Ideas for a Green Wedding protecting Mother Earth!

 

“It’s a Nice Day for a Green Wedding”

MARRY BY DAY

Exchange vows outdoors, in the morning or afternoon.  The sun replaces electric light, and if you choose a temperate time of year, you may also avoid the need for air-conditioning or heating.

       At an evening wedding, consider keeping artificial light to a minimum.  Instead, use softly glowing soy or beeswax candles, which, unlike those made of paraffin wax, come from renewable sources.

CUT DOWN ON PAPER

It’s still not easy to find a huge selection of nice invitations printed on recycled paper, especially formal ones.  But there are other ways to save trees, says Emily Anderson, author of “Eco-Chic Weddings”(Hatherleigh Press, 2007).

       When you register, make a note asking that gifts not be wrapped.  Cut down on the unwanted catalogs and credit card solicitations by asking the stores you register with not to share your address.

PAY IT BACK

Before her wedding, Denver bride Kim McLawhorn compensated for her guests’ expected fuel consumption by using Mapquest to determine about how many miles each person would be traveling.  Then she bought carbon offsets from NativeEnergy, a Vermont company that uses these proceeds to fund cleaner, renewable-energy projects, such as wind farms.

GO LOCAL

        Food and flowers grown nearby require less transportation- and thus fuel- and as a bonus are generally fresher.  Ask your florist for locally grown organic flowers. Use local vendors for other wedding services such as videography and music. 

GIVE EARTH_FRIENDLY FAVORS

        Skip the throwaway tchotchkes in lieu of a donation in guests’ names to an organization such as the World Wildlife Fund.  Or, if you’d like your guests to go home with a small keepsake, try tiny potted herbs, tree seedlings in biodegradable containers or edible gifts such as fair trade coffee or organic chocolate.

RECYCLE

        Yes, you should ask your caterer to separate bottles and cans at the reception and to ferry the leftover food to a shelter.  But there are so many other unexpected- and beautiful- ways to reuse items, says Anderson.  You can wear your mother’s gown or a vintage dress, and you can repurpose your flowers.

       Add some foliage to your ceremony arrangements for the reception, and consider donating your blooms.  For example, an organizational in New York City and Los Angeles called FlowerPowerFoundation.org will pick up your arrangements for a small contribution and deliver them to the sick and elderly. 

       Besides the feel-good bonus of regifting beautiful flowers and benefiting the environment, you may get a tax write-off.  Check for similar charities in your area or call a nursing home for suggestions on how to donate.

TRANSPORTATION

Some limousine companies offer hybrid models.  Ask those in your area.

REGISTRY

Ask for eco-friendly gifts.

CARBON OFFSETS

Calculate carbon usages for your wedding and honeymoon, and purchase offsets at www.nativeenergy.com/portovert.

Lipton, Lauren.

“It’s a nice day for a green wedding.”

Copyright 2008

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia

The Seattle Times on the web 31 May 2008.