We've been covering a lot of charity and ethical clothing launches over on our fashion site ShinyStyle this week, so we decided that today it was only fair to spread some of the goodwill over to the bridal side of things too.
We've therefore put together a range of ways you can make you're wedding day even more special for not only your loved ones but also for people who aren't as fortunate as you.

Step one: For those who have it all
If you already have your own house and everything including the kitchen sink then why not get your guests to donate what they would have spent on wedding presents to a charity of your choice.

One such charity that offers this is charitygiving, which let's you choose as many charities to benefit as you wish, hold your account open for as long as you like, and your guests can give to all, or selected charities at any time. The organisation will also give you your own webpage, so that guests can read about you and your chosen charities, and let them give online.

Cancer Research also offers a similar service on its Give in Celebration website, which enables you to set up a personalised page to celebrate your event.

Step two: Charity favours
Your guests will just be happy to be at your big day, so instead of giving them favours why not donate that part of the budget to a charity. The NSPCC offers a fantastic service and once you've donated to them they will give you designed small white cards with text that describes what you are doing. Many other charities do the same so give them a call if this is something you are interested in.

Step three: Buy an ethical dress
Sweat shops and commercial materials are still rife despite active efforts to stop this kind of trade. To ensure you don't contribute to this why not buy an ethical dress, which will contain fair trade fabrics, which help those in developing countries work fairly and in better conditions.
The Tammam Studio located in London, sources stunning developing peace silks and beautiful vegan satins all woven under Fair Trade conditions. All the bespoke dresses are handmade by the resident designer, Lucy, in the Tammam Studio. Pret a porter dresses (approx £800) are made in Fair Trade workshops in India and nepal (please allow 13 weeks) and can be adjusted to fit at the London studio where clients are met for appointments and especially at the later stages of the dress making. Fair trade embellishment (embroidery / beading is carried out at a workshop in India).

Step four: Ask for ethical gifts
Ethical and eco friendly wedding gifts are readily available and will ensure you not only help those in developing countries but also save the environment. There are a range of stores that offer ethical wedding present lists including Ethical Superstore and Biome Lifestyle, which offers a range of ethical homeware and gifts including recycled iron frying pans and glasses made from, well recycled glass.

If you're a green goddess whose boyfriend has proposed without a ring, then you'll love these engagement rings by Cred Jewellery.

The jeweller has designed a range of eco friendly engagement rings, which are certified as socially and environmentally responsible.

All the engagement rings in the range are made of platinum and 18ct fair trade gold sourced by Oro Verde, a supplier of ethically sourced precious metals. CRED also says its gold is produced without mercury or cyanide and their precious stones are traceable from mine to retail.

We've had a look at some of their rings, and they are ethically gorgeous, especially the 18ct white gold Princess ring (pictured).

The range doesn't come cheap with prices starting at £1,010, but at least you can tell your other half its for the good of the environment.

Last week we gave you a list of companies who made eco friendly frocks for environmentally conscious brides.

And this week we thought we'd give you a gallery of some of the beautiful dresses these designers make.

However we also recommend you also contact these companies if you want something that little bit special as many will work with you to either recycle an old wedding dress or to create something you have in mind.

If you're looking for ethical jewellery for your bridesmaids or yourself then also check out our gallery over at ShinyStyle for some ideas.

Click on the picture to begin the gallery

We're no strangers to green and ethical weddings here at Bridalwave and we've bought you a range of different eco friendly ideas for your big day. However, we haven't yet mentioned the most important topic of all and that's ethical wedding dresses.

We've therefore had a scout around and found a really good guide from the Natural Store who has put together a guide of a range of stores that supply eco friendly and green wedding dresses.

Look out for a gallery of some of these frocks very soon.

The Tammam Studio located in London, sources stunning developing peace silks and beautiful vegan satins all woven under Fair Trade conditions. All the bespoke dresses are handmade by the resident designer, Lucy, in the Tammam Studio. Pret a porter dresses (approx £800) are made in Fair Trade workshops in India and nepal (please allow 13 weeks) and can be adjusted to fit at the London studio where clients are met for appointments and especially at the later stages of the dress making. Fair trade embellishment (embroidery / beading is carried out at a workshop in India).

