A 'Proof' That Invitations Can Look Lovely, Benefit Environment

Today I received the first proof of my wedding invitations from Earthly Affairs. To put it plainly, I'm beyond elated with it. Simple yet elegant, the invitations depicting a pair of bright blue birds will aptly reflect the appreciation Dan and I have for our beloved avifauna.

More than that, the invitations reflect our commitment to the environment, as all invitation collections on this website are created "with 100% recycled paper, earth-friendly printing methods, an eco equipped studio, and carbon free shipping." If that seems like an environmental step above many other invitation vendors, Earthly Affairs makes a giant leap for greenkind in its all-around company ethics:

• Offsetting co2 emissions resulting from shipments and business through carbonfund.org.
• Donating a portion of profits to environmental projects.
• From paper to ink cartridges and even to their studio furniture, Earthly Affairs recycles or reuses everything they can.
• Implementing energy saving practices, such as installing compact fluorescent light bulbs, turning off all equipment and lights when not in use, saving paper by utilizing electronic documents, and purchasing energy-star rated electronics.
• Composting and/or recycling leftover paper scraps.
• Reusing shipping supplies or materials.

The idea for this company's eco-friendly premise originated when the founder, Jennifer Stambolsky, was planning her own wedding and noticed a void in invitations that were both stylish and green, according to the Earthly Affairs website. I'm so thankful she took the initiative to design enchanting invitations that are earth-friendly through-and-through.

If you're an eco-bride and don't see something that piques your fancy on Earthly Affairs' site, a number of other companies offer invitations made from recycled paper. Here's a sampling of my favorites:

• www.oblationpapers.com/wedding (notice the cute nest invites!)
• http://www.greenfieldpaper.com/index.cfm (these can be embedded with seeds and planted in guests' gardens)
  
• http://www.minted.com/eco-friendly (all sorts of chic designs)
• http://www.hellolucky.com/wedding-invitations.html (fun, modern motifs)
  

If you fall in love with a design that can't be printed on recycled paper, you can minimize your environmental impact in other ways. For one, you can post your directions and accommodations for guests on a wedding website - check out mine for ideas. This way, you won't have to print separate sheets for hotel information, maps, directions, etc. for guests who may not necessarily need them. You can also avoid "extras" like a thin sheet of blank tissue paper over the text or a purposeless extra envelope that is sometimes enclosed within invites (it had purpose in the Victorian era). Remember: whatever you spare in invitation features, you gain in spare money.

Nowadays you can even send save-the-dates via email - a Google search will yield prospects like www.theknot.com (in conjunction with a Knot wedding website) or even video save-the-date inspiration. The sky's the limit with how creative and eco-friendly you desire to be - I hope you'll aim high!

Note: Image courtesy of Earthly Affairs.