Greenzone Online

Weddings in America is an industry worth over $40 billion (a conservative calculation), and we can just imagine the environmental impact a single wedding can have – from the resources used in non-recycleable decorations and favors, to energy consumption, to the waste going straight to landfills the very next day. Here are some mind-blowing statistics on weddings so you can wrap your head around just what an impact the industry has. Weddings are also women-centered events. The bride and mothers tend to be the focus of the parties, and women play the starring role in how weddings are planned and played out. Therefore, they have a big opportunity to be greenfluencers in a multi-billion dollar industry.

After the bride, planners play probably the biggest role in greening up weddings. The majority of event and wedding planners are women, with about 90% of the meeting/event planning industry being comprised of women. And every little detail of a wedding day has some sort of environmental impact. The greenfluence of the wedding planner and bride extends from location selection, to using recycled and recyclable materials for invitations and decorations, to the energy consumption of factors like lighting, sound equipment, and more.

A quick internet search of “Green Wedding Planner” uncovers many planners who focus on sustainability, so finding someone with a green mindset is not difficult. And once a couple finds the right planner to work with, the wedding planner can help with finding a caterer who specializes in using locally grown and raised foods in the menu, a florist who knows how to make the most of native plants, and finding sustainably produced items like the clothing, rings, and decorations. With the significant percentage of women found in each of these careers, the greenfluence of women in all aspects of the wedding industry is enormous. And not just on one wedding at a time. By making it clear to everyone involved the importance of pulling off a green wedding, the greenfluence of the bride, planners, and others involved can extend to guests as they plan their own weddings, as well as parties of any scale.

Check out A Green Wedding for more ideas on keeping a wedding day green.

Photo via SimonShaw