Gaia House - based in southern England - designs unique and ethical bridal wear and occasion wear created from eco fabrics, for the bride with a conscience. They offer Ready-To-Wear or Bespoke Couture Wedding Dresses. The bespoke couture service includes a Design Consultation which ensures that the fabric, cut and colouring are absolutely right for you. Your gown is cut from fabric which is uniquely constructed, ensuring not only the style but also the cloth from which it is created is exclusively yours.

Conscious Elegance -based in northern England - feels that you needn't compromise your values to look stunning. With a Conscious Elegance gown, you may let all of nature rejoice with you on your special day. They individually create their original wedding dress and bridesmaid/occasion gown patterns from eco-friendly fabrics to your own measurements. Swatch packets of current fabrics available. Coming soon: personal fitting service at your door to ensure a perfect fit of size and style.

With many of us becoming eco conscious, traditionally white weddings are taking on a proverbial green hue asvsome brides opt for energy efficient and recycling aspects to their big day.

However, it's often hard to find suppliers who cater for these demands. Until now that is.
The Green Bride Guide, launching this month, is claimed to be the "yellow pages" for all things green and bridal.

It will provide thousands of products and services from restaurants that serve local, organic food to limo companies using hybrid vehicles.

Suppliers are also vetted by the site before they can advertise their services online, each receiving a "leaf" rating, which shows how green they are on a scale of one to five, as well as user reviews.

The site also has little tools, which are a big help for eco conscious brides, including a carbon footprint calculator, wedding cost calculator and a list of services, which provide second hand information and advice on where you can drop off any spare wedding food for a good cause.

What more could we green brides want?

If you want something a little bit different to give your guests at the end of your wedding day, or perhaps want a keepsake of your own, then you'll love this new idea from Philippa Craddock.

The new company claims to be the only one in the UK to offer high-end indoor and outdoor plants, beautifully packaged and delivered to your wedding venue. After the day is over the plants can be taken away by guests or by the bride and groom and planted in their garden's as a reminder of the day.

A representative for the company told us: "We have recently completed a wedding design where we used miniature rose bushes and potted herbs throughout the arrangements. The roses and herbs will be replanted to create a special herb and rose garden in the bride and groom's garden."

And those that want to add an ethical twist to their day without going too far, will love the fact that the company uses 100% recyclable packaging. It also donates 2.5% of its profits the Growaforest charity, which plants native trees in the UK to help reverse the damage done by CO2 emissions.

Prices range from £35 to £75.

Brides who want to be eco friendly on their wedding day will love this new wedding list service from Biome Lifestyle.

The online store offers a range of ethical homeware and gifts including recycled iron frying pans and glasses made from, well recycled glass.

There is also a range of washing baskets made from Seagrass.

The company has also compiled a list of eco tips to ensure you can be as ethical as possible on, and in the lead up to your big day.

These include sending out your invites on recycled card or seed paper or even sending them via email and selecting flowers that are locally sourced and in season.

If you want to be a green goddess on your wedding day (and no we're talking face painted like the wicked witch) then this fayre may just be the ethic key.

The Great Big Green Wedding Fayre is said to be the first of its kind in the North West. Taking place in Liverpool on the 5 and 6 September this fayre will feature a catwalk show by Oxfam.

It will also be packed with green and ethical wedding suppliers such as Little Cake Heaven, which claims to offer cupcakes made from free range eggs, Fairtrade chocolate, cocoa and coffee. It also only uses only recyclable packaging and locally sourced ingredients.

Glamour Junkie, a company that makes handmade wraps, shrugs and hair accessories, made from felting, fusing ultralight silk with merino wool and other natural fibers, will also be showing off its stuff at the show.

And it doesn't end there. Brides, and their grooms (if you can drag them along) can also sign up to be Great Green VIP Brides & Grooms. For £6 each you will be given a goody bag plus be put into a prize draw to win a day at the UK's First Eco-Spa or some beauty hampers from LoveLula and Green Rooms.

VIP brides can also sample beauty therapies, enjoy taster foods and drinks for their wedding, listen to musicians and have the opportunity to sit in a dining room fully dressed for a vintage wedding where you and your guests will be seated for complimentary tea and cake. Well that's made up our minds, we're signing up now.

If you're feeling guilty about increasing your carbon footprint after your long haul honeymoon destination but need to send out thank you letters to your guests then we've found a way in which you can redeem yourselves.

Ethical gift store Boutiko, which relaunched this month supplies locally sourced, hand-made, fairly traded or recycled/recyclable stationary, including, yes you guessed it, note cards.

