"Green" Weddings are a Rising Trend
Save the Planet and Money When Planning Your Nuptials
Jan 24, 2009
Watch out Bride-zilla, make way for Eco-Bride. She vows to save the Earth and not to be the center of it. This new Eco-bride and her groom keep it close to nature by holding their wedding outdoors, using local organic food products, buying only bio-degradable and recyclable products and encouraging their guests to do the same with green gift ideas. Every little bit helps reduce waste and carbon emissions. Where does one start when planning a "Green" wedding?
Green Food and Land
Forget the big fancy hall and extravagant menu. Parks and gardens with picnic style food items are common choices. On the rise, couples are choosing to rent a farm to accommodate their guests for a day of festivities. Michelle Premura, of Turquoise Barn near the Catskills, NY, rents her farm and barn for weddings. She has seen a 250% increase in green weddings from 2007 to 2008 over the traditional and expects 2009 to be even bigger.
“It’s Great, says Michelle, “Couples wanting a totally eco-friendly wedding will rent the land and barn. Then they get organic food and flowers from area farmers. Organic wine is available locally too. Getting food from local farmers and vendors is more cost-efficient than what they would pay for a standard hall." Turquoise Barn has had weddings for couples who live as far as a 200 miles away.
Travel Causes Carbon Emissions, Right?
Currently, there are limited choices of farm rentals for wedding sites, but this is expected to increase. Guests may have to travel extensive miles, thus releasing carbon dioxide. NY Times writer, Mireya Navarro tells of one bride, who calculated the guests' mileage and “offset the carbon dioxide emissions by donating to programs that plant trees or preserve rain forests.”
Eco-Friendly Invites
Many brides have opted to send invites via email. Desktop publishing programs has given couples the capability to create attractive invitations without the cost of printing or postage. For the guests without email or internet access, invites on recycled paper with the highest percentage post consumer waste are the best alternative. Print should be done with a vegetable or soy ink to make your invites environmentally friendly and recyclable.
Plant A Tree For a Favor
Guests appreciate a wedding favor to remember your special day. Couples vowing to "save the planet" can choose green favors over the traditional mint-filled plastic champagne glasses with netting wrapped over the top. Environmentally friendly favors include small trees, plant, bulbs or seeds and are priced as low as $2 a piece. Guests plant the tree or bulb in their own yard and have a lasting tribute to your nuptials.
Another common option is for the couple to make donations in the guests‘ names. The I-Do Foundation allows couples to choose their favorite charity or two and make pledges on behalf of each guest.
Gifts Turn Into Donations
Many environmentally-conscious couples get married after college and established careers. Thus, they find themselves with two sets of everything and not in need of additional household items. To keep the green theme, they ask guests to make donations to an environmental fund in lieu of the traditional wedding gifts. Couples can set up a charity registry online. It is easier for the guest to make a donation via the web, rather than going to hunt for the perfect gift that they may never find.
Do Not Clog a Landfill
Plastic and Styrofoam are no friend of the environment. Fortunately, the options for environmentally items are endless. Plates, utensils and bags made from sugar cane (Bagasse) and corn maize are the ordinary selections. After the wedding, all these items can go safely into compost and kept out of a landfill. (Keep in mind that plates labeled as eco-friendly are not necessarily made of compost-able material.)
Start Planning: Be Creative and Bold
There is a barrage of choices to keep your wedding day environmentally friendly. Before making final choices for your nuptials, ask yourself some questions: Are the items recyclable? Will there be any waste? What are environmentally friendly alternatives? Keep the planet in mind to keep your wedding day a total green experience. Your family and friends will have a fond memory, while you saved the planet and saved some green too.
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