          |
 |
Green Weddings with Carol Reed-Jones
http://www.ecolivingcenter.com/greenweddings/
Articles on planning a green wedding, invitation options, cake decorating, outdoor locations, and not buying into the wedding industry. Also has discussion boards. See the "Books" section below for the excellent book Carol Reed-Jones has written about green weddings.Inexpensive Weddings
http://home.att.net/~starfurry/cheapwedding.html
One couple's story of how they did it. Their $1400 wedding in Vermont included organic flowers, vegan food and cake, and lots of creative yet inexpensive ideas. Fun and informative.Organic Weddings
www.organicweddings.com
The premier site for planning an organic/eco-friendly/socially-responsible wedding celebration. Has a good resource directory with vendors organized by geographic region. Products sold at www.organicweddings.com can get pricey, but the website is a great source for ideas. See the "Books" section for the great new book on weddings written by the creator of the site.Weddings By Recommendation Only: The Green Corner
http://www.byreconly.com/TheGreenCorner/GreenCorner.htm
Inspiring stories, photos, and articles about green weddings. Two of the articles are devoted to the details of two eco-friendly weddings. There are also articles on finding a source for organic flowers, making sustainable seafood choices for the wedding menu, saving paper by using an online save-the-date card, and how to create a fruit bowl centerpiece that be donated to a food bank after the wedding! Many of the stories are about weddings in the San Francisco Bay Area, in case you are local.Green Elegance Weddings
greeneleganceweddings.com
Another great website for planning a green wedding. Different sections of the website cover earth-friendly invitations, apparel, honeymoon travel, gifts, and do-it-yourself ideas. Has vendor listings, a free email newsletter, and a wedding-planning checklist with a green twist.WedFrugal
wedfrugal.com
Articles on how to save money on virtually every aspect of a wedding - gown, rings, photography, invitations, decoration, etc. Includes tips for comparison-shopping and how to get the best value, as well as instructions for wedding craft projects. A lot more useful than the superficial, tired tips that keep recirculating in wedding magazines/books/websites.The Cost-Effective Bride
http://www.brilliantweddingpages.com/couples/ceb_archive.asp
Practical do-it-yourself instructions for making everything from embossed invitations to unity candles to personalized champagne glasses. Also has some good cost-cutting suggestions, like shopping eBay for pre-owned wedding accessories or decorations, bargaining with wedding vendors, and comparison-shopping for your chosen gown style.Green Wedding Ideas: How to Create an Environmentally Friendly Celebration
http://www.bloomington.in.us/~twistlim/green_weddings/
Tips for greening your wedding reception, stationary, attire, ceremony, flowers, gifts, and honeymoon travel.Making Charity Part of Your Wedding
http://www.sustainableweddings.net/websites_making_charity.htm
Lists various ideas for incorporating charity into a wedding.Tips for Creating a Charitable Wedding
http://www.idofoundation.org/resources/tips.html
Tips include donating reception food and wedding flowers and dresses to charities, holding a volunteer service wedding shower, and giving away charitable wedding favors. Also lists organizations that accept donated gowns, food, and flowers.Great Green Wedding
www.greatgreenwedding.com
Basics on planning a green wedding, including information on invitations, favors, centerpieces, flowers, rings, attire, and honeymoons. Also has a Green Wedding Forum where website visitors can post questions, recommendations, and advice.Organic Weddings
http://ecomall.com/greenshopping/chic17.htm
Suggestions for dresses, cakes, flowers, catering, accessories, and gifts that are both eco-friendly and stylish.Green Hotels Association
www.greenhotels.com
Association of hotels interested in saving water and energy, reducing solid waste and protecting the beautiful destinations that are popular with tourists. Something to consider for honeymoon travel.Etiquette for the Socially Conscious Bride or Groom
http://www.idofoundation.org/resources/etiquette.html
Etiquette Q&A includes suggestions on having a more creative and meaningful wedding with less expense, informing guests about a charity gift registry, and making a wedding more environmentally-conscious.Compassionate Living: Planning A Vegan Wedding
http://www.differentdaisy.com/living.html
Has environmentally-friendly wedding tips, in addition to its vegan wedding tips. Search for "wedding" on their main web page.The Conscious Consumer
http://www.newdream.org/consumer/
