Published on March 3rd, 2008 | by Stephanie Evans

Green Wedding Venues

When planning any wedding, the choice of place is key. Location is especially important for planet-friendly, vow-exchanging venues, which represent the start of a low-impact, sustainable life together.

Here are a few ideas to help with eco-friendly inspiration…

Earth-friendly Outdoor Wedding

Outdoors
Indoors
Travel and Transportation

An Outdoor Affair

Outdoor weddings offer the beauty and charm of a natural setting that needs little, if any, extra decoration. Beaches, parks, and botanical gardens are a few places to consider. If you can’t decide on a location, think about which outdoor setting most inspires you and helps you to feel at home, whether it be mountains, oceans, or woodland glades.

Wedding tents are a popular choice for outdoor weddings because they give guests heat and protection from the elements, and they’re available in eco-friendly and renewable materials such as wood and canvas. Unfortunately, most eco tents aren’t made with weddings in mind, as they are typically styled for a woodsy, safari type of event that may not suit a bride’s taste.

Indoor Celebrations

If you’re interested in heading indoors, consider a green hotel. Green hotels are great places to hold the wedding and/or reception, also offering sustainable accomodations for guests over the weekend. Green hotels are those that maintain a green business perspective and typically furnish rooms using sustainable, recycled, and organic materials.

When searching for a green hotel, look for…

Those that belong to green organizations such as the Green Hotel Association

Those that are certified by U.S.-based Green Seal or rated by the Hotel Association of Canada’s Green Leaf Eco-Rating Program (information available for hotels around the world)

Hotels with LEED (U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) or Energy Star certification have been designed with the planet in mind. These facilities use sustainable, earth-friendly building materials and energy-efficient appliances.

Third-party organizations like LEED determine how green a hotel is based on such factors as water consumption, use of environmentally friendly products, and other green practices—such as encouraging guests to use only one towel and to recycle. However, since many of these rating systems rely on information supplied by the hotel, be sure to inquire about a hotel’s specific green practices.

Churches are great places to hold weddings since most are already decorated. The addition of organic, sustainable flower arrangements makes churches easy, eco-friendly places for any religious wedding ceremony.

Travel and Transportation

Getting guests to the venue is another consideration.

Try to find a location that requires the least amount of travel for family and guests.

If guests are coming in from out of town, give suggestions on eco-travel agents, as well as places to rent hybrid or low-emission vehicles, which will reduce travel-related emissions and make your nuptial festivities that much greener.