Weddings are complicated and immanently wasteful. Ask any overwhelmed maid of honor or best man, and they'll be sure to regale you with the sheer multitude of single-use disposables required in pulling off a successful event. Invitations, flower arrangements, table gifts, banners, boards, dresses, arbors... it goes on and on. But, with society's emerging focus on sustainability, weddings have come under the spotlight. How is it possible to make an event (that is literally designed to be lavish and over-the-top) actually eco-friendly? Several experts in the industry weigh in on saving the planet, without resorting to bouquets of dandelions and dressing everyone in burlap.

To really break down the low-waste wedding, it's important to consider the concept of a "carbon footprint." In a research article published in Ecologic Economic Research Trends via conservation scientist Thomas Wiedmann and his team at USNW Sydney, a carbon footprint is defined as "a certain amount of gas emissions that are relevant to climate change and associated with human... consumption activities." For wedding purposes, this can be translated into a simple ethos to be followed, within several broad categories:

How can I alter my wedding planning to reduce and offset this footprint in the following facets of my celebration?

*Wedding preparation, travel and lodging

*The ceremony itself and all related decorations

*The reception

So, let's dig into what the experts say about minimizing the environmental impact of your wedding, starting with everything that leads up to the "I do's." In an article published for The Sustainability Co-Op in April of 2022, online contributor Lauren DeMates states that one of the largest carbon footprint impacts comes from guests' travel and accommodation. Flying, car travel, nights in hotels and the subsequent commutes to the wedding, rehearsal dinner, etc. (and back!) can really rack up emissions. DeMates recommends picking a location central to where the bulk of your guests live or at least picking a median point so that if people still have to travel, the overall distance is minimized for everyone.

She goes on to add that picking a venue that offers on-site or close-by lodging can really save a lot of unnecessary travel. This theme is constant in all sources, including Wedgewood Weddings and OneFabDay.com (two online wedding consulting companies), that recommend emphasizing localized venue/lodging facilities that actively focus on sustainability. Look for companies that use energy from alternative sources, contribute to carbon offsetting efforts and utilize eco-friendly cleaning/decorating/food products. Be careful, however, as some wedding websites that offer great information on sustainable weddings also recommend picking eco-venues out of the country. TheKnot.com, although an excellent resource for many wedding planning tips, recommends eco-venues in Costa Rica, Thailand and other destinations around the world. Although the venues themselves may be environmentally conscious, the travel to these places for your 40-plus guests will cost Mother Earth dearly.

Once you've planned when and where, it's important to minimize waste from the actual ceremony. In the book "The Green Bride Guide" by author Kate Harrison, some staggering facts show the impact of the standard American wedding. On average, 63 tons of CO2 (one of the most potent greenhouse gasses) and 400 pounds of landfill waste are produced every time two Americans get married. In an article on the Green Business Bureau resource website, GBB consultants elaborate on how to reduce these staggering numbers. By sending digital invitations instead of paper, using multi-use dishware/glasses/cookware and accurately gauging food/drink requirements to minimize waste, you can drastically reduce the amount of trash hauled away from your venue. Additionally, offer sustainable registry ideas, focusing on cash, to limit wasteful gifts and excess shipping and packaging.

In an article published in April of 2022 for Brides.com, wedding planner Stephanie Cain takes these ideas even further, offering suggestions including:

*Rent wedding dresses/tuxedos instead of purchasing

*Reuse jewelry from secondhand stores, family or estate sales

*Pick an outdoorsy/natural venue that won't require much further decoration

*Give edible favors instead of wasteful, packaged gift bags

*Select native flowers for your arrangements and donate them to guests/other venues instead of trashing them

Surprisingly, the aspect of weddings that actually produces the most waste is the reception. In addition to eliminating single-use products, 77Diamonds.com, a wedding planning company out of London, recommends a modest-sized cake; choosing foods that are local, organic and light on meat; and utilizing a catering company that is local and donates leftover food to humanitarian efforts or composting services. It may seem that all these small changes can be overwhelming, but with enough time for planning, and a supportive guest-list, it is well within reach to plan a wedding that will still feel luxurious without breaking the bank -- or hurting the planet.