We’ve written a little bit about how to make a white wedding more green. From invitations to flowers to food, it can be done with a little bit of extra resolve and planning. Some things take a little (ok, a LOT) more planning and resolve than others — like trying to find a Earth-friendly wedding dress that’s both suitable for a more formal affair and affordable to boot. I’m a Catholic gal through and through, so getting married anywhere but a Catholic church wasn’t an option for me, and I wanted a dress that was formal enough for the occasion but stood up to my Greenist values.

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A good friend of mine got engaged recently and will be getting married this weekend. She had a few of the typical wedding showers that most brides-to-be have, and with those showers of course comes gift giving. My friend was like most brides and created a few gift registries which consisted of the usual: dishes, sheets, towels, etc. Many of the more affordable items were already purchased when I went looking for a shower gift, so I was left to freestyle.

In doing a bit of Googling, I found a two-year-old article on GreenCleanBook.com that suggested giving a green cleaning basket as a gift. That may not be your idea of a good wedding gift, but it’s a great idea for wedding showers, housewarming gifts and gifts for college students.

It’s easy too: take a basket — perhaps you can find one in your own home that you’re not using and reuse it, or check out these fair-trade baskets at Ten Thousand Villages. Then fill to the brim with green-cleaning products like kitchen cleaners, laundry detergent, reusable cleaning cloths, dryer balls, etc. You can dress the basket up with some shredded bits of magazine in place of tissue paper or scrap bits of cloth instead of ribbon. And newspaper makes great wrapping paper (you could even use the wedding announcement page if the gift is for a bride).

Who knows, maybe you’ll inspire the newlyweds to be a bit greener in planning their big day. What other tips do you have for green gift-giving?

Kate L. Harrison from The Green Bride Guide was so kind to answer a few questions for us.  Read her answers, and leave a comment below for another chance to enter the The Green Bride Guide Giveaway!

1. I love how you stress that not only is a green wedding easier on the environment, but it’s also a great opportunity to direct money to green businesses.  If you had to choose the three most important green changes to make in planning a wedding, what would they be?

A lot of time, effort, and money can go into planning the perfect wedding day.  What if all those resources went toward planning the perfect green wedding day?  We’ve talked a lot about voting green with your dollars.  Planning your wedding is a great way to “vote” green.

The Green Bride Guide by Kate L. Harrison is a wonderful resource for anyone planning a wedding, or anyone who just enjoys dreaming about their wedding day.

Well organized and easy to read, The Green Bride Guide is full of suggestions for every wedding budget. Even though I’m radpidly heading toward my five year wedding anniversary, I still enjoyed reading this book and marveled at how creative Kate is.  There’s a lot of practical advice for hiring caterers, scanning shops for vintage clothes and decorations, and making guests comfortable at your wedding while keeping your impact low.

I’m giving away my copy of The Green Bride Guide!

To enter, sign in with a valid e-mail address and leave a comment below.  Comments that appear to be spam will not be counted.  The giveaway closes on Monday, February 16th, and I’ll post the winner as soon as I draw a name.  And stay tuned.  I’ll give you a chance at another entry later this week.  Good Luck!

Giving favors to your guests and receiving gifts from them are common wedding practices. Remember that it’s your wedding and you should do what is important to you. Don’t feel like you have to give out favors or register for gifts, but if you do, make a little extra effort to go green. Read more…

“So, what does your dress look like?” is one of the first questions people ask when they find out you’re getting married. Your wedding dress may be white, but it can still be green. Read more…

Flowers are a huge part of many wedding celebrations. Make sure the flowers you chose are eco-friendly ones.

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Whether you’re planning a simple brunch or a twelve course meal, the menu is another great way to green your wedding. Read more…

This week, I’m going to be talking about planning an eco-friendly wedding. If you’re not getting married, don’t worry, there will be lots of other info up, and many of these tips will also work well for a family reunion or party.

We’ll talk about:

1. Invitations
2. Food
3. Flowers
4. The Dress
5. Favors & Registry

Also, if you’re just starting to think about getting married, you may be interested in previous posts on eco-friendly engagements here and here.
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