Don't let your holiday celebration leave an ecological footprint on the earth.

A "green" party starts with electronic invitations, says Trey Granger, public relations manager for www.Earth911.com, an online recycling guide.

If the idea of the e-vite doesn't appeal to you, create a custom-designed invitation (as you would if you were mailing it), save it as a PDF, and e-mail it, suggests Danielle Venokur, president of dvGreen, a sustainable events design company in New York.

Buy in bulk to cut down on packaging, suggests Granger.

And buy as many local products as possible.

Here are a few ideas our experts suggest: