Backyard Eco-Weddings

Helpful Hints for EcoFriendly Backyard Weddings

Some of the best weddings I have ever attended have taken place in family yards and at private homes. So it was thrilling to become familiar with the Green Bride Guide, a top wedding resource and leading advocate for eco-conscious living.

The Green Bride Guide has a directory of over 1,500 green service providers that can help plan a green outdoor party this summer, and they also offer plenty of ideas to make your private wedding or gathering environmentally friendly.

When thinking about your next big soiree, or your big day, the Green Bride Guide suggests these green alternatives:

All Natural Charcoal - Fire up the grill and get cookin' with Lazzari 100 percent natural mesquite charcoal - made from ecologically harvested wood, this is a carbon neutral, flavor enhancing alternative.

Green Grilling - Neatly packaged in a 100 percent-recycled cardboard cylinder with recycled paper stuffing, the Eco BBQ set from all wrapped up gift showcase includes fork, spatula, tongs and 20 wooden Skewers. All materials are constructed of FDA compliant materials such as stainless steel, and bamboo.

Refreshing Green Drinks - Drink refreshing green mojitos made from organic rum, club soda, pure cane sugar, organic limes and crushed organic mint grown from your garden. Drink from recycled glass containers or reuse mason jars for hefty shatter-proof drinking glasses. Put a biodegradable straw in there to sip from and you're good to go!

Sustainable Serving Ware - Choose from a wide variety of Susty Party Plates, which are made from recycled plastic and can be reused. Ditch the old paper plates and plastic and go sustainable.

Safe De-Bugging - When the sun sets, nothing ruins an outdoor party faster than mosquitoes. So try all natural citronella torches from bigdipperwaxworks.com. Made from bug repellant beeswax and soy candles with essential oils, the candles burn for eight hours. #dutchessweddings

By John Voket via greenbrideguide.com