Brides dream of being surrounded by beautiful flowers on their wedding day, walking down the aisle amid an amazing floral fantasyscape. But how green is that? The floral industry is very hard on the environment in terms of both the resources and the energy needed to cultivate the flowers. In addition, staggering amounts of pesticides are used to make the flowers appear perfect. However, with some creative thinking and ecoplanning you can have a gloriously green wedding full of eco-bouquets and floral arrangements that are splendidly sustainable and awesomely organic.

Remember the essentials: reduce, reuse, recycle. Choose floral elements that follow three-R thinking.

• If you dream of being surrounded by flowers on your wedding day, a ceremony held in the middle of a blooming garden might be among your top options for a location. It requires less decorating for you and fewer flowers to buy.

• Renting large potted plants, flowers, and trees is another option. They can be used as decorations for both the ceremony and reception and they'll go on to be used over and over again.

• Consider living floral arrangements. An assortment of plants and flowers can be planted together in containers. These can be used as wedding accents and reception centerpieces and décor. After the reception is over guests can take them home and enjoy them indoors or plant them outside in a garden. The containers can also be donated to hospitals, nursing homes, and senior centers — any place that could use a little cheering up.

• Have the bridesmaids and flower girl carry nonflower elements such as decorative silk purses, vintage handbags, Southern style parasols, Spanish or Asian style silk fans, or baskets full of organic fruit that can serve double duty at the reception as décor and food.

• Use nonfloral centerpieces such as candles, bowls of pretty rocks, or baskets full of fruits, nuts, or vegetables. If you are having a theme wedding, incorporate reusable nonfloral theme elements into your décor.

• Keep it simple by only using flowers for what is really necessary: the bridal bouquet, boutonnieres, corsages, the altar arrangement (which can also serve as the bridal table centerpiece), bridesmaid bouquets, and flower girl basket.

• Reuse the bridesmaid bouquets at the reception. Invest in bouquet stands or clips that can be attached to tables.

• You can keep it extremely simple by using just one dramatic or exotic flower instead of a bunch of flowers as a bouquet. This could work for you and the bridesmaids or you could carry the flower and they could carry something nonfloral. Calla lilies are perfect for this purpose.