Producer's Tips for greening your wedding

1. The numbers
   The best thing to do is to keep your guest list small. Less traveling, less food, smaller venues etc...
2. The venue
   How green is your venue - if your ceremony is in a church, check the listing from Greening Sacred Spaces, look for green business practices of other ceremony areas. Ask if your reception venue offers local food, uses Bullfrog power, donates their leftover food, re-directs food waste to farm feed, reduces their waste in the office, uses recyclables where possible, uses healthy cleaning products...
3. Invitations
   Do you really need the outer and inner envelope, the return envelope, the return card...? Opt for an electronic invitation; be really old-fashioned and use a invitation notice with a map card and have people send a letter, call or email their RSVP.
4. Reception
   If you don't need the sit-down dinner and big dance, how about a very chic cocktail party in the early evening or an afternoon tea? Less food, more choices for the guests and you won't have to worry about a menu selection card.
   Use a 'green' caterer that understands the impact of using imported food and has ethical business practices.
5. Dressing UP
   Use a local, ethical designer, use sustainable fabrics like hemp, bamboo, organic silk (there are beautiful options to fulfill any fantasy now!), avoid petrochemical fabrics and cheap dresses from overseas.
6. Favors
   Forgo the little favors with your names on them altogether or opt for something edible with no packaging, make a donation in the name of your guests, offer something reusable without engravings/personalizing or at least find something made from recycled items.
7. Jewellery
   If you must have a diamond, make sure it's a conflict-free gem and find a jeweler that uses reclaimed metals.
8. Gift Registry
   Register with a company committed to sustainable products and practices like Grassroots or registering with a charitable organization if you have everything you need. Registering in general helps avoid multiples of the same item arriving at your home.
9. Transportation
   Find a venue accessible by public transit, use a hybrid instead of a stretch limo, get a bio-diesel bus and start the party on the road!
10. Honeymoon
    by far the biggest impact on the environment is plane travel and resorts. Look for romantic getaways close to home or if you absolutely need the beach, look for travel destinations that have both a social and environmental conscience and buy carbon offsets for the traveling.
11. Off set the rest
    Buy carbon off sets for all the other elements but be sure the off set company is investing in a renewable energy source rather than just planting trees. Look to the Suzuki Foundation for advice on this.