Did you know that 46 percent of couples are thinking about incorporating ecofriendly components into their wedding festivities? Count me in. As y’all know, I’m deep in the throes of wedding planning. Mine will be as green as can be–and that’s green as in environmentally friendly, not the color scheme. I contributed some tips to this awesome article: 5 Rules for Greening Your Wedding. Check it out!

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Wedding season is in the air, but after all the dancing, champagne toasting, and celebrating, what’s left behind is often an ugly mess—up to half a ton of garbage, food trucked in from hundreds of miles away that winds up being wasted, and junky favors that wind up in the landfill. (Seriously, does anyone really use those gaudy shot glasses with the bride and groom’s wedding date printed on it? Or the toxic candles or soaps, or personalized plastic trinkets made in China?)

Green weddings can save tons of carbon pollution and keep tons of garbage out of landfills—a major positive in itself—but you can also enjoy some immediate benefits of greening your wedding. At the top of that list? Saving mega money. “Green weddings have absolutely moved mainstream, which is really exciting,” says Kate Harrison, author of The Green Bride Guide: How to Create an Earth-Friendly Wedding on Any Budget (Sourcebooks Casablanca, 2008). “Less impact on the Earth is a major motivator, but another is the desire to save money.”

THE DETAILS: A recent David’s Bridal survey found that 46 percent of couples are thinking about incorporating ecofriendly components into their wedding festivities. That’s great news, because the average wedding creates 400 to 600 pounds of garbage and 63 tons of carbon pollution. One year of American weddings creates about the same CO2 pollution as putting 8 million cars on the road.

Look for my tips–and details about my wedding–and read the rest HERE.