Some areas in the world are already quite eco-friendly, but there are several areas in the United States that are behind in the aspect of being “green.” Be proactive and try to look for ways to be eco-friendly. Who knows, you might actually help a vendor start using green practices by simply asking them!

Questions to Ask

The first question that you should be asking your vendors is where they are getting their supplies. Are they flying in the chèvre from France or are they using local dairies? Before society became concerned with being green, produce and flowers from distant locales were considered exotic additions to weddings. Green brides and MOBs know it can be extremely wasteful to bring in items from faraway places. Small decisions, like minimizing the amount of driving for your guests or donating leftover food instead of throwing it away, can make a big difference.

Concern for the Community

Another simple way to find out if the wedding professional is trying to use more local or green resources is to see if they are giving back to their community. Their “community” may be much larger than the county lines. Maybe they are giving to a global fund for planting new trees or giving a portion of their proceeds to carbon offsetting. Find out what causes your vendors are involved with. Giving back locally and buying locally are some of the best clues to see if a company is trying to be eco-friendly.

Be aware, however, that being eco-friendly is slightly more complicated than this section alone can describe. There are several companies that are “greenwashing,” meaning they say they are eco-friendly when they are not. Research online to find out which vendors are actually making a difference in the environmental arena.