Planning Your Eco-friendly Wedding
So how can couples implement the organic into their big day? You could begin with the decision to serve organic food at your reception, use organically grown flowers, and encourage guests to consider donations to charity rather than purchasing material wedding gifts. All these things impact environment in a positive way, and can also introduce guests to some ecologically responsible ideas.
Ric Orlando, proprietor of New World Home Cooking Co. in Saugerties, says many couples come to his company requesting an organic menu. “We feel that our commitment to sustainable and organic ingredients is our niche in this market for sure,” he said, adding that the demand for ecologically responsible and healthy food is a growing trend in the catering field.
“We get many couples who opt for vegetarian and vegan options as well as sustainable choices. Our Alaskan salmon and grass fed beef is a big plus in selling contemporary, college educated New York metro couples,” he explained, with the King Salmon prepared Thai BBQ as their biggest seller. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it? But before we actually make it to the reception, we have to let our guests know about the big event and all those parties leading up to it.
Engagement announcements, shower, and wedding invitations, programs, place cards, and thank you notesâÂ?¦that’s a lot of paper! Why not consider using tree-free or recycled paper? Check out www.renaissancewritings.com and www.twistedlimbpaper.com to order invitations, or purchase the paper and design and print your own on your home computer.
Aside from the bride and groom, the bridal gown is the star of the day, so this may be the one area in which you may not want to compromise. However, if you’re really going for an all organic wedding, you could have your gown made by a local seamstress using all natural fabrics such as silk and hemp. Fabric made from hemp is used to make organic clothing and linens because the plant is naturally pest-resistant and requires no pesticides. You could also wear your mother’s, or favorite aunt’s wedding gown. You’ll be honoring the memory of their day, as well as recycling.
And what about those bands of gold? Some couples are purchasing recycled gold wedding rings for their wedding bands. “According to the U.S EPA, gold mining in the USA produces more mercury pollution than any other activity,” explains Vermont Recycler Good Point Recycling. “If you combine trash incineration, hazardous waste collection, and for that matter, even mercury mining, you will not account for half of the mercury emitted by gold mining and smelting.”
If you’re really looking to go 100 percent organic, you’ll want your guests to think ecologically as well. Give them favors that send that message, like evergreen seedlings or flower seed packets. You can check out www.arborday.org for these kinds of favors.
Register online at an organic gift registry. Friends and family can purchase organic towels, sheets and bedding, throws, shower curtains, salad servers and oven mitts. Or encourage your guests to donate to environmental causes in lieu of a traditional wedding gift.
Yes, it is possible to turn an event that could be filled with over-the-top excessiveness into a day that celebrates not only the joining together of you and your fiance, but nature itself. If you want your union to be one with the universe, an eco-friendly wedding is a great way to begin your life together.
