Flower petals are a beautiful, budget-conscious, and eco-friendly alternative to disposable aisle runners, and they can suit many different wedding styles. Have adorable flower girls sprinkle petals along the aisle during the ceremony for a romantic touch, or create a lush, gorgeous aisle with a heavy layer of petals.

Image: Rebecca Thuss

The elegant glass vases pictured above, filled with candles and petals floating in water, would also make lovely reception centerpieces.

Sprinkling petals around candles and flower-filled votives is another way to create centerpieces that look pretty, but cut down on flower usage (and cost).

Image: Studio 1923

Petals beautifully complement a wedding cake, too.

Image: Studio 1923

How romantic would it be to twirl under these gorgeous hanging flower petals for your first dance? This is a DIY project that is fairly simple, and the effect makes us swoon.

Image: W. Scott Chester Photography

Don't forget to exit your ceremony or reception in a shower of soft flower petals, like Hedda and Ben did!

Image: Orchard Cove Photography

Just remember that, unfortunately, roses are one of the most heavily pesticided crops in the world and their production often leads to human health problems, so it's important to go organic for your petals.

The good news is that you can now get dried organic petals online or buy fresh petals from many organic farms.

Be sure to ask you florist about organic alternatives!

Tin pails bursting with flowers are all around this season's weddings. They are another one of those perfectly versatile decor pieces that you can find used or borrow, and then return, repurpose, or donate back after the big day. Take a look at just of few of the possibilities.

Unadorned tin pails filled with seasonal blooms create a simple, understated look.

Image: Kate Parker

Add some ribbon, and you can easily create a beautiful decor piece. I love the way this couple used the pails to frame their ceremony.

Image: Orchard Cove Photography

Hang pails to frame your aisle for a charming ceremony decoration, and imagine how adorable a tiny flower girl would look carrying her own pail full of pink, yellow, and purple petals.

Image: Carrie Patterson

Finally, for a dramatic presentation, use moss and branches or other natural elements to decorate the pail. Miniature tin pails can also double as seating card or favor holders.

Image: Kate Parker

It could be a meaningful piece of fabric--from the favorite dress of a beloved grandmother, perhaps--or just a print that caught your eye while you were hunting up some mason jars at the thrift store. However that gorgeous vintage fabric found its way into your heart, you can use it to add charm and beauty to your wedding decor.

If you're having a rustic farm-style wedding, use your vintage fabric to cover up hay bales for seating for your guests.

Image: W. Scott Chester Photography

Vintage fabric, suspended and then draped like a canopy, can make a dramatic backdrop for your cake or dessert table.

Image: Rebecca Thuss

The perfect pattern can be hung up on a clothesline, and used as a background for a fun photo station for all your guests. Have your photographer set up times for each set of guests to show up and have their pictures taken, so no one gets lost in the crowd!

Image: Real Green Weddings, Woodland Wedding, DIY Charm

Depending upon how much of the fabric you have and how well you (or a crafty friend or family member) can sew, the possibilities are endless: table linens, chair covers, and chuppahs are just a few ideas. You can even use fabric for gift wrapping to cut down on expensive and wasteful wrapping paper.

If you only have a bit of special fabric, consider using it to bind your bouquet in an elegant and meaningful way.

Image: April Joy Events

You can also cut out small pieces of your fabric to serve as backing for the flowers in the mens' boutonierres. No matter how you use that beautiful vintage fabric, it will add a lovely and personalized touch to your green wedding decor.

There are so many ways to show off your green wedding decor in summer. Here are a few ideas for planning an eco-chic beach wedding.

First, give your guests the right first impression of your beach celebration. Beach Blanket invitations from Elum Designs give's guests a bright preview of your wedding, and are made from tree-free, 100% post-industrial waste cotton rag papers and soy based inks. 

