The Associated Press

Some environmentally friendly ideas for wedding planning:

n Limit guest travel. Have the wedding in the town where most guests live; help arrange car pools.

n Have a daytime wedding, outdoors when possible.

n Choose recycled paper for invitations and place cards.

n Serve organic, locally grown food.

n Decorate with organic, locally grown flowers, fruits and veggies. Create smaller centerpieces. Choose potted plants rather than cut flowers.

n Seek out caterers who recycle materials and use linen and china instead of disposables.

n Wear vintage clothes and jewelry, or choose “green” fibers like silk or organic cotton.

n Use candles.

n Go acoustic.

n Pick digital over film.

n Check out businesses that claim to provide green services and see if they really do; many new companies have entered the rapidly growing market.

n Find out how much greenhouse gas your wedding will create at TerraPass.com, which offers to then “offset” the event by inviting you to invest in energy saving technologies.



Sources: Maria McBride, Brides magazine; Nik Kaestner, environmental consultant, San Francisco; Eric Fenster, Back to Earth Inc., Berkeley, Calif.; Latha Poonmallee, Case Western Reserve University; www.WedAlert.com; Debi Lilly, A Perfect Event, Chicago.