How to pick a wedding venue?

How do you decide where to have your wedding? Even if you have narrowed it down to a city or region, there are often hundreds of beautiful venues to pick from. Here are some quick tips to help you pick the perfect venue for your occasion and keep the environment in mind too.

The average couple spends about 40% of their budget on the reception, according to The Green Bride Guide. You want to be sure you make the best decision when you are putting down that kind of money. Choosing an eco-friendly location can have a huge impact on the environmental footprint of your wedding. It will most likely be the most environmentally impactful part of your whole wedding. 

The great thing about planning a green wedding is that you don't have to do everything. Every little bit helps.

Beautiful wedding ceremony at The Twenty Mile House

Here are some questions to ask yourself: 



1. How many people should we invite? 

The smaller the guest list, the less environmental impact your wedding will have. 
2. Should we have an outdoor or indoor wedding? 

Being green does not mean your wedding has to be outdoors--many green weddings can be held at environmentally friendly indoor facilities. 
3. What season do I want to be married? 

The season will dictate your location, the food you choose, the flowers and the decorations. By using the season to your advantage, you will be able to save money and make your wedding unique. 

 
4. What day of the week and what time of day works for my wedding? 
Will people carpool or  stay overnight nearby?
5. Should I have everything in one place or have more than one venue? If you have everything is one place, you will save money. It will simplify the planning process, decrease the cost of your wedding budget and have less of an impact on the environment. 
6. What part of the country should we be married? Pick a location that is close to the majority of your guests. This will insure a high guest attendance rate and decrease the travel expenses (and therefore, the environmental impact) for your guests. 
7. What about a destination wedding? According the The Wedding Report, about 10% of couples choose a destination wedding. Most destination weddings are not eco-friendly because they are far from home (which means travel for the guests) and guests may not be able to attend because of the distance and expense involved. If you have your heart set on a destination wedding, look for eco-retreat options and try to use as many local products as possible.

Use these tips to help pick and choose what will work best for you.

Additional Links
Twenty Mile House

Green Bride Guide

Take the Cake Events

What is a green wedding anyway?

Green weddings used to be alternative or "hippie" weddings. Today, weddings with eco friendly touches are becoming more popular with mainstream couples. Environmentally conscious couples are choosing to incorporate green aspects into all parts of their big day to help the earth and often their pocket book.
So you ask, how do I "green" my wedding. Here are some easy ways to make your wedding a more sustainable event.

1. Part of having a green wedding is conserving resources, which means re-using items like wedding dresses, vintage wedding rings and eclectic decorations, as well as saving money because you will not be purchasing items just for the wedding. For example comprise your centerpieces of items you will later use in your home or gift to your bridal party and let your bridesmaid pick out their own dress that they will truly wear again.
2. Support green businesses that will work with you on your wedding specifics. Pick vendors who have the same eco goals as you; a caterer who uses locally grown produce, planner who drives a low fuel, hybrid, or electric vehicle, a photographer who uses eco friendly materials for your prints.
3. Lastly, you will be able to educate others on why having a green wedding is beneficial to everyone. Why not use your big day to contribute to the greater good?

Not only will you be saving energy, conserving resources and decreasing pollution for the environment but your guests will see that a green wedding can be just as beautiful, maybe more beautiful, than a regular wedding.

Take the Cake Events is becoming a certified green wedding planner through Green Bride Guide. Check back for more blogs on how to add a little green to your big day.

Additional Links

Green Bride Guide

Take the Cake Events