Our “savvy” WeddingAce, Tara, blogged Wednesday about these adorable reusable bags from RuMe – so cute! I am so happy there is a stylish (and environmentally friendly) alternative to the regular grocery and shopping bags. It’s so easy to help the environment…wouldn’t you want to carry around one of these bags?

I also love the bags from Envirosax, take a look!

And look who else loves them…

Photo Credit: Envirosax Blog

Justin Timberlake…I’m sold!

Any of the bags above would be awesome gifts for your bridal party. You can even use these as welcome bags for out-of-town guests! Read more from Tara, one of our Wedding Planner Aces, at WeddingAces.com!

For our eco-friendly brides, the perfect wedding isn’t just about the gown, the venue, the music, and the cake, but it’s about accommodating the most important wedding guest of all – the earth!

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/

‘Green weddings’ are an increasing trend for couples who want to walk down the aisle in eco-friendly style.  Many vendors are expanding their services to accommodate the eco-wedding, from organic catering to hemp-blend wedding gowns, even to recycled wedding bands, the options are endless.  The best part? The green bride doesn’t need to make sacrifices to make her wedding more eco-friendly!

The WeddingWire staff is also feeling the green spirit! We just started the WeddingWire Wellness program here at the office and are working on transforming the office to make it more earth conscious. We’re ditching the disposables and relying on reusable utensils and mugs, turning off lights, and printing double sided.  We even just purchased new large recycling bins and are tracking our ‘green deeds’ as part of an office-wide competition to see who could do the most to help the earth.  Whoever said going green couldn’t be a blast?

Our 'Green Champions'

Members of our Development Team showcasing their 'Wellness efforts'

WeddingWire has partnered with Carbonfund.org to offer engaged couples the opportunity to plan a ZeroCarbon™ Wedding!

We have incorporated Carbonfund.org’s weddings carbon calculator into our wedding websites to allow you and your guests to calculate carbon footprints and contribute jointly in offsetting the wedding, making it a carbon neutral event.

We are so excited to be working with Carbonfund.org on this project! We hope everyone does their part to make our planet a better place!

Click here for more information on Carbonfund.org and the weddings carbon calculator.

Let us know what you think!

With prices for everything going up these days, many couples are feeling a pinch in their pocketbooks when it comes to wedding planning. Trying to decide where to cut costs can be very difficult. This could be the perfect time to sit down and discuss what is most important to you and how your money can best be spent. Do your guests really need, or want for that matter, a shot glass with your names on it as a wedding favor? Instead, have you thought about a charitable wedding favor?

More and more couples are looking for socially conscious alternatives to the typical wedding-related items. Organizations such as the I Do Foundation (www.idofoundation.org) help couples find a charity that best fits their values and makes it easy to create donation opportunities. As the nation’s first wedding-focused nonprofit, the I Do Foundation offers solutions for couples who want to share these values with their wedding guests and provide them with a wedding favor that will make a lasting impression. I’m sure your friends and family will appreciate your donation in their name.

Read more

Green Weddings are becoming more and more popular lately.  Why not extend the eco-friendly mindset to your gift registry?  Branch is one of many online retailers providing “sustainable design for living.”  Now, you won’t feel as guilty accepting the many, many gifts!

(Click to see full size image)

While flying a bio-diesel fueled airplane may not be happening in the near future, there are ways to be ‘green’ with your honeymoon. Companies like Elevate Destinations offer trip packages to locations you may not think of when planning your honeymoon, like Africa, South and Central America or even India and New Zealand. While there you can be involved with philanthropic activities in the local region while still getting a great tan and enjoying beach time depending on location.

You can also look into resorts that are going green like the Hotel Eco Paraíso Xixim on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico that filters waste water to use in their gardens and solar panels to heat the water in their pools.

There’s even a site dedicated to Eco-Tourism.  They offer tips and ideas for traveling and destination choices.  Even MSN has a Green Travel site and Yahoo! has entire property dedicated to being ‘green’.

So when planning your honeymoon travel, if you’re interested in doing something a little ‘green’, finding ideas is getting easier and easier.  Enjoy!

Over the course of your wedding planning, there is a lot of paper that is typically used.  Save the Dates and Invitations are the common, but you may also be printing Bridal Shower invites, ceremony programs, table number cards, thank you cards and possibly others.  When thinking green about all this, look into using high-count recycled paper and soy or veggie-based ink.  Perhaps even some DIY projects using a natural ink is another idea.  Also, don’t be afraid to simply cut back on mailings.  Using Online RSVP functions on your wedding website is a great way to cut back on paper and postage (as prices for stamps go up next month).

So be sure to ask you paper company about using recycled or natural materials for your wedding paper.

These photos and more in WeddingWire Ideas