Green Your Wedding: Invitations and Paper Products

With my pending nuptials less than two months away (how did that happen?!) I’ve been thinking a lot about how to decrease waste at our wedding.

Between the save-the-dates, invitations, programs, place cards etc. there’s a lot of paper involved for just one day!

Some in the green community suggest going completely electronic and sending e-vites in leui of wedding invitations. Why didn’t I go this route?

Well, in a word – parents.  They’d sooner I get married in a black dress.

All kidding aside I believe here’s something to be said for some traditions and the sentiment involved. Further, from a practical standpoint it seems simpler to receive an RSVP and entrée choice from a physical piece of paper.

I decided to order fairly simple invites printed on recycled paper from Wedding Paper Divas.  There’s a decent amount of printers out there that specialize in green invitations including Great Green Weddings, Minted, and Earthly Affair.  

My bigger paper savings, though, are coming from some adjustments to items I consider “not-so-necessary”:

– Instead of hundreds of individual place cards we’re using a “chart” that will map out guests seating arrangements.

– We’re foregoing menu cards as the hope is people will remember what they chose to eat and don’t need a card as refresher.

– The program (a sentimental item for me) will be printed on recycled paper and as short as possible. 

– No extra napkins with our initials on them. I’ve asked our caterer to use cloth napkins wherever possible.

Brides and grooms-to-be and wedding guests: any other suggestions on saving paper? Bridesmaids – don’t forget to recycle your dress after the big day if you’re so inclined!

Posted by Beth