After the wedding - ethical cleanup and recycling

This is not about 'trashing the dress', a very odd custom and something antithetical to an eco-wedding, unless your dress is made of paper.

But how can you make the end of the wedding celebration ethical?

Recycle the flowers.

Donate the food. The easiest thing is to Google "Food Bank" and your city. Many places such as SecondHarvest or CityHarvest (NY) will not take food that has been out on a buffet, so talk informally with your local soup kitchens to see if they are prepared to accept your (refrigerated and wrapped) leftovers. Plan BEFORE the wedding, to arrange delivery. Ask the band, the servers, and the staff if they want the left-over food, and arrange for containers.

Plant a tree in a national forest.

Pay your carbon offsets for travel for your honeymoon and for your guest's travel.

Donate the dresses to Brides against Breast Cancer, or OTHER wedding dress recycling programs. Check your city for thrift shops for charity, or other services which recycle bridesmaids dresses as well as bridal gowns. Check sites for recycling prom dresses as well, if your bridesmaid dresses will send someone to the prom in style.