The cards, produced in Dorset, come in packs of 4 and are hand tied with twine. The packaging is also biodegradable and the paper used 100% recycled.

But it doesn't end there, the company also offers cute after wedding gifts, which you can buy for your home. We love the MR & MRS sign, which is handmade using reclaimed wood and water based paints then carefully distressed for an age-old vintage feel.

Now back to the thank you notes, we're not sure how you plan to deliver them but if you're still feeling guilty we know of a good few bike shops.

Motasem are new on my radar and are well worth checking out, particularly if you're looking for an unusual but inexpensive dress that's also made using eco-friendly methods.

Their 'Lorelei' dress, pictured here. is a simple and elegant empire line dress with delicately placed pleats gently cascadnig from an off-centre asymmetrical v-neckline. A very flattering style for all shapes, it's also the height of fashion, which is why it's so impressive that this 100% silke dress costs just £775.

Related: Gallery: high-waisted wedding dresses | Simple eco-chic bride dress by Article 23

When I stumbled on this wonderfully clean and simple strapless dress on Adili, it immediately called to mind the sort of wedding that stressed-out brides-to-be dream of: the sort where you just put your stuff in a bag, get on a plane, find a beach somewhere and do the deed at sunset.

If you're one of an increasing number of couples who've actually bypassed the daydream and chosen that route, this could be just the right dress for you. It's not only beautifully light and stylish - a simple version of the empire line dresses making waves on the catwalk just now - it's also ethically made, from 100% organic cotton, under acredited fairtrade conditions. Find it on Adili for £131

Related: Get the look: simple silhouettes | Get the look: eco wedding outfit

Are you an eco-conscious bride going for a fairy, folksy or hippy theme for your summer wedding? If so, allow me to point you towards Amor Sans Anguish, an eclectic label specialising in clothes made entirely from salvaged and recycled materials.

I spotted a few dresses in its online store that would be perfect for bridesmaids, even at a more conventional wedding. My personal favourite is that Tattered at Tea Time frock, which has a very Alice in Wonderland feel about it. There are also some simply gorgeous floral headbands that would make ideal summer wedding wear.

Related: Guest outfit for an eco chic spring weddings

If you're planning on a green wedding and don't want your attendants looking like they've just stepped out of Glastonbury, you'll need to track down a supplier specialising in eco-friendly occasionwear.

Most eco chic outlets will have something suitable, and I'd recommend Adili for the widest choice. But at the moment, Boutique Ethique is bursting at the seams with wedding-friendly attire, all made under highly ethical standards. These three outfits would be perfect for bridal attendants, and all fabrics are certified organic; the garments hand-made in France. The neutral tones are all created using traditional, natural dyes and prices aren't bad either. Visit Boutique Ethique for more details.

Here at Bridalwave we love weddings and we love our planet! So naturally(!) we also love The Green Guide for Weddings, a 224 page full colour publication with advice on how to make you special day green. Each chapter details the social, ethical and environmental considerations for your wedding and offers glamorous, green alternatives. There's also a comprehensive directory covering budgeting, venues, gowns, beautification, the gift list, honeymoons and more.

We caught up with author Jen Marsden and asked her what inspired her to write the book, how weddings can impact the environment, how easy it is to make a change to a green wedding and general tips for brides to be!

Read after the jump for her brilliant answers... and for essential reading order a copy of her book, priced £8.99 from Green Guide.

Related: Interview with Katie Haines, the brains behind the Eco Chic Wedding and Home Show | The wedding gift list that helps build your home | Hem and silk eco wedding dress by Julia Smith.

You may already have the elements that make your home yours - the kettle, the dinner service, the linens - but the Footprint Building gift list goes one very large step closer to really helping couples build their home. Register with the service for a variety of green, ethical and sustainable products and services including timber flooring, bespoke hand-crafted furniture from sustainable wood sources, home accessories, paint and upholstery. There's even green energy systems for a really lasting gift.

Guests can purchase smaller items or contribute to the purchase of a larger item with gift vouchers. Bristol-based readers can find their showroom at Pembroke Road. I can't find any details about the gift list service on their website so i suggest calling them on 0117 3179571 for more details.

Related: Interview: Kate Haines, the brains behind the Eco Chic Wedding & Home Show I Plant a tree in the 'Marry Me Wood' I More eco wedding ideas