Environmental issues impact our lives every day. While activists like Greta Thunberg, Mari Copeny, and Autumn Peltier call for government action to protect the earth and halt climate change, ordinary people look for ways to mitigate their impacts. Green weddings are now more than just a hot trend. With ecologically sound options for reducing your carbon footprint, it’s easy to plan an awesome eco-friendly wedding.

Understanding What’s at Stake

NASA briefly explains the link between carbon dioxide emissions and climate change. CO2 contributes to the greenhouse effect by preventing heat from escaping our atmosphere. This causes surface temperatures to rise and leads to warming oceans, melting polar ice, sea level increases, and disturbed weather as superstorms and extreme heat waves.

Corporations’ impacts are significant. A July 2017 article in the Guardian reveals that 100 companies produce 71% of greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, private citizens are being urged to take small steps to help reduce total carbon output. Columbia University’s Earth Institute makes several suggestions:

• Buying organic and locally-sourced food
• Choosing vintage or recycled clothing
• Cutting back on the number of goods you buy
• Shopping at environmentally responsible companies
• Donating or recycling leftover items
• Organizing carpools for transportation
• Avoiding airline travel when possible

Choose a Local Eco-Friendly Venue

Your venue is the most logical place to start planning your green wedding. Vox’s Umair Irfan states that aviation produces a whopping 860 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. That’s only 2% of total emissions, but it’s still worth trying to reduce that amount. Locally hosted nuptials will contribute less to your carbon footprint than a destination wedding.

To improve your wedding’s green factor, you can also select an eco-friendly venue. The Knot recommends outdoor venues like parks, beaches, farms, or vineyards. If you’d prefer to get married in the great indoors, try hosting both your ceremony and reception in the same place. Daytime weddings at sunlight-rich locations will also use less energy.

Go Paperless With Digital Invites and Cards

Paper usage contributes only 1% of our total carbon footprint, but reducing consumption is still worthwhile. Many couples are choosing electronic invitations, save-the-dates, and even thank you cards. RSVPs have gone digital as well, thanks to many wedding website providers integrating online RSVP functionality. As a bonus, electronic RSVPs are also easier to track. For guests who don’t use the internet, you can order a small batch of paper invites to ensure you get responses.

Greener Food and Drink Options

Your reception menu is another great opportunity to make eco-smart choices. To ensure you can hire a green caterer, Equally Wed advises picking a venue with no restrictions on outside food service. Next, select a caterer who uses in-season and locally sourced food. With both meat and non-meat ingredients, you’ll help reduce carbon emissions produced by transportation and storage. You can also hire a baker that uses sustainable production methods. Finally, offering signature beverages or big-batch cocktails diminishes waste by eliminating single-serving glass or plastic bottles.

Remember the slogan “Reduce, reuse, recycle”? You can apply this principle to your site décor by relying more on your venue’s natural scenery. Don’t forget that wedding rentals offer more than just furniture, tents, linens, dance floors, and dishware. Wedding Wire’s Lauren Rodrigue points out that you can rent centerpieces, vases, candles, and other strategic touches. You’ll require fewer flowers and potentially save money. For the flowers you do need, hire a florist that uses local in-season varieties. Greenery and potted plants can beautify your space without increasing your environmental impact. As a bonus, your guests can take plants home with them.

A Great Green Wedding Is Within Your Reach

Weddings have gone greener, and not just because of the “cool factor.” Sustainability and cutting carbon emissions are very real concerns. With strategically targeted choices, you can host a celebration that’s both fun and eco-friendly.