Do you want Mother Earth to have a good time at your wedding?

Then don't be like former Estee Lauder (EL) spokesperson Elizabeth Hurley. Last year, Hurley and Arun Nayar’s weeklong wedding celebration released 200 metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere, producing a carbon footprint that would take the average British couple one-year to create, according to the U.K.'s The Independent.

Instead, consider some more earth-friendly alternatives gathered for MainStreet by Christa Vagnozzi, a senior editor at Weddingchannel.com.

FOOD AND DRINK


Vagnozzi says when planning a wedding start with the place where most of your greenbacks go: food and wine. Search for wines made locally. If no vineyards spring to mind, consult Local Wine Events for inspiration. In addition to listing tastings events in your area, you may be able to find tastings featuring wines from your local area, or rather from the area where your wedding might be if its away from your current town. For example, if you are planning a Maryland wedding, consider the nearby Sugarloaf Mountain Winery or Spring Lake Winery. In terms of eats, ask your bakery if only organic ingredients can be used for your wedding cake. A little post-nuptial planning can make a difference, too. Instead of tossing your party's leftovers, arrange to donate the extra meals to a local food bank.

DECORATIONS


In terms of decorations, again think local, as in locally grown flowers for your ceremony. Even better: Choose nearby buds that are currently in season or grown organically. Flowers don’t have to be just a part of the scenery. You might also send wild flower seed invitations from Organic Bouquet (www.organicbouquet.com) to set the mood. (These invites can also be planted to grow into wildflowers.) If planting a seed doesn’t excite you, maybe you want to consider an invitation that uses vegetable or soy based ink and recyclable paper. Card Girl and Green Field Paper are a couple places to start.

And, don’t forget about pretty candles for the tables. Good choices are either soy wax or bees wax.


HONEYMOON

Plan your honeymoon in an Earth-friendly way. Hands up Holidays offers options for newly weds looking to give back to local areas instead of taking.

Oh, and by the way: You can still wear white to a green wedding. Happy Earth Day (and Congratulations)!