Image: Elum Designs

A ceremony on the beach is so full of natural beauty that you're guaranteed a lovely setting without any additional decoration. But if you did want to add something, a canopy or chuppah embellished with palm fronds, or other local, seasonal flowers and plants would make a beautiful addition. Instead of using a traditional (and wasteful!) throw-away aisle runner, sprinkle flower petals in the sand to create your aisle.

Image: Stehlik Photography

Continue taking advantage of the gorgeous beach scenery by having your reception there, too. You can also cut down on your wedding's footprint by having your ceremony and reception at the same location, which avoids having all those guests drive from one place to another.

Image: Stehlik Photography

Adding beach elements to your florals is a creative way to enhance your theme and cut down on the amount of flowers you use. (Check out more ways to incorporate natural elements and use fewer flowers with no less style here.)

Image: Rosenow Floral Design

Don't stop at the flowers! Beach elements can add charm and elegance to all of your wedding decor. After you've asked your baker to use local, organic ingredients, discuss how to incorporate seaside colors and embellishments to your cake, like this:

Image: Stehlik Photography

Make a splash with creative seating "cards," table decor, and centerpieces. If you have the flair for calligraphy, these sand dollars make great DIY seating pieces, and, since they are personalized, are a great decorative keepsake to remind your guests of your special day.

Image: Studio 1923

The best way to gather these natural beach elements for your wedding would be to spend some romantic pre-wedding time with your significant other on the beach collecting them from the sand. If you lack the time to do so, or you are having a destination wedding at the beach but don't live near one, consider a company like US Shell and purchase these decor pieces. They have an environmental policy that assures buyers that their shells, starfish, and other products are collected in a way that does not infringe on the eco-system from which they come. 

One of the hottest trends in summer wedding décor couldn’t be more eco-friendly. Vintage mason jars are taking center stage in every style of wedding, from rustic and charming to elegant and refined. Not only do mason jars work in many different kinds of décor, they can be used in a variety of ways.

Tie a ribbon around the top of a mason jar, and fill with seasonal flowers for simple and attractive floral arrangements.

Image: Chelsea Elizabeth Photography

Mason jars can be used to keep bouquets fresh before the ceremony. Afterward, they can be placed on the tables at the reception to hold the bridal party’s flowers again, as elegant reception décor.

Image: Jonathan Canlas via Rocky Mountain Romance

On a warm summer night, mason jars suspended from a tree wink with lit candles, evoking images of fireflies, and creating a dreamy ambience for your celebration. 

Image: One Love Photo

You can also suspend jars filled with freshly picked flowers from a string of lights to add a colorful touch to a casual outdoor décor.

Image: Home-style Wedding

Place a soy candle inside a jar, and suspend from a garden lantern hanger. Add coordinating ribbon, and frame your ceremony aisle with these lovely decorations.

Image: Kate Parker Weddings

Finally, you can gift your guests reusable mason jars, and allow them to fill their jars with candy from a candy bar for a unique, edible favor.

No matter how you choose to use these versatile décor pieces, you definitely don’t need to buy them new. You can find them at inexpensive prices at thrift or consignment stores, estate sales, or via websites like eBay or Craigslist. You may be surprised at the variety of styles and colors available, and you’re certain to find one that matches your vision for your wedding. If you don’t use the jars as favors, you’ll be able to resell them after your wedding. Beautiful décor, no waste…a green bride’s dream!

Typically, hay-themed decorations call to mind images of the crisp leaves of fall, and russet tones of red and orange. While rustic hay bales are a lovely addition to fall wedding décor, they are just as charming and versatile in the spring or summer.

Cover the hay bales in fabric and secure them with a clip or bow for easy, casual seating during your wedding ceremony or reception. For the relaxed but chic celebration shown here, the bales were covered in vintage fabrics, and enhanced by the centerpieces and repurposed burlap on the tables. You could also consider accenting the hay bales with wildflowers in cheerful tin pails or other rustic, reusable containers.

