What It Costs
With so many socially-responsible options available for couples who want to make a difference, you just need to take the time to explore the variations and pick what makes the most sense for you and your mate. You can do this yourself by researching the local green venues out there (check out Organic Weddings and Green Elegance Weddings for national directories of organic vendors) or hire a wedding planner who specializes in pulling together high-end green celebrations.
The fact is that eco-conscious choices, such as organic food, wine and flowers, can cost a bit more than traditional selections. Wedding planners estimate that green choices can be anywhere from 10 percent to 50 percent more than its counterparts. But since the concept of green weddings is to minimize by keeping the guest lists small and foregoing many of the extras, the overall budget for green weddings still falls in the same range as a less environmentally-friendly day.
The cost of a typical wedding today, green or not, averages between $25,000 and $30,000 for this one-day event.
Keep in mind that couples who want to keep things to a minimum, whether green or not, may pare things down even more and can spend a lot less. And in the same vein, couples who want to take things up a notch can of course easily spend much more.
The bottom line is that whatever you spend, your wedding is an exciting and important time to celebrate your union and also invest in the planet at the same time, so everyone wins.
Keep It Light
One final word of advice: while you may care about the environment and different social causes, not all of your guests may feel the same way. The best green weddings are personal reflections of the bride and groom but avoid being preachy or forcing the couple’s ideals onto the people in attendance. So whatever feels right for you, make it work for your event and your situation and let your guests make their own personal decisions.
Also keep in mind that every little bit you can minimize your impact will make it a difference, so even if you can’t do everything as environmentally “right” as you might like, just the fact you are making the effort to preserve the planet is an important step in the right direction.