It went something like that when Whitney Davidson of Fairway got married this fall in Weston, Mo. She tucked several eco-friendly details into her wedding, a reflection of the way she and her new husband, Ian, plan to live.
They registered for handmade pottery from a Crossroads studio and organic bedding at It’s Only Natural, a Kansas City store that sells clothing and accessories made from eco-fabrics.
She hired Moxie Catering, a Kansas City company that grows its own organic produce and herbs. Guests dined by candlelight, thus cutting down on the energy used.
"It’s something we kept in the forefront of our minds," says Davidson, a health risk manager and a part-time Pilates teacher.
Davidson walked down the aisle on the cusp of a trend. The green movement has hit the more than $50 billion U.S. wedding industry.
This installment of FYI’s Greener Living series challenges couples to say "I do" to environmental responsibility as they craft their wedding plans.
Energy experts say that the carbon dioxide emissions from guest travel are the single biggest environmental impact of a wedding. Finding ways to mitigate all the effects does not have to be a scary proposition.
Take baby steps. Hire local vendors who use organic products. Set the reception table with recycled napkins. Carry bouquets of pesticide-free flowers.
In January 2007 Meghan Meyers founded the first eco-wedding online magazine, www.portovert.com. Now a sought-after expert on green events and products, Meyers promotes the premise that protecting the Earth doesn’t mean that a bride has to forsake the stylish wedding of her dreams.
"People think, ‘Oh, it’s handpicked dandelions with a hemp bow,’" says Meyers, who works from her home in northern Virginia. "They have this very stereotypical view. People still think a green wedding is a very 1970s, hippie wedding.
"The ‘green’ people tend to say, ‘You shouldn’t have a wedding at all.’ But it’s all about making smarter, better choices."
Davidson found that making those choices took extra time, effort and dollars, with a wedding that cost more than $20,000 after adding green elements.
"I do think it’s possible" to plan a green wedding, Davidson says. "If you look in the right places, if you have enough time to do it and if you go into it realizing that you’re going to pay just as much money, if not more.
"Green still costs, which is unfortunate for those of us who want to be more environmentally friendly. It’s really challenging to do that on a budget."
How challenging? Some experts suggest that going green can add as much as 20 percent to the cost of a traditional wedding, which these days has crossed the $20,000 mark. That’s why Meyers spotlights money-saving ideas on her Web site.
"My biggest thing is local, local, local," Meyers says. "Keeping food local, it will save you up to 40 percent, because you’re not paying shipping costs.
"Think about the flowers. I’m big into native flowers as opposed to shipping or importing something. If you absolutely have to have (a certain flower), you can grow it yourself."
Or, you can go silk like Angie Read of Overland Park, Kan., an "accidentally green" bride.
She didn’t plan her November wedding at Powell Gardens with saving the planet in mind. Turns out, though, that many of her choices have been downright eco-friendly.
Instead of real flowers, she planned on silk ones in the bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres and the decorations. She utilized the colors of fall, the same shades she used in her home, so she can decorate with them after the wedding.
"I can feel kind of good about that," says the Fleishman-Hillard vice president, whose beau is Steve Doyal, a Sprint engineer.
To save on printing costs _ and oh, by the way, it’s good for the planet _ she used Evite ( www.evite.com) for save-the-date information and bachelorette party invitations.
"Now, looking back, I wish I had printed the invitations on recycled paper," she says.
But she planned on printing the programs on recycled paper.
GOING GREEN
GOWNS AND TUXES
– Create a wedding Web site for details of the rehearsal dinner, showers and reception.
FLOWERS
– Buy flowers from local nurseries to avoid carbon emissions from shipping. Be willing to use in-season flowers.
– Hire a florist who uses flowers grown in a pesticide-free, insecticide-free organic environment.
– Use potted plants _ think architectural succulents, not lowly philodendrons _ as centerpieces that you or your guests can keep. Recycle the bridesmaids’ bouquets as centerpieces at the reception.
– Skip the flowers altogether. Use silk fans or paper umbrellas in place of bouquets, and try clusters of candles (make them soy) as centerpieces.
VENUES
– Choose a wedding and reception site that needs very little extra decoration, such as a garden or historic home.
– Have your wedding and reception in the same place to avoid wasting energy and polluting with transportation.
– Daytime, outdoor weddings save on electricity. Research locations such as state parks and nature preserves that support environmental causes.
– Look for LEED-certified space for an indoor wedding. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design means the space is sustainable and conserves water, energy and electricity using solar power and other state-of-the-art technology. Visit the U.S. Green Building Council’s Web site at www.usgbc.org.
TRANSPORTATION
– A wedding carbon footprint calculator can help you determine the amount of greenhouse gases and carbon emissions that will be generated by guests flying and driving into town. Go to www.nativeenergy.com.
– Instead of gifts, ask your guests to buy "carbon credits," which support U.S. carbon-reducing energy projects. One site designed for wedding planning is www.terrapass.com.
FOOD
– Look for a caterer who uses organic ingredients and foods that are in season. Ask your caterer to shop at local farmers markets. Find eco-friendly menu choices at
sustainabletable.com.
– Look for locally made and organic wines or beers. Make sure they are registered with the USDA’s National Organic Program ( www.ams.usda.gov).
– Donate the leftovers. If the food is fresh and untouched, many groups will deliver it to people in need. Check feedingamerica.org.
DECORATIONS
– Use small plants or trees as place card holders.
– Use natural products for place cards – write guests’ names on pressed leaves or smooth river rocks.
– Choose beeswax or soy-based candles over those made with petroleum.
– Request biodegradable utensils and plates made of bamboo, potatoes, cornstarch or sugarcane that can be composted after the reception.
GIFT REGISTRY
– Give guests the option of donating to your favorite charity. Groups that offer international aid, help animals or support nature-related projects are just a few examples. Visit www.justgive.org.
– Register for a service that delivers organic food products. Check out organic fruit clubs and organic wine-of-the-month clubs.
-Look for eco-friendly home and garden stores that have wedding registries, such as www.designpublic.com. (They even have eco-friendly pet beds.)
HONEYMOON
– Volunteer: Build Habitat for Humanity houses or help hurricane victims.
– Take an eco-friendly trip. Go camping or stay in a "green" resort. Visit www.itsagreen greenworld.com and www.greenpages.org.
– Be smart about that cruise you just have to take. Choose a destination that has environmentally progressive laws. The choice of www.Portovert.com: Alaska.
– Check with industry watchdogs before you book your vacation. One, www.cruisejunkie.com, documents things such as labor infractions and environmental offenses by various cruise lines.
GREENING YOUR
WEDDING
-www.greatgreen wedding.com: Environmental efforts for all aspects of your wedding
– www.zerofootprint.net: Offsetting your wedding’s carbon footprint
– www.newdream.org: Tips on becoming environmentally responsible
-www.Morehipthan hippie.com: Gift ideas for the green couple
– Eco-Chic Weddings: Simple Tips to Plan an Environmentally Friendly, Socially Responsible, Affordable and Stylish Celebration, by Emily Elizabeth Anderson
Sources: Greenlivingideas.com, www.weddingsolutions.com, www.brides.com
