inspiration. Maybe you want to integrate some fun and interesting elements into your special day just to make for interesting memories and wedding photographs.

Over time, plenty of wedding traditions have come and gone and many stay for ever, – or at least a variation on the tradition. It’s still appropriate in most cultures to dress in special attire for the occasion and to have a feast and celebration that includes family and friends. Mementos of the occasion, such as wedding photographs, are common place, and some traditions still hold true for many cultures. Below we’ve listed a few superstitions that you may or may not have heard of.

Some Common & Lesser Known Wedding Superstitions

• The groom can’t see the bride on the wedding day before the ceremony
• Rain on your wedding day will bring good luck
• The bride is unlucky if her man’s surname begins with the same letter as her name.
• It used to be considered unlucky to get married on a Saturday and also unlucky to be married in the month of May.
• It was unlucky if the bride made her own wedding gown and there were warnings about specific colours. If marrying in red was said that you’d “wish yourself dead”.
• It’s considered in some cultures for the bride to encounter lambs, doves, frogs, black cats, and rainbows on the way to get married.

Some Interesting Wedding Traditions

Some of these traditions, you might be familiar with.  Most people know that at Greek weddings, smashing dishes is a strong tradition. At Jewish weddings, the couples dance the Hora and there’s also the famous chair dance. In Chinese weddings, there is the lovely Chinese Tea Ceremony.  Here are some other interesting traditions:

• Decorating a car is said to be a tradition but do you know why? It’s said to scare evil spirits away.
• Prior to a Jewish ceremony the groom will lift a bride’s veil before the ceremony (known as Bedekin Ceremony). Do you know why? It’s said to be so that he can be sure he’s not being tricked into marrying the wrong bride.
• In Germany, the best man might kidnap the bride and drink champagne with her in a mystery bar until the groom finds them.
• In India, the groom’s shoes have to be protected from the bride’s family. The groom‘s family has to protect them otherwise a ransom needs to be paid.
• A Chinese groom will arrive at the bride’s home to be faced with well meaning friends of the bride (usually her brides maids) who will not surrender her until they are satisfied that he little red packages (ang pau) contain adequate money! This is an occasion of much good natured haggling and giggling before the parties reach agreement.

Start a Tradition of Your Own

Perth is fortunate to have a diversity in cultures which can only enrich our lives. Exposure to this diversity may well bring about the mixing of cultures to create new customs and traditions. We were fortunate to witness this at a wedding where the couple came from different states and had studied the Buddhist religion so had decided to write their own vows and created a “water ceremony”. The couple’s fathers’ collected rain water from their homes in different states. The groom’s mother made special silver bowls to hold the water. During the ceremony the fathers’ poured water from the silver bowls into a gold bowl, also made by the groom’s mother and the couple drank from the gold bowl the mixed water brought from their respective homes. The groom’s mother also carved wooden vessels to hold the silver and gold bowls. The wooden vessels were carved with images of the local gum leaves of their respective states. As recognition of the contribution grandparents play in one’s life, the couple chose to have their grand parents bless their wedding rings. One can imagine that this ceremony will be carried down the line of this family as a new tradition.

There are all sorts of interesting customs and rituals from various countries and time periods.  Morocco’s weddings last about a week. In Italy, the tradition is to wear green for good luck the evening before the wedding and in China, they make the marriage bed the day before the wedding.  Whether you opt to add some colourful traditions to your day for culture’s sake or for interest’s sake, it should be a day that’s done your way with your say in everything from the location, to the theme including tradition, and down to the details of what sort of wedding photos you want taken. If culture and tradition are to be a part of the day there are many ways you can blend them in so that your wedding day is a reflection of the two of you.

In Part 1, we talked about the choice and the hows and wheres of incorporating  wedding flowers into your Perth wedding day. Here’s some more info to help you with choosing the right size bouquet for you and some of the history and symbolism behind the choice of wedding flowers.

Beyond flowers being nice to look at, a fabulous accessory and a great backdrop for wedding photos, there are some traditions and symbolism behind the choice of flowers for a wedding day.

Symbolism

If symbolism is important to you it’s worth investigating the meaning behind the flowers you intend using on your wedding day. Some flowers will have  a long history to them, or you may decide to simply choose a flower that has special significance to you and your partner.

• Baby’s breath. Baby’s breath symbolizes innocence as do the heavily scented Freesias. Baby’s breath is used as a filler for bouquets and it’s also used in the hair of brides and bridesmaids. It can be worn year round and is considered a great choice that also has the benefit of being inexpensive.
• Carnations. The pink carnation stands for boldness, red are for love, and white is known for talents. Carnations are inexpensive and can add a great burst of colour to your floral decorations. Their relative low cost will perhaps allow you to add extras to the arrangements.
• Chrysanthemum. The chrysanthemum symbolises wealth. It is available year round and a relatively inexpensive flower.
• Orchids. Orchids symbolise love and beauty and is a Chinese symbol for many children. These flowers tend to be more expensive.
• Roses. Various coloured roses have different symbolic meanings, – the white rose represents purity; the pink rose – grace, gratitude and gentleness; the yellow rose symbolises joy, while the coral rose is known as the rose of desire!
• Peony. Peonies represent happy life, happy marriage and are a beautiful generous looking flower to incorporate into a bridal bouquet.
• Lily. The white lily symbolises purity, while the tiger lily represents wealth and pride. Lilies are a popular inclusion in wedding bouquets.
• Tuberose. The heavenly scented tuberose is a symbol for forbidden pleasure!
• Gerbera-daisy. The sweet and fresh looking Gerbera-daisy is a symbol of friendship.

The Wedding Bouquet of the Year!

