You’ve been engaged for two weeks and already the guest list is spiraling out of control.

“We went to Cousin Steve’s wedding in Dallas four years ago, we have to put him on the list.” “Yes, but if we do that, we have to add Uncle Mike’s whole family or we’ll never hear the end of it at the next family reunion.”

Had a similar conversation? I know my wife(-to-be) and I did. She has over 40 cousins, and it’s a tight family. Yikes - recipe for a huge wedding (we ended up with 100 - seemed like a lot more, though).

Keeping the ceremony and reception small has many, many benefits.

Many of those benefits are environmental - less consumption, less waste, less impact and so on. Other benefits are cost control measures, but there is one huge benefit to a small gathering that most people don’t consider.

Your wedding day will (not may, but will) be a very busy day of schedules, planning, meeting & greeting, organization and controlled chaos. There will be so much action it’ll be hard to visit with guests and even remember much of the day. Keeping things small gives you the opportunity to actually be a part of your day instead of being swept along in a tide of events and a blur of faces.  You’ll remember the day more, and have more fun.

By now, most people know not to throw rice at weddings - it’s difficult to clean up (most venues won’t allow it), and, according to urban legend, birds will eat it and explode (this is false).

As an alternative, many people are now throwing bird seed. Supposedly friendlier towards birds, bird seed poses a different threat to the environment - the introduction of non-native and invasive plant species, AKA weeds.

Perhaps the most common animal-related products that cause new plant introductions are bird seeds. Commercial bird seed marketed towards pet owners contains many non-native species. As bird owners know, large amounts of seed are thrown away intact simply because the bird will not eat it. Naturalists in Britain tracked “bird seed aliens” for the past several decades. They found several dozen species that either grew unaided in garbage dumps, or would germinate under laboratory conditions. Many bird seed aliens easily germinate if exposed to water, even while still in the bird cage. Some of the better-known bird seed aliens include Panicum miliaceum (proso millet), Setaria italica (foxtail millet), and Helianthus annuus (sunflower), all common seed contaminants themselves. One common bird seed component that has recently come under increased scrutiny is Cannabis sativa (hemp); although the seed is supposed to be sterilized before it is included in mixtures to be sold in America, this species is still a noxious weed in many states.

Methods of Introduction of Non-Native Plants into New Habitats: A Review
by Jennifer Forman, University of Massachusetts, Boston

The idea of throwing things at newly married couples is a tradition that goes back thousands of years. Grains, fruit, seeds, nuts and so on symbolize a fruitful union and growth (an old Irish tradition has the couple being pelted with pots and pans - sounds like a honeymoon in the emergency ward… :)  ).

Today, we have many adaptations of this tradition, and we can celebrate in other eco-friendly ways. Blow bubbles from a solution made from biodegradable soap - always a nice option and it’s fun to blow bubbles!