Some fun stuff that’s been under discussion this week (and what a busy week it’s been for eco wedding talk, what with Earth Day and all…):

See some very cute - and reusable/re-wearable - flower girl dresses at eco chic weddings

Check out these very elegant earth-friendly wedding dresses from British-based Conscious Elegance, seen on Ethical Weddings

Brenda’s Wedding Blog shows some examples of eco-friendly wedding invitations

Reuse, Reuse, Reuse! at Perfect Memories Wedding Blog (and lots of other green living advice)

Brenda’s done it again with Organic Wedding Cakes - yum!

Have a great weekend as we start the rush into wedding high season!

Religion is going green and couples can celebrate the spiritual side of their marriage in a place that also reflects their environmental commitment.

Congregations supporting new building projects and renovation projects are taking their environmental stewardship seriously, and the number of LEED-certified* places of worship or growing fast.

Not having a religious wedding? There are many eco-friendly buildings - civic centres, municipal buildings and private buildings - where you can get married. Check out the list of projects from the US Green Building Council here, or look for Canadian LEED-certified buildings here.

Christian:

• Keystone Community Church, Ada, Michigan
• St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin Catholic Church, Toronto, Ontario
• Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno, Fresno, California
  
• St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
• Buchan Building and Community Center at First Unitarian Church, Portland, Oregon
• Papago Buttes Church of the Brethren, Phoenix, Arizona

Jewish:

• Jewish Reconstructionist Congregration, Evanston, Illinois
• Temple Emanuel, Kensington, Maryland

Civic Centers

• Langley Municipal Building, Langley, British Columbia
• Canmore Civic Centre, Canmore, Alberta

There are dozens of other green and LEED-certified churches, synagogues and other places of worship, as well as other beautiful and green buildings in which to get married. Know a great green wedding location? Let us know and we’ll share another list with everyone!

*LEED stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design”. Buildings can be certified if they meet standards for things like sustainable building sites, water efficiency, energy, materials and indoor environmental quality.

Corina Beczner, the founder of VibrantEvents.net, is writing a green wedding guide that will be published by the Sierra Club next year. She’s looking for couples who have had green weddings or are planning green weddings to share their stories for the book. You can contact her through BluePlanetWedding.com here, or through the Vibrant Events web site here.

BluePlanetWedding.com would also like to hear your stories - if you have an eco-friendly wedding story, let me know and I’ll feature your story on the site!

I attended a wedding recently where I refused to take home yet another wedding favor. I think the bride and groom are great people, and I was honored to be invited to the wedding, but I just don’t need more stuff. Especially themed stuff that would otherwise go straight in a closet and into a garage sale. Although, refusing to take home the favor brought up another conundrum - would the favor be used by someone else or thrown away?

Make a donation your wedding favor

Pool all the money that would otherwise be spent on favors and make a donation to a cause that’s close to your heart. The favor part of the budget can range from a couple hundred dollars to a couple thousand dollars - this can make a big impact on local, national or international charities.

One of our local homeless shelters says a meal costs them $2.62. Take $250 of the wedding favor budget and you’ve bought dinner for 96 people. Or $250 could buy 10 backpacks filled with school supplies for children.

Let your guests know where the favors are going by making an announcement at the ceremony, and maybe on the invitation. Put the money to work, rather than towards another tchochke, knickknack or bauble.

Hi to everyone from Austin! BluePlanetWedding.com’s 95 Ideas To Make Your Wedding More Environmentally-Friendly has been featured in “Austin Wide Open” and “Austin Natural Effects” magazine; we’re thrilled to be a part of these publications!

Come on in and check out the site, and if you have an environmentally-friendly or locally-oriented business with wedding services - or if you know someone who offers eco-oriented wedding services, sign up now for a free listing on the site.

I just discovered the “Unclutterer” blog this weekend, and I’m hooked. I don’t think I’m alone in realizing I could do many things to unclutter my life, and this blog is a great place to start.

I shall leave you with the post “Ten tips for planning a simple wedding“. Number 8 on the list is especially important:

Remember that your marriage is what is most important, not your wedding day. Keeping this in perspective will save you time and stress when it comes to making decisions about minute details.

Take it from someone who’s been married for almost 5 years. The wedding day comes and goes, but the marriage (hopefully) lasts forever. You won’t remember the flowers or the food, but you will remember the people. Focus on creating a great party and don’t worry that the bridesmaid dresses don’t match the centerpieces.