Happy Monday! With today being Earth Day, we thought: “What better day is there to talk about keeping your wedding as eco-friendly as possible?” There are many things you can do to have a cleaner, greener wedding – so here are 5 simple things to keep in mind:

• Source Locally: Many items can be found locally, but your food and florals are at the top of the list! Support farm-to-table efforts and purchase your food from local farmers. If you’re having live flowers at your wedding, it’s a great idea to purchase from your very own area. Support a farmer and purchase your beautiful, locally-grown florals from them! There are also some fantastic Maryland florists, such as Local Color Flowers, who source locally and compost natural refuse from every event. After all is said and done, you can donate your leftover florals to a local hospital.

• Recycled Wedding Decor: Did a good friend of yours just get married? Talk to them! There’s a good chance that they’ll have leftover supplies or wedding decor that they’d be happy for you to take off of their hands. If you’re looking for vases to hold florals, consider using discarded food containers – such as glass bottles, jars, and cans. Ruffled Blog is also a fantastic source to purchase previously used wedding decor items – including dresses! Once your special day has come to an end, be sure to recycle your own wedding items for a future bride and/or groom!

Photo: Love by Serena (Floral Bouquet by Local Color Flowers)

• Encourage Carpooling: Will a lot of your guests be staying at the same local hotel? Carpooling is a great way for guests to reduce your wedding’s impact on the environment! Another great option is arranging for a shuttle to transport all of the guests from your wedding to their hotel. This way, your guests won’t have to worry about assigning a designated driver or calling a cab.

• Shop Vintage: Lets face it – vintage is in! You can start by creating something beautiful out of family heirlooms. Find a beautiful gown in the attic, owned by your mother – or a vintage suit, owned by your father? You can have these on your wedding day – or make it personal by taking it a step further and getting it embroidered. If you’re into thrifting, there’s always a chance you’ll stumble across something awesome. Get it resized to fit perfectly!

• Conflict-Free Rings: Support the alternatives to blood diamonds by choosing conflict-free rings! Some great options include wooden bands, heirloom jewelry, and lab-created diamonds.

Looking to take things a bit further? Consider a carbon offset for your wedding! Instead of providing wedding favors, donate to the cause on your guests’ behalf. You can head on over to Carbonfund.org to calculate your wedding’s carbon footprint.