Includes a directory that lists sources for environmentally and socially responsible products, many of which are applicable to weddings. The organic flowers section of the directory could be useful when ordering wedding floral arrangements. The coffee, tea, seafood, organic food, and chocolate sections may be helpful for planning the reception menu. The paper section may be useful when choosing invitations and wedding stationary. The personal care and organic/sweatshop-free clothing sections may be useful when purchasing beauty products and wedding attire.Co-op America's Green Pages Online
www.greenpages.org
Extensive directory of green businesses. Useful for locating green suppliers for wedding goods and services.The Dollar Stretcher Archives: Weddings and Marriage
http://www.stretcher.com/menu/topic-r.htm#weddings
A huge archive of very pratical articles about weddings, marriage, and frugality from The Dollar Stretcher. Titles include "A Fun, Yet Frugal Wedding Shower", "20 Ways to Have a Less Expensive, More Meaningful Wedding", "Inexpensive Rehearsal Dinner", "My Story: A NY City Wedding & Reception for $175", "Hidden Costs of Being a Wedding Guest", "Common Financial Mistakes of Newlyweds", and "How to Fix a Free-Spending Spouse".Alternative Weddings
http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/alternative_green_weddings.htm
Small listing of merchants selling green wedding products, along with articles about green and vegetarian weddings.The Campaign to Eliminate Conflict Diamonds
http://www.phrusa.org/campaigns/sierra_leone/conflict_diamonds.html
A coalition committed to ending the trade in "conflict diamonds" and supporting human rights in diamond-producing countries in Africa. For those shopping for wedding jewelry, this site includes a list of "clean" jewelers who have joined Jewelers for Clean Diamond Imports."No Dirty Gold" Campaign
www.nodirtygold.org
Educates and mobilizes consumers to end the exploitative and environmentally-damaging practices of the gold mining industry. Every engaged couple should be aware of these issues and the alternatives to virgin gold jewelry if they are shopping for gold wedding bands.Amnesty Internation USA: Conflict Diamonds
http://www.amnestyusa.org/diamonds/index.do
Overview of conflict diamonds and their impact on human rights.Donate Your Dress: Create Another Magical Moment
http://www.idofoundation.org/resources/dresses/
Donate your dress for consignment after the wedding, and the proceeds are split between the I Do Foundation's programs and a charity of your choice.The Bridal Garden
www.bridalgarden.org
NYC wedding consignment boutique that accepts donated once-worn gowns and resells them to raise funds for Sheltering Arms Childrens Services.Nearly New Bridal
http://www.nearlynewbridal.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/classifieds.cgi
Classified ads for nearly-new wedding gowns, men's formalwear, attire for bridesmaids/flower girls/mother of the bride or groom, accessories, decorations, and rings. Saves money, promotes reuse, and gives a beautiful wedding dress a second life!The Natural Wedding: How to Have an Eco-Friendly Wedding day
http://weddings.about.com/cs/bridesandgrooms/a/natural.htm
About.com's short list of tips on having a eco-friendly, nature-themed wedding.Gay and Green
http://icq.planetout.com/families/article.html?sernum=310
Tips for environmentally-friendly weddings, excerpted from The Essential Guide to Gay & Lesbian Weddings by Tess Ayers and Paul Brown. All of the information in this article is applicable to both gay and straight weddings.Conflict Diamonds
http://www.un.org/peace/africa/Diamond.html
UN website that explains the connection between the diamond trade and violent conflicts in Angola, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.Natural Resources: Diamonds
http://pacweb.org/e/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=47&Itemid=70
Partnership Africa Canada's reports on conflict diamonds.Give a WasteLess Party!
http://tinyurl.com/klmjs
Tips on waste-free entertaining that can easily be applied to wedding planning.How to Plan a Sustainable Event
http://www.sustainable.org/information/SusEvent_2003.pdf
Geared towards event planning in general, but much of the advice will work well for weddings.Organic Places to Stay
www.organic-holidays.com
A guide to overnight accomodations on organic farms and B&Bs around the world. An interesting idea for honeymoon travel or a wedding venue.Green Assay www.greenassay.com
Database for researching the certification of a particular piece of ecologically-produced jewelry.Kimberly Process
http://www.kimberleyprocess.com:8080/
The Kimberley Process is a joint government, international diamond industry and civil society initiative to stem the flow of conflict diamonds.
Web graphics provided by:
