Everything you need to know about sustainable celebrations, all in one place

Making sustainable choices for your wedding doesn’t have to be complicated. We’re here to answer all of your sustainability-related questions.

The Environment and Your Wedding

What's the environmental footprint of my wedding, really? And why does it matter in the grand scheme of things? 

Here’s the deal: practically everything that we do produces carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Some things, like driving a car or traveling in a plane, produce more emissions than others, but the food you eat and the clothes you wear have a carbon footprint, too. So, everything that goes into a big celebration like your wedding produces some serious CO2.

CO2 traps heat in Earth’s atmosphere, and the more CO2  we emit, the hotter it will get, contributing to things like extreme weather and rising sea levels. That’s not just a problem for our animal friends – it can also have a real impact on your everyday life. In addition to a greater chance of things like wildfires and hurricanes, more CO2 in the atmosphere means that summers will get way hotter, and autumn and winter won’t last as long (translation: say goodbye to that fall foliage!). 

In the grand scheme of things, choosing to have a more sustainable wedding might seem like a small thing. But really, lots of small decisions can add up to a healthier environment. 

Plus, your wedding is a chance to share how sustainability can be a part of everyday life with your friends & family!

How do I reduce the environmental footprint for my wedding? 

Pretty much everything we do produces some carbon emissions, which contribute to climate change. There are lots of things you can do to reduce the overall footprint of your wedding day, and sometimes, it’s as simple as asking the right questions. Here are a couple tips:

• Not all menus are created equal. Red meat has a much bigger carbon footprint than other options. Stick with chicken and vegetables, or take things a step further and go full veggie!

• Stay flexible with your floral arrangements. Depending on the season, some of the flowers you’re looking for might not be locally available, which means they have to be flown in – hello, carbon emissions! Ask your florist what’s locally available and in season for your day.

• Encourage your guests to carpool to reduce the number of cars on the road for your big day. Bonus: fewer designated drivers needed, so everyone can dance the night away! 

• Producing new clothing takes a lot of energy (and it uses a lot of water). Save money and the environment by looking into clothing rentals and pre-owned options. Nowadays you can find bridesmaid dress rentals as well as suit rentals, and websites like Still White and Once Wed have lots of pre-owned wedding dress options.

Want a complete breakdown of all of the things you can do? We have a guide to planning a more sustainable wedding – download it to get our complete checklist!

How Green My Wedding Helps

How does Green My Wedding make my wedding more sustainable? 

We start by giving you the inspiration to reduce your wedding’s environmental footprint – whether it’s more locally-sourced food and flowers or a venue powered by renewable energy. 

Then, for every Green My Wedding package purchased, we invest in projects that reduce carbon emissions. When you buy a Green My Wedding package, you’re buying carbon offsets that go towards projects like planting trees, energy efficiency upgrades, and others that result in less carbon dioxide in the air. 

At Green My Wedding, we also work with nonprofits that are fighting climate change, so every Green My Wedding package supports programs that are working towards a more sustainable future.

OK, but how do carbon offsets actually work? 

Here’s the thing. Carbon offsets aren’t a get-out-of-jail-free card – finding ways to shrink your footprint is always the first step! But even if you’re responsible, you won’t be able to get your environmental footprint down to nothing... and if you have wanderlust like we do, you’re still going to want to travel for your honeymoon, too. 

Basically, when you buy carbon offsets, you’re investing in projects that reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. Every project is different, but there are a few types that are pretty common: reforestation (planting trees, which actually pull CO2 out of the air), renewable energy (making us less reliant on burning coal or gas for energy), and energy efficiency (reducing the amount of energy we need to use in the first place). 

Every Green My Wedding package includes carbon offsets that are certified by leading industry groups, so you can be confident that your purchase makes an impact. 

Plus, in many cases, carbon offset projects are in rural areas, or they’re family owned. That means your purchase generates social and economic benefits, in addition to environmental ones. 

What’s covered with my Green My Wedding package? 

At Green My Wedding, we’ve designed packages to fit every kind of celebration, whether it’s a cozy, intimate affair or a blowout destination wedding. 

With each package, you’re offsetting the carbon emissions from your wedding venue, food, and flowers, plus goodies like favors, invitations and printing. 

For your wedding to be really sustainable, you have to look beyond the party. Green My Wedding packages also cover local travel for your guests, hotel stays for out-of-town guests, plus the rehearsal dinner, your wedding website and gift registry!

And if you buy a Green My Wedding honeymoon package (hello, sustainability power couple!), you’re covering the footprint of your travel, hotel stays, and all the amazing food you’ll enjoy during your post-wedding bliss. 

What makes Green My Wedding different?

We’re here to give you every solution you need for a sustainable wedding. That means recommendation for every part of your wedding day, plus your honeymoon. It also means green wedding packages that are designed to work for you – and guidance on how to share your environmental efforts with your loved ones! 

All of our offsets contribute to projects that are industry-certified to be credible, additional, and impactful.  That means they’re actually making a difference beyond just the “status quo” – so you can rest assured that your green wedding is doing some permanent good for the environment.

At Green My Wedding, every purchase also includes a donation to environmental nonprofits dedicated to climate change. That means you’re not just balancing out the bad with Green My Wedding – you’re doing good for the future of the planet.