It's a Nice Day for a Green Wedding

There's a green way to do everything these days -- even get hitched.

If you're in the midst of planning one of the more than 2 million weddings that will take place in the U.S. this year, you could hire a green wedding planner. But planning an environmentally friendly wedding is totally feasible on your own.

Here's what you need to know about several key wedding items:

Invitations

Traditional wedding invitations use a lot of paper. To reduce your environmental impact, consider using recycled paper or Forest Stewardship Council certified paper.

You might also choose paper made from discarded cloth, flower petals, silk and grass. Or, perhaps, tree-free paper printed with vegetable-based inks suits your style.

Another option is to send your guests invitations on paper they can use. Green Field Paper Company produces paper embedded with wildflower seeds; after your guests read the pertinent details, they can plant the paper and watch it grow.

These tree-free invitations can run you anywhere from $1.25 to $8 each. But to truly defy tradition, use an electronic invitation, which is free.

Clothing

Your wedding dress may be the most beautiful dress you ever own -- yet you'll probably only wear it once. Save some resources (and some dough) by wearing an heirloom, such as your mother's, aunt's, grandmother's or even best friend's dress.

Or, try a sample gown or once-worn dress from Brides Against Breast Cancer, Encore Bridal or, of course, eBay(EBAY Quote). If you have the time, you may be lucky enough to find the perfect dress at a local consignment shop.