Elaborate floral arrangements may be traditional at weddings but today’s green brides are thinking laterally when it comes to decorating their wedding venues.

The trouble with hot house flowers is that they are costly to produce, both in terms of the environment and in money. They are also wasteful, as they are usually discarded immediately after the event. If you want to decorate with greenery and flowers in a sustainable way, consider using trees and plants in pots that can be planted out after the event.

Young trees bearing delicate fairy lights, or flowering shrubs placed strategically around the venue will look just as stunning as more traditional arrangements. Give small saplings or pots of herbs to guests as wedding favors, having first used them as table centerpieces.

When planning this you need to give plenty of thought to where you want these plants to end up. Will you be planting them in your own yard to create an instant garden? If you are going away immediately on two weeks’ honeymoon, who will take care of the plants or plant them for you? Or perhaps you want to donate the plants to a local project, like a school garden or a tree planting charity? If so, discuss your choice of plants and trees with them to make sure that they will be suitable for the location they will be planted out in.

Decorating with trees and potted plants may be no cheaper than using cut flowers, but you will have the satisfaction of having created a new garden that will live on long after your wedding day.

By Mary Lou Marsh, Organic Fairsewn Wedding Gowns. Top gown is made from organic cotton jersey …so comfy!! ..and can even be machine washed! …how’s that for easy to pass down to the kid-lets! The bottom gowns is created in organic cotton crepe knit, with hemp silk satin ties. A neat feature of the bottom dress is that the bottom part can be removed and you are left with a short little wrap dress that you can wear off to your honeymoon and again and again for special occasions. Prices range from $1100 to $1200.00 at Poetic Justice

Photo courtesy of Harvest Textiles

Time to reward your ‘maids’ for all the love they’ve given you during the planning and prepping for your wedding. Give these lavender-filled sachets out as sweet-smelling bridal shower favors. They’re made with reclaimed linen and filled with organic lavender. Three pillows are $7 and are sold at Harvest Textiles’ Etsy shop.