Eco Friendly Green Wedding Venue

Choosing your venue is really one of your most important decisions, both in terms of making sure that it’s environmentally friendly and making sure it matches the tone of your ceremony. Happily, it’s easy to find a blend of both elements.

photo credit: CarlosMendoza

Before you begin thinking about what you want the venue to look like, consider where you want to hold your wedding. Though it’s tempting to hold a wedding in an isolated natural location—and though it seems that this would match your green wedding ideas—this may actually lead to a less eco friendly wedding if it means your guests have to travel a long ways. Instead, think first about a centralized location where most of the guests don’t have to travel too far. Once you know your general location, start scouting around for a place that speaks to you. Look especially for venues near public transportation, if possible, to cut the carbon emissions that your guests will generate as they travel.

When possible, choose an outdoor venue for your wedding. When you hold your wedding in a beautiful outdoor location, you can rely on the natural beauty as your decorations and won’t need to add much to create an elegant wedding atmosphere. Additionally, an outdoor venue uses fewer resources than an energy-inefficient reception hall.

When possible, hold your reception in the same venue as your wedding rather than having your guests travel to another location. You’ll save energy and resources since your guests won’t have to drive, and you’ll also create a more relaxed atmosphere so you can truly enjoy your ceremony.

As you’re choosing your venue, be sure to ask questions to make sure that you’re selecting the most eco friendly venue that you can. Some important questions are whether they participate in recycling, conserve water and support local suppliers. If they don’t currently do these things, talk to them about why they’re good choices. Even if you don’t convince them or don’t end up using their venue, you may influence them to make eco friendly choices in the future.