We are excited to partner with the Green Bride Guide to launch an environmental awareness campaign in the wedding industry, which includes the promotion of April as Greener Weddings Awareness month.

According to TheWeddingReport.com, there were an estimated 2.2 million weddings in the United States in 2008. When you consider the average wedding produces 63 tons of CO2 and 400-600 pounds of trash, according to the Green Bride Guide, the impact on the planet is substantial. The goal of the Greener Weddings Awareness campaign in April is to educate engaged couples about the importance of making eco-friendly choices in the planning process to lessen the environmental impact of their wedding. To get involved, download a badge to display on your blog or Website.

Greener Weddings to Save Green!

In celebration of Earth Day, we’re offering 10% off any purchase this week only! If you’ve been thinking about greening your wedding with eco-friendly wedding favors, organic wedding decorations or earth friendly invitations, this is the week to save!

Plus, you still have a chance to win 40 eco wedding favors to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of Earth Day! To enter, simply send an email to heather [@] dreamgreenweddings.com with “Contest Entry” in the subject line and your wedding date in the email. Contest ends at midnight on Earth Day! More details . . .

The 40th anniversary of Earth Day is April 22, and in case you haven’t heard, I have officially declared the month of April Green Weddings month! To celebrate, we are giving away 40 seeded eco wedding favors to one lucky couple for their upcoming wedding (please see details below). With 2.2 million weddings in the US each year, you can truly make a difference by making just a few eco-friendly wedding choices like organic wedding favors.

Why Say “I do” to a Green Wedding?

• Save energy, conserve resources and decrease carbon emissions.
• Reduce your wedding’s carbon footprint. Click here to calculate your wedding carbon footprint.
• Limit waste produced by traditional weddings.
• Educate and inspire others to make greener choices.
• Champion green businesses.
• Support charitable organizations.

Winner Gets 40 Free Customized Wedding Favors that Grow When Planted!

• These adorable eco-wedding favors are hand-made from recycled paper and infused with seeds that grow wildflowers when planted—perfect for an eco-friendly wedding!
• Choose your wedding favor from six popular design choices and colors
• Personalization included
• Also great for bridal showers

How to Enter:

Just send an email to heather [@] dreamgreenweddings.com with “Contest Entry” in the subject line. Please provide your wedding date in the email and that’s it! You will be automatically entered to win 40 free wedding favors from our popular seeded wedding favor collection. Entries will be accepted until midnight of Earth Day, April 22, 2010. The winner will be selected by a random drawing on April 23, 2010 and notified via email.

For more ideas on how to make a difference this Earth Day, visit EarthDay.org!

Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook this month as we announce special discounts and new products in celebration of Earth Day!

I first brought you the news about the fabulous Clay Hill Farm Green Wedding Giveaway last month. Now, it’s less than one month until the entry deadline of January 1, 2010. Are you ready to get creative for your chance to win a green wedding prize package valued at $40,000?

Marriage is about commitment and compromise. Green is also about commitment and compromise. How does a commitment to the earth fit in with your new commitment as a couple? Clay Hill Farm asks contestants to tell their story in a play, a video, a painting, a poem, a song, an essay or whatever your creative juices cook up. Food for thought . . .

• Do you consider yourself green already?
• Do you consider green to be common sense practicality?
• How does a commitment to the earth fit in with your new commitment as a couple?
• Would you like to be green but feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start?

Visit the official Clay Hill Farm Green Wedding Giveaway contest site for more tips and to enter. Pick your shade of green and shout it to the world!

P.S. Meet  Jonathan Blakeslee & Joelle Guerard, 2009 winners. They share some advice below their photo.

“Winning was the most amazing experience of our lives. From the start when we first saw the website through the judging process where we met the other finalist to the final announcement and the wedding itself, everything was just perfectly planned and organized down to the last letter. Clay Hill Farm and all the sponsors made us feel like the most important people in the world. It was just a wonderful experience. The best advice we could give people when entering into this contest is just be honest and be yourself and you will shine.”

I invite you to take a moment to watch this inspiring video about the Green Wedding Giveaway from our friends at Clay Hill Farm.

When I first heard about Clay Hill Farm’s Green Wedding Giveaway, I knew I had to become involved. After all, this wonderfully educational and inspiring contest is a chance to further explore ideals that are very near and dear to my heart: commitment to love and commitment to the earth. Can we celebrate love and wedded bliss with small changes that bring about eco-harmony? I believe so.

Being “green” is about being who you are, and the little steps you take each day to live a greener lifestyle. Everyone is different in what they do, but everyone can make a difference. Whatever shade of green you are, it’s beautiful to Mother Nature.

And, when two become one in marriage, it presents a unique opportunity to explore the possibilities of making a difference together. Why not start with greening the wedding tradition that sets the stage for your new life?

Thanks to Clay Hill Farm and its eco-fabulous group of sponsors, you have a chance to win the green wedding of your dreams! To enter, contestants are asked to tell their story in a play, a video, a painting, a poem, a song, an essay or whatever suits their fancy. Pick your shade and shout it to the world… and anyone can enter for a chance to win a green wedding prize package valued at over $40,000.