10 Tips On Having An Environmentally Friendly Wedding

Protecting the environment is on all of our minds these days. A wedding can generate significant waste and leave a HUGE carbon footprint. From food waste to the chemicals and trees used in the printing process of your invitations and programs, weddings are not generally the most environmentally friendly thing.

We have come up with 5 Ways That You Can Reduce The Carbon Footprint Of Your Wedding!

Tip 1: Don't Let Food Go To Waste!

Did you know that not-for-profit organizations like Second Harvest (http://www.secondharvest.ca/) will pick up your left-overs and ensure that they go to those in need? If you are using a caterer, share this idea with them and that this is what you would like to do. After all, many couples are leaving the next day for their honeymoon so a bunch of leftovers aren't what you need, but would certainly help the needy.

Tip 2: Choose your Favours Wisely!
There are lots of different ideas in which you can incorporate your desire to be Eco Friendly and still have favours. For instance, companies like Plant A Memory (http://www.plantamemory.com/) offer inexpensive seedlings in a decorative tube that your guests can take home and plant. They are around the $3.00 mark and are quite attractive. Other companies offer seed packages with wedding suitable envelops.

Many couples are opting to skip the idea of favours altogether and make a donation to their favourite charity. If you like the tree idea and would also like to make a difference in a developing nation, an organization like Trees For Life (http://www.treesforlife.org/) is a great way to go. For every donation of $1.00, they will plant a fruit tree in a developing nation. The trees will become a food source for those in need.

Tip 3: Plants instead of flowers!

Granted flowers are absolutely gorgeous and somewhat difficult to do without. However, why not incorporate living plants and trees in to your wedding instead? Topiaries made of living plants and manicured junipers with a set of LED lights look stunning and give you something to incorporate in to your garden that will remind you of your special day for years to come.

Tip 4: Avoid printing where possible

The amount of printing that goes in to the average wedding is quite incredible - from the printing of invitations, ceremony programs, name cards for the tables, itineraries and various emails, it all adds up. Avoid printing where possible, choose an eco-friendly printer that can print your invitations on recycled paper using vegetable inks.

Tip 5: Buy carbon offsets when flying

One of the biggest environmental impacts will come in the form of your honeymoon. Airlines produce a tremendous amount of carbon through their emissions and waste. The good news is that most of the major airlines offer customers the chance to buy carbon offsets. Basically, the small fee that you agree to pay in addition to your ticket goes to neutralize the carbon that you produced. That money is used to invest in wind farms, planting of trees, etc. The fee is minimal, but it allows you to have all the fun of the trip without the guilt.

Tip 6: Avoid conflict diamonds - buy Canadian

Many of us have seen the movie "Blood Diamond". It is a reality that there are diamond cartels that exploit women and children in to working in slave like conditions in order to harvest diamonds. Much of the money raised in these parts of Africa are used to finance civil wars which have been devastating for the people that live there. Many of these diamonds make their way to the North American markets, and it is quite difficult to tell if the diamond that you are buying is a "conflict diamond" or not. There is one easy way to ensure that you are not buying a "blood diamond" - buy Canadian! Jewellers will provide you with a certificate of authenticity and the quality is pretty much the same. One cool thing about a Canadian diamond - if you look under a microscope, most have been microscopically etched with a Canadian flag or one of our national animals (not seen by the naked eye). These diamonds are harvested in the Territories which brings work to areas in which work is scarce, thus improving the lives of our fellow Canadians.

Tip 7: Candles - Use Beeswax or Soybean and ensure that the wicks are lead-free!

Did you know that a lot of candles on the market today still contain lead? Most of it is contained within the wick, but even the colourants used can put harsh chemicals in to the air. Beeswax and soybean candles are usually safe alternatives, but I would still encourage that you confirm that the wicks are lead free.

Tip 8: Eco Friendly Disc Jockey

Did you know that even your disc jockey can play a part in ensuring that your wedding is environmentally friendly? It's true! For instance, we use digital music subscriptions which are the exact same quality as compact disc, but without the waste and environmental impact that comes from the associated packaging and the process of creating the disc itself. In addition, once our laptops no longer meet our needs, we donate them to an organization like Renewed Computer Technology in order that they can be used for training and development programs worldwide. All of the data is removed from the computer and the hard drive is re-formatted to ensure that none of our client information is ever compromised.

Tip 9: Insist on Organic and Free Range Foods

There was a time in which organic represented a monumental cost difference, but that is not quite the case anymore. Certainly you will pay a slight premium, but not it is not as earth shatteringly different as was once the case. If you are looking for an organic/free range butcher, then we can't recommend Cumbrae's (http://www.cumbraes.com/) enough! Their products are absolutely second to none, and one of the many reasons that they are the chosen vendor by so many of Toronto's best kitchens including Jaime Kennedy's Wine Bar and North 44.

Note to grooms: If you want to look like a superstar - invite your new in-laws over for a bbq featuring Cumbrae meats. I speak from experience, you will never hear the end of how wonderful you are. Want some good bbq recipes - drop me an email.

Tip 10: Pick vendors that are in close proximity

Try to pick vendors that are in close proximity to where your event will be. This will reduce the emissions caused by the cars used to get to your event.

Bonus Tip: A few honeymoon tips...
Rather than travel somewhere exotic, why not choose somewhere close to home that you have always wanted to visit, but just have never found the time. When renting a car, don't go overboard - hybrids are awesome as they don't produce emissions when they idle, but even compacts are usually a good choice. If you are going somewhere exotic, choose an eco-friendly resort or lodge. Travel agents have lots of eco-friendly packages to choose from. We saw one recently where you can walk along a canopy in the rainforest - how cool would that be!

As you can see, with a little effort, you can truly make a difference!

All the best with your plans,

Brad Owens
Skip-A-Beat Entertainment
web: http://www.skipabeat.ca/
blog: http://skipabeatentertainment.blogspot.com/
email: info@skipabeat.ca
tel: 1-866-998-8637