Wedding rings may be an outward symbol of your love for your future spouse, unfortunately, industrial methods used in extracting the precious metals and gems for your ring from the earth can endanger the land and upset ecosystems!

The goal at greenKarat is not to discourage the use of jewelry, but rather to end destructive gold and diamond mining by changing people’s consumption patterns.

Their mission is to provide an ecologically and socially responsible jewelry alternative to those who seek change. As in other recycling, changing consumer ‘waste’ habits is important to solving the gold problem.

Everyone has broken necklaces, bracelets and that “one” earring laying around in their jewelry box – you can collect used pieces of gold from your friends and loved ones to be recycled into your wedding rings. greenKarat will fashion your rings from the gold that you send to them. If you don’t have enough gold for your rings, you can purchase more from them. If you have too much for your rings, they will give you credit towards future purchases, or you may donate it for others to use.

Just think of the special significance your wedding ring will hold for you, knowing that it was made from your friends’ treasures!

If you are planning to invite children to your wedding you might consider making some special arrangements to entertain them during the reception.

Flower girl dresses might just be the most overpriced item in the whole wedding!

These cute little numbers can easily cost in excess of $100 and sometimes as much as $300-400.

Of course we all want our little darling to be dressed in nothing less than the cutest ball of pouf, lace and ruffles we can find, but let’s be realistic…this is one girl that can get away with not planning to wear the dress again for the simple reason that it’s not going to fit her by the next time an occasion comes around to get all gussied up. Check out www.gagas.com for the most brilliant idea since electricity.

This company rents formalwear for kids. For somewhere between $16.99-34.99 you can rent a dress for three weeks. The cost includes shipping both to you and back to the company.