The Eiffel Tower in Paris, once the epitome of traditional romance, is being traded for exotic eco-friendly destinations as newlyweds seek options that will have the least amount of environmental impact possible. Not only are these trips better for the earth, they're also unique often give couples the opportunity to begin their new lives together on an adventurous note. The only stipulation that seems to come with green travel is that there be options as convenient and comfortable as the less eco-friendly choices.

For Sarah Bickley, 34, a homeopathy teacher, and her fiancé, Paul Oades, 41, an orthodontist, sustainable practices in their honeymoon location was not the only priority. They also wanted to stay somewhere stylish. “When I thought of a green honeymoon, I immediately pictured camping,” said Ms. Bickley, who admitted to being a noncamping type. “Instead,” she explained, “we are going to a place that appears to have all the luxury associated with a honeymoon yet in an eco-friendly place.”

The British couple chose the Hoopoe Yurt Hotel in Andalucia, Spain, where guests stay in handmade boutique yurts (all with eco-friendly private bathrooms). The entire camp runs on solar power, including the pool and the electric sockets in the yurts for charging cellphones and laptops.

“We have quite a few honeymooners here,” said Henrietta Hunt, who owns the hotel with her husband, adding that she usually recommended the Afghani yurt to newlyweds. “It is the most romantic, with bent willow poles and a red ceiling,” she said, adding that they attempted to support the local community in every way they could, down to the bottle of local cava they leave in the rooms of each honeymoon couple.

Other options being explored by couples include destination weddings where the wedding party, family members and friends fly to a location (usually warm and tropical) and enjoy a short vacation prior to or after the wedding. Other couples opt to take a honeymoon locally and use the occasion as an educational experience, such as going to an organic farm to learn more about sustainable living.

And for the couples who do choose to travel to a further destination for their honeymoon and need to ease a guilty conscience, websites such as Carbon Footprint allow guests to purchase trees or aid wildlife to help couples offset the impact of their big day and the honeymoon.

» The New York Times