There are many options in having a Carbon Neutral Wedding. Reducing your carbon needs is the first thing to look at. Going local with your suppliers is one way to reduce carbon output. Local suppliers are good to look into supporting because supporting your local businesses supports your local economy and community. Some products are better sought within the local region they naturally come from, as the amount of energy spent transporting is less then the energy used to generate in a climate that is not naturally condusive to production.

The next step to having a Carbon Neutral Wedding is supporting suppliers who already are following green energy practices.  Many companies are starting to use green energy and following green practices for their products from the energy source for their stores to all the manufactures of where their products come from. When looking for vendors, have your wedding manager ask your suppliers if they use green energy. This will help when calculating the amount of Carbon that needs to be offset as your wedding day gets closer.

Having your wedding at a location that all ready is using green energy is helpful and fun, but not necessary. Simply asking locations if they use green energy motivates businesses to go green. As the trend from the consumer encourages businesses to be aware of their energy use, businesses will naturally begin to change. Asking the location to provide eco friendly products from cleaning supplies to decorations will encourage the change to take place, hence, your contribution to the world will greatly multiply. Your wedding manager can recommend products she has researched that are both eco friendly and comparable in cost for your vendors to use for your event that will minimize your carbon footprint.

Now that you have reduced we begin to calculate and offset the carbon usage that has taken place for your event. There are carbon offset calculators online that are helpful in using to find out approximately how much carbon was used for all of your wedding dreams to become reality. Your wedding manager should be happy to calculate this for you having access to your wedding invitations and all your suppliers’ information.

After calculating your carbon usage comes the creative and fun part. How to beautifully offset your carbon use. This aspect comes with many choices. One of my favorite ways to off set the energy usage is to incorporate the carbon offsets into your wedding decorations. Planting trees is a useful way to offset carbon. Have guests write a blessing for the Bride and Groom on a small sheet of paper provided next to your guest book with a box to place the blessing in. Have a tree planting ceremony at some point during the reception, after or prior to the wedding where the guest’s blessings are planted along with the trees. The small trees could also be used as part of your centerpieces or aisle decorations. There are companies who will plant trees to commemorate your special day as well. Donate to your local companies who are helping to formulate green energy for your community.  Let guests have to option to give to green energy production companies of your choice in place of your gifts if they wish.

There are many companies livicated to helping to send funds to create new sources of energy by donation from you or your guests. 

A good way to communicate these ideas are through a wedding blog or website that keeps your guests informed of your wishes and the thoughts you have in wishing this for your wedding blessing. There are several free websites and blogs you may create on line to choose from.

Choosing to work with companies that support Organic, Fair Trade, Eco Friendly, Sustainable, and Green vendors will be more than helpful in helping you to have a Carbon Neutral Wedding.

I would love to be of any assistance in helping with coordination, planning and consultations for your wedding day. I specialize in Green Weddings.

Thank you for your interest,

Heather Kotok

Heathers Organic Weddings

http://HeathersOrganicWeddings.org

888 487 5543