Hello Beauties

This past weekend was Earth Day and it got me thinking about the awesome resources now available for couples planning an environmentally friendly event.

Planning an eco-chic event is easier than ever thanks to great sites like Eco and Elise, where they showcase real weddings that may have used local farmers for the catering or re-used baby food jars for the favors.  Another site I love is Greenish Weddings.  Their philosophy is “every little bit helps”, which makes going green attainable for everyone.  Also, Green Bride Guide is an awesome because it tells you why you should go green and how to make it happen for every aspect of the event, from jewelery and invitations to decor and food.

Go Green on your Wedding Day

Green Bride Guide outlines three reasons why a bride should make the effort to make her wedding environmentally friendly.

1. The environmental benefits: Each one of the 2.5 million weddings this year in the United States will produce an average of 62 tons of carbon dioxide and 400-600 lbs of garbage. That’s a lot of waste! Consider all of the stuff that goes into conventional weddings: single-use bleached white dresses, chemically treated imported flowers, toxic makeup and skin care products, mined gem-based jewelry, and individual packets of rice, to name a few. It adds up quickly! Picture this: if every wedding this year used a disposable aisle runner and they were laid end to end, they would circle the globe twice. Similarly, the amount of paper used for invitations could cover the entire island of Manhattan. If every engaged couple made just one small green choice, that would be 2.5 million greener choices a year, and that is an amazing impact.
2. The social benefits: The average wedding costs almost $40,000 and weddings are a $60+ billion industry. Having a green wedding is an opportunity to make a difference by supporting companies that actively incorporate social and environmental responsibility into the way they do business. When you start talking to vendors about green choices, and explain your choices to your guests, you support the green economy and change the way people in your community think. You can showcase how easy it is to be eco-chic and share your favorite eco-friendly products with your guests.
3. The social benefits: The average wedding costs almost $40,000 and weddings are a $60+ billion industry. Having a green wedding is an opportunity to make a difference by supporting companies that actively incorporate social and environmental responsibility into the way they do business. When you start talking to vendors about green choices, and explain your choices to your guests, you support the green economy and change the way people in your community think. You can showcase how easy it is to be eco-chic and share your favorite eco-friendly products with your guests.

Easy Ways to Create an Eco Chic Wedding

• Save glass bottles to use as centerpieces.  Spray the bottles with metallic paint or wrap in yarn to create a one-of-a-kind display.
• Recycled and post-consumer waste paper, tree-free paper, soy inks, and digital correspondence options all offer beautiful and elegant ways to reduce resource consumption.
  
• Reuse vintage clothing for the bridal gown and bridesmaids dresses.
• Use in-season, organic and local grown caterers for the food service.
• Tossing birdseed at the happy couple after the ceremony will provide nourishment to local birds.
• Provide a canvas tote bag to all of the guests as a thank-you gift.  They will be able to use the bag grocery shopping for years to come. 

What are some ways you are Going Green on your wedding day?  

I would love to hear your ideas!