Green wedding tips

You’ve got plenty of flower choices for a green wedding, but some pack a bigger eco-punch than others. Luckily it’s easy to break down.

First some general eco-friendly flower buying tips:

• Going local is almost always more eco-friendly than not. With carbon transport issues, packaging, and weird non-fair trade practices buying local flowers is a good way to keep your flower footprint small. Even if a local grower is not certified organic, you may want to check them out. Not being certified doesn’t always mean that a grower doesn’t use sustainable growing practices. You can search Local Harvest for flower growers near you.
• Try to choose seasonal flowers, although if you have a specific theme or color in mind this is not always possible.
• Aim for a less is more approach. Simple bouquets and less flowery decor means your wedding has fewer flower waste and a smaller footprint. To flush out your flower decor you can always make some awesome wedding flowers with recycled paper. You can also use gift-worthy live plants and bulbs in pots as decor which doubles up (decor/favors) and doesn’t contribute to a large waste issue.
• Grow your own – if you’ve got the time you can grow all your own wedding flowers or even force bulbs for table settings if you’re short on time. This costs less (except for the time commitment) and ensures you get VERY local, pesticide free flowers.
• Pay attention to the containers and wraps. Eco-friendly flowers loose some points if you place them in icky plastic containers or floral foam (which is not biodegradable). Your florist or you can create bouquets using eco-friendly alternative such as glass vases (mason jars look amazing actually for vases and serve more than one purpose), bamboo vases and pots, and paper plus instead of foam to keep flowers steady use rocks, beans, or reusable and recyclable glass marbles.
• If you have your garden in the spring or summer in a natural setting – say a community garden or park, you may not need as many cut flowers because of the natural appeal of growing flowers.

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