Once upon a time, little girls dreamed of marrying Prince Charming (whose name may or may not have been Shaun Cassidy), moving to a castle (plastic and pink, like Barbie's) and living happily ever after (with a new Porsche in the driveway). Clearly (and thankfully), that fairy tale is being rewritten.

There still might be a prince (though he may be less a pop star and more a future president), but this new generation's castle is more likely to be LEED-certified, and the "living happily ever after" part is more likely to be contingent on reducing their collective carbon footprint with a hybrid (or a tandem bicycle) in the driveway. Welcome to love and marriage, 21st-century style - a new generation of brides for whom that ubiquitous "something blue" is being replaced with "something green."

"We're definitely seeing more of that, especially with our younger brides," says Amanda Sudimack, owner of Lincoln Park-based Artisan Events Inc. (the only Illinois wedding-photography atelier to be featured in Random House's Wedding Photography Unveiled: Inspiration and Insight from 20 Top Photographers). "More recently we've had people asking questions about what we do to be green. I think it's definitely in the forefront of people's minds now."

At Sudimack's shop, it's fairly easy to tick down the green marks: handmade photo albums made with local materials, including recycled green-certified papers. Also, more than 90 percent of the proofs are done electronically to reduce wasteful (and often unnecessary) paper printing. "Also, through our album production we always try to make decisions based on our carbon footprint," she adds. "All albums are handmade. We make everything locally."

According to Debi Lilly of Chicago-based A Perfect Event, making a wedding more eco-conscious is easier than people think. "It's become a really wonderful way to incorporate beautiful details - special, thoughtful, personal details - into designs but to do it in a more Earth-friendly way."

At a recent Chicago-area wedding planned by Lilly (and photographed by Artisan Events), manzanita branches were repurposed and designed into autumnal "trees" strung with hanging recycled-glass votives with soy candles and locally grown farm flowers (thus reducing the amount of jet fuel used to fly flowers around the world). "We created a really beautiful autumnal look using all kinds of really great recycled materials," Lilly says of that September 2008 wedding. "We can use branches over and over and over. It's not like a cut fresh flower that only lasts for a few days." For a June 2008 wedding Sudimack and Lilly worked on together, locally grown seasonal flowers were selected as an eco-friendly choice.

"Using flowers that are from local growers and not flown in from Thailand, that is a green choice," Lilly explains. "Using paper from a sustainable resource, like cotton, that is a green choice. There are so many gorgeous options that really are more Earth-friendly."

For Cleetus Friedman of City Provisions, a Chicago-area catering company that specializes in local, sustainable and organic foods, there are no green (or non-green) weddings - "Just City Provisions weddings," he says. "They are all green."

The firm, which received the Sustain Illinois 2009 Award for Sustainable Process, has found ways to incorporate common-sense recycling and green practices into all of its events, whether it's a wedding or one of its famous "farm dinners."

"Brides and grooms are attracted to City Provisions for many reasons," Friedman explains. "Typically, the sustainability starts with the catering, or food, at their wedding. We use local farms to supply the majority of the food we serve - and that is very important to people who want green on their big day. The farms are where it starts for us. The fact that we recycle at our off-premise events may seem small, but at a larger event it really makes a difference. By choosing a company that is sustainable in their practices, our clients - brides and grooms as well - are already making a green choice."

In fact, sometimes adding "something green" is as easy as choosing an outdoor venue (see page 49 for a wedding Sudimack shot and Lilly planned at the Morton Arboretum) or using paper products (from the "save the date" card to the invitation to the "thank you" note) that are made from sustainable products and printed using soy ink. "These are very small choices that don't affect the quality or design that are just more green and more environmentally friendly," Lilly adds.

As with any trend, there are extremes. A few eco-minded brides and grooms have gone so far as to purchase "carbon credits" to offset the environmental impact of their wedding and the energy it takes for their guests to get there. Others are even forgoing traditional bachelor and bachelorette parties in lieu of getting the gang together to work on a service project - or making a charitable donation in their guests' honor in lieu of traditional favors.

Lilly has even started helping clients plan "green honeymoons." Using Chicago-based www.moonrings.com she has been able to help her brides and grooms do everything from plan a honeymoon around a volunteer or service activity to simply find a "green" resort or hotel.

Like Friedman, she sees the movement as less of a trend and more of a coming to consciousness. "Who doesn't want to make greener choices if given the option to? It's becoming much more standard."

Regardless of how "green" you decide to go, one thing remains universal. When two people come together as one and invite their families and friends to be a part of it, it's a beautiful day - whether the bride is wearing Aunt Vera's dress or an original (but gently recycled) Vera Wang.

Sara Suleiman contributed to this story.

Greener than Green