Planning a Green Wedding

Most couples will spend more on their wedding than any other single expenditure in their lifetimes except for their car or home. Couples who share a commitment to the environment and want their wedding to reflect their commitment to sustainability have many options open to them in the Cayman Islands.

You've already chosen a beautiful natural environment for your wedding venue and the other choices you'll make for your special day will leave Cayman as beautiful as you found it while helping to promote sustainable businesses practices.

• Use a hotel that has a commitment to operating in a sustainable manner.
  
  
• Choose a restaurant or caterer that is willing to serve fresh, locally produced, organic and/or sustainably harvested food and beverages. Using local food requires less fossil fuel for transportation, whereas organic food grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers helps to protect soil, water, and wildlife.
  
  
• Make sure that your restaurant or caterer adheres to the guidelines published by Cayman Sea Sense, a local non-profit group that dedicates itself to helping restaurants offer sustainably-harvested seafood. For an exotic menu item, consider serving lionfish, an invasive but beautiful fish that has already dessimated life on the reefs in the Bahamas and which the Cayman Islands is working hard to control.
  
  
• Ways to reduce waste include using reusable dishware, utensils, napkins and tablecloths. If reusable durable food service items are not available, use recyclable food service items. Options include biodegradable dishes and flatware made from cornstarch or sugar cane. In addition, avoid serving individually packaged condiments. Instead serve condiments such as cream, sugar, salad dressing, ketchup, etc. in attractive bulk dispensers.
  
  
• Buy locally grown plants and flowers or rent them from a local nursery.