Earth Day puts us in an environmental, sustainable, tree-hugging state of mind. As time ticks by and the effects of climate change become more evident, we continue to live our mission of caring about the planet and sharing the facts we learn about what's happening to it. How is this relevant to weddings? Because we often use the term “eco-wedding” here and ponder its relevance.

Would a wedding occurring here be considered an eco-wedding? How important is having an environmentally-friendly wedding to our couples? Would it be helpful if we shared some resources and thoughts on doing so?

We think so and, as we often do, wanted to get your wheels spinning further by providing some great content around the subject. Little changes in planning and details could have a great impact; after all, small changes can lead to big results.

Check out Your Eco-friendly Wedding Guide from the wedding experts at The Knot… from selecting an eco-friendly venue (ahem, we’ve heard the Wells Reserve at Laudholm is a great one), to choosing in-season blooms to ensure they are chem- free, to donating to a charity in lieu of favors, this article is packed with great suggestions.

Better Homes and Gardens featured “10 Tips to Plan an Eco-Friendly Wedding”, including things such as wearing a borrowed wedding dress (something borrowed, check!), using recycled paper for invites, and creating an organic menu of delectable edibles to serve your guests.

We love this blog post from wedding blogger sensation, Green Wedding Shoes. The photographs by Kate Ignatowski are stunning, as is the backdrop. We love a good pastoral setting, in case you didn’t know.

Clearly the eco-wedding trend is catching on. If you search for “eco friendly wedding” on the ever-popular wedding fodder site, Etsy, you’ll find 26,441 results with artisans and crafters producing sustainable wedding bands, favors, décor and more. This great board on Pinterest also lays out some great ideas for couples planning their big day!

And now for the shameless plug – our grounds and architecture are breathtaking — we may be a bit biased, but you’ll have to discover for yourself.