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.