If reports that have been coming into my inbox lately are anything to go by, there is a definite trend emerging amongst couples in countries like the UK, Australia and the USA to have weddings that are more environmentally friendly.

Probably motivated by the huge amount of recent international interest in the seriousness of global warming (even heads of state are finally taking notice!), engaged couples are looking at ways to ensure that their weddings have as little impact as possible on the planet.

All the publicity in the British press surrounding the extravagant wedding of Liz Hurley and Arun Nayar certainly highlighted the accuracy of the claims made by environmentalists.

Although, true to form, the press was not very fair to the couple, the report that appeared in The Independent created a good deal of awareness and brought home just how environmentally unfriendly lavish weddings can be. The Independent described the Hurley/Nayar affair as ‘a big, fat, not-so-green wedding’.

It accused the couple of producing a carbon footprint — during celebrations that lasted just over a week — so large that it would take the average British couple more than ten years to contribute as much towards heating up the planet. (What I found even more startling, though, was the corresponding assessment that it would take a typical Indian couple a massive 123 years to have a similar impact!)

A report by Best Foot Forward, a footprinting consultancy in Oxford, suggests that the celebrations released around 200 000kg of carbon into the atmosphere, with the biggest polluter being the Lear jet — used to transport guests — on its 12 000 mile round-trip to India.

Recently The New York Times quoted Janet Larsen, director of research at the Earth Policy Institute, an environmental research group in Washington, as saying that ‘every little bit helps’. ‘All the actions add up,’ she maintains. ‘Anything individuals can do to reduce their overall environmental footprint can make a difference’.

So what should an environmentally-conscious couple do to ensure that their nuptials leave a smaller carbon footprint and are therefore kinder to the planet? Firstly, when planning your wedding, take time to think about the choices you make and, as far as reasonably possible, use locally-grown produce, and items that are made locally.

For instance, ask your florist not to use imported flowers — or, better still, hire potted plants for your décor. Consider using small tubs of flowers or herbs as table décor, which could double up as gifts for your guests. You could also give your guests packets of wild flower seeds, or products that are locally made (and support a good cause at the same time).

If you use fresh flowers, don’t waste them after the wedding — rather donate them to something like an old age home. I did this after my son’s wedding last year and the ladies at the home to which I took the flowers were thrilled to receive them. (As you will probably be leaving on your honeymoon straight after the wedding, ask a friend or family member to organise this for you.)

When it comes to your wedding dress, try to choose a style you will wear again, rather than having an outfit that will just clutter up your cupboard for years — and of course it should preferably be made from a natural fabric, like silk. Other options would be to hire one or to purchase a second-hand dress (you will find details of second-hand wedding dresses for sale on our website www.celebrationhouse.co.za).

Invitations made from recycled paper would be a good choice; if you have the time, you could personalise them even more by taking paper making lessons and creating your own invitations. I came across some instructions and recipes for paper making on a website recently and it sounded such fun that I am keen to have a bash at it myself!

When planning the menu for your wedding, choose seasonal produce, as this will avoid the need to import ingredients. Ask your caterer to ensure that only organic produce is used for your wedding reception; if the meal is not an entirely vegetarian one, enquire whether the meat or chicken being served has been organically reared, using sustainable farming methods.

Organic wines are coming of age and I have been very impressed with the products sold in this country by a leading retail chain. This would be the ideal drink to serve at a ‘green’ wedding, and locally-brewed beer, rather than imported brands, would definitely get the nod as well.

In the course of doing research into wedding traditions of various cultures for my soon-to-be-published book, 'The really useful WEDDING BOOK for South Africa', I found it interesting to note that, closer to home, we could also pick up some useful tips from traditional weddings held in rural areas.

In fact, when I stopped and thought about it, I realised that these events can generally be described as extremely environmentally friendly! After all, the wedding is traditionally held at the groom’s home and the guests, who are mainly from neighbouring villages, usually arrive on foot (no carbon emissions).

Also, the meat used for a traditional tribal wedding will invariably come from cattle raised and slaughtered locally. The beer served is made from sorghum and maize, and is often brewed specially for the occasion by friends and family who live in close proximity to the groom (no expensive transportation or bottling costs).

Other favourable points worth mentioning are that the service is held outdoors in natural surroundings, and in certain cultures, among the gifts the bride gives her new family members are baskets she has woven (using local materials), with the help of her friends!

Think ‘green’ when choosing gifts for your wedding registry and include items like cotton bed linen and towels on your list. Alternatively, if you feel that instead of receiving wedding gifts you would rather give something back to the planet, you could ask your guests to make a donation in your name to a charitable organisation.

In South Africa there is no shortage of good causes to support, one of my favourites being www.greatergoodsa.co.za. Incidentally, I was interested to discover that in the USA one such organisation, the World Wildlife Fund, now has a gift registry option (their website www.worldwildlife.org also offers some valuable tips regarding the hosting of a ‘green’ wedding).

Finally, a list headed ‘51 things we can do to slow global warming', which appeared in the 9 April 2007 edition of Time magazine, includes the item ‘Have a green wedding'! The authors suggest that if your guests are travelling long distances to your wedding, you could consider offsetting the effects of the resulting carbon emissions by giving a donation to renewable energy projects.

They also advocate buying your ‘wine from a nearby vineyard’, your ‘beer from a neighbourhood brewery’ and the use of local flowers in season.