I've been reading so many things about "green weddings" with charitable donations as favors, locavore-committed receptions, backyard flower arrangements, etc. etc.

My brother is getting married next year and I'd love to hear some ideas for a nice eco-wedding we can have in Virginia.

What about this gift registry idea??

The couple, "Sarah and Kiril Lozanov used their wedding registry blog to educate friends and family about solar energy, and included a solar panel fund to purchase solar for their Chicago-area condominium in their gift registry."

They educated guests on solar energy and the plan for their home and with gifts from wedding guests and Illinois solar tax breaks and a tax credit brought them about 50% closer to their goal.

Plus lots of people learned about solar energy in the process!

Oh! I went to a great wedding. The bride and groom left cards for each guest explaining they had donated money to a favorite charity of theirs and had a green string for each guest to wear on his/her wrist.

Oh I love the string on the wrist.

Jessica also blogged about a wedding she went to with local foodstuffs in baskets for the guests from the hometowns of the bride and groom.

We have New Jersey and Virginia.

Meatball subs and moonshine?

I'm sure making a local food wedding would be easy with all the slow food committed caterers out there.

Also I will search companies that make recycled tableware, napkins, cloths, etc. Maybe make sure they are biodegradable and have compost bins around. People love a recycling center!

I while back I blogged about a couple in Canada that had a 100-mile wedding:

Locavore Wedding

very ambitious!

Maybe for some virginia products instead of moonshine they could give the guests some virginia peanut products! Virginia is famous of course for their peanuts and there are some great artisan peanut brittle producers. My fave is Red Rocker:

Red Rocker Candy

of course virginia wines and beers could easily be served, or maybe virginia wines and NJ microbrews?

How fun!

~karen