The definitive guide to Chinese green weddings

CHINA WATCH

Everyone wants to be a little bit “green” nowadays.To such an extent that now even wedding planning companies in Nanjing, the capital city of China’s east Jiangsu Province, are advocating green weddings to the bride and groom, according to the Nanjing Daily.

A green wedding is simple: fewer wedding cars, paper invitations, fireworks and less food waste.

The theme of a traditional Chinese wedding is to lavish and show off. The bride sitting in a Lincoln Limousine followed by a stream of BMW or Mercedes-Benz saloons is usual for a wedding here.

Chuan Hai, president of Nanjing Wedding Host Association, said that last year 60 thousand couples got married in Nanjing used 360 thousand cars for wedding. These wedding cars emitted approximately 324 tons of CO, 1.215 tons of CO2, 16.2 tons hydrocarbon.

And 12 million paper wedding-invitation-cards were sent out used last year, which consumed 3000 trees. Even at the wedding banquet, one-third of the food was left on the table.

But I doubt the mother of the bride would be keen to compromise for her daughter’s big day. I asked one of my friends who plans to hold a wedding next year.

She said: “I totally agree with the green concept. But I only have one wedding in my whole life, so I want it to be romantic and perfect and huge and…

“And my mother doesn’t agree with green weddings either. If the wedding is too simple your husband won’t take it seriously.”

Who knows how she got this strange idea:)

But when you think about it, all the fuss of a green wedding could turn out to be more expensive than a green one – fresh organic flowers, tasty and healthy organic food, and a fabulous wedding dress made of organic fabric are all more expensive.

Here are some tips for a green wedding:
1. Use fewer or no cars.
2. Encourage guests to walk to the wedding, or share taxis.
3. Use email invitations.
4. Hold the wedding on a lawn.
5. Use a cafeteria for the wedding banquet.