More brides and grooms are incorporating green wedding decisions into their big day, even if they have to spend a tiny bit more to do it. That’s the expectation, at least, since we may spend more for the organic foods we eat and the eco-friendly products we buy…but in many cases, smart eco-friendly wedding decisions also work double-duty as the top budget wedding decisions. For instance, choosing locally-grown flowers reduces carbon footprint and costs much less than having exotic flowers imported. Going green turns into a double-win!
A recent survey by TheWeddingReport.com showed that flowers were the #1 area of interest of green-minded brides and grooms, at 62%, followed by eco-smart invitations (57%,) green favors and gifts (55%,) green décor (54%,) and eco-conscious ceremony and reception locations (38%.)
Here are the top Green Wedding Trends for 2012:
1. Staying local: Choosing a wedding site that’s closest to your guests eliminates long-distance travel for those who would otherwise need to drive or fly to attend your big day. While there are many destination wedding packages at eco-friendly resorts, couples are in greater numbers looking closer to home to avoid eco-damages associated with travel. Also in the local mindset is the trend of planning a One-Location wedding, where the ceremony and reception are held at the same location, eliminating travel between two sites (which also saves money when you, guests and vendors don’t have to drive between separate locations.)
2. Eco-friendly venues: Brides and grooms want their weddings to take place at a venue that shares their green values. So they’re asking about a site’s recycling, energy-saving, solar, re-purposing and donation policies and booking their weddings there.