The Green Parent

I recently received an email from a Green Parent who is planning her daughter’s June wedding and looking for strategies to make the event green without crossing the border into granola. And while I’ve written a fair amount about throwing a great green party, I’m not a wedding planner. My own wedding was too long ago to be relevant and my daughter’s weddings are (hopefully) too far away for me to wrap my brain around the topic. So I decided to turn this query over the to an expert, Melissa Wagner, Certified Wedding Planner and Eco-Wedding Diva. Here’s Melissa’s advice for greening your wedding day.

Green Weddings: Save The Date, Save The Planet
by Melissa Wagner

As a wedding goddess, a recent theme I’ve run into is brides who want to incorporate green ideas into their weddings but have no idea how to do so without turning their special day into a mini-Woodstock – e.g. wedding dress made out of recycled grocery bags, granola cake with mung bean frosting, and a drum circle for reception music. Now don’t get me wrong, if this is your idea of the perfect wedding, then great. I’ve got the name of a great vegan caterer for you femme de terre. But for those of you who might not want to go that extremely green, here are some ideas on how to make your wedding and reception environmentally conscious but in a way that makes sense for you.

Green garments
A great way to recycle while still looking fab is to buy vintage jewelry, shoes & clothing for you & for your wedding party. You can find amazing attire in many places like antique stores, costume shops, ebay, your grandmother’s closet, or local consignment shops. A bonus to this option is your “something old” is already taken care of.

Another way to green up your wedding clothes is hemp wedding garments. What can I say about hemp? It’s not just for rope sandals anymore. Today’s hemp clothing is soft, durable and absolutely beautiful as you can see from this Conscious Clothing website. Erich (my main squeeze) seems to think the only reason I’m a fan is that they have a “goddess” wedding dress. That is not the reason . . . well, that’s not the only reason. I also think Chrystal’s designs are amazing. She sews pure poetry.

Sustainable Decor
One green trick I like throwing into most weddings is using live trees as decor. Throw some lights on those little oxygen makers and you have some magical scenery. Once they’ve decorated your reception, you can plant them on your own property or (if you live in a metro area) you can donate them to the parks and recreation department of your city for them to plant in a local park. Either way, you’re helping the environment & you’ve got a living testament to your love.
Using locally grown flowers is another great, easy way to help the planet.Locally grown flowers are cheaper, fresher and not only are you supporting local greenhouses but you are also reducing fuel reliance. Check with your florist to see what local suppliers they use or find your own flowers at Local Harvest.

Another idea of how to “green” your venue is to find a location which is already filled with ambiance such as a local museum, aquarium or arboretum. Not only do these places reduce or eliminate the amount of extras you have to use to make the event look fabulous, but part of the rental fee is earmarked for continuing improvements to the locations themselves & the charities they support. You’ll be enriching your local community.

Sustainable Catering
Supporting your local winery, farmer & rancher is a no brainer. Being the giver I am, I’d support my local winery every day if I could! Using local sustainable ingredients helps the environment, keeps the small farmers working, & enhances your wedding day by giving your guests tasty fare. Make sure to ask your caterer if they use locally grown produce, meat, & wines. Here again, check out Local Harvest’s website.

Charitable Registries
If you and your babycakes have been on your own for a while, chances are you’ve got your household set up pretty much the way you want. You don’t need 3 more toasters and a chafing dish. A traditional registry is probably not the answer for you. Registering at the I Do Foundation will solve your problem. You can register for a combination of unique gifts including charitable donations in your name to various charities, Home Depot for the Bob Vila-ette , money towards activities on your honeymoon, and REI for you outdoorsy chicas. A really great thing about this site is even if you decide to register at a store like Mikasa or Tiffany & Co.; those stores will donate a certain percentage of the proceeds from your registry towards your chosen charity.

I’ve saved the best for last. Heifer International is my favorite charity. They live by the adage “give a man a fish, he eats for a day; teach him to fish, he eats for a lifetime”. You and your fiancé can register for livestock, honey bees or poultry. When someone buys you that item, Heifer International sends those animals to various parts of the world. They also teach the local men, women & children how to use the animals to make their life better. When the donated animals have offspring, the owners pass those on to others in their village. It’s sustainable & it’s global. What more could you ask for?

Hopefully this article has given you some good ideas for greening up your wedding. Whether you use one or all of the suggestions listed above, I’m sure Gaia (Goddess Earth) will appreciate your efforts to save her forest, people and atmosphere – even if there isn’t a drum circle in sight.
Wishing you love, laughter & happily ever after . . . . .
Melissa

Melissa Wagner is a DFW based Certified Wedding Planner with Emerald Events & Weddings, who has coordinated numerous eco-chic weddings in Colorado & Texas. Her website is www.emeraldeventsintl.com She believes everyone deserves a fantastic party at least once in their life, regardless of race, shape, political views, hair color, or coffee preference.

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