Image: W. Scott Chester Photography

When choosing a fabric covering for hay bales, consider the comfort of your guests first and foremost. A fabric like burlap, although it evokes that rustic feel, would be too scratchy and could shed onto guests’ clothing. A thick fabric is important; canvas would be a good choice, and, since it is often used as a paint drop-cloth, it can be purchased on the cheap in a home improvement store, and then dyed. For a “homier” feel, use quilts as covers. These could be borrowed from family members and friends. Purchasing new fabric is a potentially expensive and less eco-friendly choice, so think of fabrics you can repurpose. You might consider tablecloths to cover the hay bales, because they can be rented, borrowed, or purchased and then donated after the wedding.

Add color and comfort to your hay bale décor by adding pillows.

Image: Sean Watson Photography

Hay bale decorations and seating add casual appeal and personality to your wedding celebration.

Images above and below: Chelsea Elizabeth Photography

Best of all, hay is simply dried grass used as animal feed, so it is relatively easy to come by and inexpensive. In fact, you may be able to find a local farm that will lend you the hay bales free of charge, assuming you will pick them up and bring them back yourself. Using hay in your décor is a great eco-chic choice: it provides relaxed wedding day charm, is budget-friendly, and leaves no waste.

Instead of wrapping your bouquet in satin, velvet or other petroleum-based fabrics, consider a more sustainable alternative.  It is a small things, but makes a difference, and will add to your eco-chic decor. Here are a few ideas:

1. Use a piece of vintage fabric (nothing new has to be created). 

Image: April Joy Events

2. A rustic piece of burlap can add country charm. 

Image: Emilie, Inc via Kate Parker Events

3. Jute is another sustainable fabric that has a wonderful texture. 

Image: Jonathan Canlas via Rocky Mountain Romance

4. Use a piece of fabric from your train or the hem of your gown (a form of recycling that is guaranteed to match!) and fasten it closed with an antique photo pin. 

Image: Anna Kuperburg

5. Handmade lace is always exquisite and can double as your something old. 

Image: Photomuse via The Green Bride Guide

No matter what your style, there are sustainable options for tying your bouquet to match your decor, budget and values. 

Wedding season is in full bloom and keeping your guests happy in hot climates is essential. Here are a few fun, creative, eco-friendly ways to make sure everyone enjoys your special day as much as you will. 

1. Keep them informed!  Let your guests know who is who and what is happening next. The program is also a great place to explain a few of your green choices. Make sure someone collects extra programs after the event and recycles them. 

Image: Amanda Hein

2. Keep guests hydrated. On hot days make sure your guests have plenty to drink. Skip bottled water and use large display glasses instead for a more aesthetically pleasing and eco-friendly option. 

Image: Stacey Kane via Kate Parker Weddings

3. Offer some shade.  Either give guests parasols or make sure that part of your ceremony site is in the shade. Bamboo parasols are lovely, and go well with rice paper fans and organic sunscreen for complete sun protection. 

I traditionally recommend using succulents in fall and winter, when it is hard to get local, seasonal flowers in most parts of the country.  However, succulents can also connote and can be used to create lush displays. Potted succulents are always beautiful, but most succulents, even when cut, can be replanted after the event - so nothing is wasted. Here is just a small sampling of how you can use these evergreens in your decor. 

Image: Art Fool

Image: The Bloom Room

Image: Smith and Hawkin

Image: Visions Photography for Elegant Effects Florals

Image: Jonathan Canlas Photography 

Image: April Joy Events via Green Wedding Shoes

Wondering what to do with all of that extra Easter candy?  Consider piling it  into glasses and letting guests choose their favorite sweets instead of giving out favors. Here are some examples of fun, colorful, creative candy displays that will make your guests feel like kids in a candy store - literally. 

Image: Ken Kochey

Image: Michele Waite

Image: Ken Kochey 

Image: QuickCare Event Rentals 

QuickCare offers apothecary jar rentals in Tampa, Florida.  Ask your event planner about glass rentals to save money and the environment.