The “wedding bouquet of the year” is of course that carried by Kate Middleton, now Duchess of Cambridge. The flowers in her bouquet were chosen according to their symbolic meaning. Her bouquet contained Sweet William flowers, the fragrant Hyacinth – a symbol of constancy and lily of the valley – a symbol of happiness. A sprig of Myrtle was also added to the Duchess’ bouquet. It is said that the sprig comes from a tree that grew from a cutting from that was in Queen Victoria’s own bouquet. A sprig of Myrtle has been included in every royal bouquet since Queen Victoria’s wedding. Myrtle symbolises love.

Kate’s bouquet was on the small side. Many people thought it was nice that it seemed so humble but others thought it could’ve been grander. The size and proportion of your wedding bouquet is a consideration for many brides. That bouquet will be featured in your wedding photographs and is a large part of the bride’s outfit. How do you choose the right style and size of bouquet? Ask your dress designer and your florist, they are sure to have an opinion on the shape and size that will suit you and your gown. Always keep in mind whatever you choose has to feel right for you.

Choose something with a shape that compliments your dress. Many with a very full dress will choose a very full bouquet. Those with a slim dress may opt for something more elongated.  Some brides like a teardrop shape, others prefer a ball. Choices for bouquet shapes are numerous and include: loose, crescent, pageant, cascade, oval, and heart.  Don’t be afraid to test out and consider different shapes and do some homework by browsing wedding photographs and wedding magazines to see the impact of the floral choice on wedding photographs.

There are a lot of choices to think about for your wedding day.  When and where it’ll take place, what sort of wedding photographs you want, what you’ll both wear, and so on. Flowers are another consideration that can really add to the beauty of the day. Your choice of flower and how many you require will determine the final cost.

Will you have real or artificial flowers? What colour flowers will you choose? How much will you pay and do you want only bouquets or church and table decorations as well? What about your bouquet?  Here are some things to consider:

Wedding Flower Costs

Your wedding budget will dictate a lot of things, like how much you can spend on food and décor, what sort of wedding photographic services you’ll purchase, what kind of honeymoon is arranged, and so forth.  You could spend a few hundred dollars on wedding flowers or you could spend thousands.

If you’re funding your wedding on a tight budget, you might opt for a combination of real and high quality artificial flowers, or local and season flowers. Brides and grooms with severe allergies might also opt for artificial flowers or flowers with less of an impact on allergy sufferers. Regardless, it’s a good idea that you meet with a florist who will give you options based on your wedding colours, budget, and based on what’s in season.

Integration of flowers with the overall design and theme for your wedding is something most brides think about. Flowers in the church, on the reception tables, a floral covered wedding pergola that could be brought from the wedding ceremony to the reception, and other ways of integrating flowers are worth careful consideration. Brides and bridesmaids may even have flowers in their hair. Flower colours can tie in very well with the overall colour scheme of the day.

Florists who are specialised in weddings will often offer services that include setting up and clearing away the flowers and could include rental of vases, pew bows, pergolas or arches, and other floral accessories.  If you aren’t sure about which wedding florist to use, talk to some of your other wedding service providers, such as your wedding photographer, caterer, or someone at your reception venue.

There’s no doubt that flowers add a special ambience to a wedding day and little something extra to your exclusive wedding photographs.

If you’re in the throws of organising flowers for your wedding day keep an eye out for Part 2 of Choosing the Right Flowers for Your Wedding Day. We’ll be discussing bouquet sizes and the symbolism of flowers.

Are you interested in learning more about a green wedding or maybe even just a wedding with a “green” hue to it? If you’re having a Perth wedding or a wedding in the South West here are some eco friendly wedding ideas for you to consider:

Give Green Party Favours

Wondering what sort of wedding favours to give out? Instead of candy, a book of personalised matches, or other cliché item to give out, you could be a bit different. There are a number of options for green wedding favours that say something about your commitment to the environment. One such option involves seeds. You can give out little personalised packets of seeds or personalised keepsake memory cards that are impregnated with wild flower seeds. Your guest will have a long lasting memento of your wedding.

Use Green Products on the Day

There are a number of green products you can use in your wedding, such as: flower petals or rice for confetti, free range / organic wedding cakes and food, in-season and locally available  flowers, invitations on recycled paper, opting for an eco-friendly venue, opting for more eco-friendly marquee tents, and using other sustainable products. If you’re really committed you’ll even find eco-friendly wedding clothing suppliers that use organic or re-claimed fabrics.

Service Providers

Work with service providers who are environmentally-conscious. Not everyone will list that on their business card but when you talk to wedding photographers, caterers, and other service providers, you can ask about environmental practises and choose to work with services who will strive to be as eco-friendly as possible in terms of service, materials, and resources related to your wedding. Don’t be afraid to find someone who hates waste and who is willing to meet your needs.

Get Me To The Church On Time

Keep it local and walk to the church or park for the wedding ceremoy or have your ceremony and reception at the same venue. If this isn’t possible use a hybrid, horse and carriage, or other eco-friendly transportation option if possible.

Green Gifts

How many gadgets do you really need around the house? When you do your gift registry, list only the essentials or green gifts. Or, tell your guests that you’d like them to donate to a green charity in lieu of buying you a wedding gift. Your “wedding wishing well” could collect donations for the charity of your choice. You can even sell your wedding gown after the wedding and have the proceeds go to charity.

Green Honeymoon

Keep your honeymoon green. There are some sensational “Eco Resorts” to be taken advantage of both locally and internationally.

Maybe you can’t make every element of your wedding day ‘green’ but if this is something that’s an important cause to you, you certainly could do some or even all of your wedding planning with the carbon footprint in mind. Not only would the result be that it’s a day that personifies you and your lifestyle but it could also provide food for thought for many of your guests about their own habits. Who know you might even start a trend!