Creating an Eco Chic Wedding

By Executive Wedding Planner Angela Schrempf

Sweet Occasions Bridal Consulting

Banff National Park located in Alberta Canada is no doubt one of the most beautiful protected areas in all of North America.  A perfect setting for a luxurious wedding or an intimate elopement, the Banff National Park offers world class accommodations, dining & scenery that is completely unmatched.  The preservation of this gorgeous landscape is paramount and brides enjoying the Rockies can do a few small things to help preserve this beautiful place for their children.

Here are some fantastic tips to save the environment and some money:

Venues

• Host your wedding in National Park or natural reserve.  This is a great environmentally friendly choice; not to mention makes an amazing backdrop for your wedding!
• Host your ceremony and reception in one place, reducing the amount of fuel emissions used by the guests and the cost of venue rentals.  Buffalo Mountain Lodge & Emerald Lake Lodge are fantastic venues that offer beautiful natural ceremony & reception locations & lodging.  For the Princess Brides the Castle in the Mountains Fairmont Banff Springs also offers posh ceremony & reception venues and world class accommodations!

Lindsay & Daniel enjoy a natural ceremony in the heart of the Rockies.  Created by Sweet Occasions Bridal Consulting. Photography by Peak Photography.

Vendors

• Hire local vendors. The less transportation, the lower the vendor cost!
• As a wedding planner specializing in the Canadian Rockies I know that each vendor in my community can provide the same service & specializing in the Rockies.  Vendors from out of town will charge you more for their gas & travel time and will not have as much experience in the Rockies as local vendors.  Support the local economy and save yourself some money with our local vendors.

Design & Decor

• Look for soy candles, they’re made from a renewable resource, are cleaner and longer burning than regular candles.  Avoid those nasty table cloth cleaning charges at your venue because spills are easy to clean – just use soap and hot water!
• For the invitations & stationary use paper that has a high-recycled content or print your invites on a gift of seed paper.  Guest can plant your stationary and enjoy beautiful flowers!
• For placement cards pluck leaves from trees and handwrite the guest’s names on each leaf, add an shiny silk ribbon at the stem and tie the leaf around the napkin for the perfect natural touch!
• Give life to your guests with little seedling trees as favors.  As your love grows so will the trees and your guests will always remember how spectacular your wedding was every time they see their tree!

Fashion

• Consider purchasing a gown made of natural eco-fabrics like silk and hemp.  You could also please your budget by purchasing a used gown or wearing a family member’s gown.
• For your rings choose silver instead of gold. Silver mining has a much lower impact on our environment and there are plenty of gemstones besides diamonds to choose from which are equally beautiful and are one of the latest trends!

Transportation

• If your wedding is near the water instead of leaving in a limo leave your ceremony in a canoe!   Couples can also departed on depart in a horse drawn carriage, sleigh, or even on bicycles.
• Book a shuttle bus for guests.  Guests flying in will be happy that they don’t have to rent a vehicle and you will be helping the environment.  If vehicles are necessary consider carpooling in hybrid vehicles.

Photo by Peak Photography.

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