Guide to a Growing Trend: The "Green" or Ecological Wedding

Does it seem like the phrases "ecology" and "wedding" could hardly have less in common?

You'd think so, with today's average wedding costing well over 20 thousand dollars. And yet, the "green" or ecologically-friendly wedding is gaining ground.

All that good stuff -- less environmental impact and a smaller "footprint" -- doesn't have to make for an austere wedding, though. The green wedding can be hauntingly romantic, with its typical garden setting, its focus on living plants, and its more casual gown (often made of hemp) that can bring to mind fairies from ages past.

And the ecologically-minded bride herself forms a contrast with more conventional weddings. Even on her big day, her fresh face couldn't be farther from the heavily made-up cover girls of bridal magazines.

Put all this together and you can see the green wedding has three main goals:

• Do no harm
  
• Patronize earth-friendly vendors
  
• Reuse and recycle.

Do No Harm

The green bride tries to avoid products or activities that compromise the environment. For this reason, she won't usually release butterflies (vendors aren't always careful to ship butterflies only to appropriate, native environments) or use other living animals at her ceremony, such as centerpieces with live fish. Similarly, she steers clear of beeswax candles, styrofoam or soft plastics at the reception, and substitutes re-useable glass and porcelain. (Brides are often surprised to discover the caterer may not charge much more for this service.)

Many green bridal couples are vegetarian or vegan. In metropolitan or college-town communities, this provides a great excuse to serve dazzling ethnic foods at a reasonable cost.

Hemp enjoys the respect of many environmentalists. Unlike cotton, it can be grown without pesticides and returns most of its nutrients to the soil. When the green bride buys a new gown for her ceremony, she'll often look to fabrics made of hemp. Surprisingly versatile, hemp can go upmarket ("hemp satin") or relaxed (cottony separates that can be worn after the wedding).

Patronize Earth-Friendly Vendors

Flower petals in paper cones are environmentally friendlier than bubble solution in plastic containers, and require minimal clean-up. There's a trick, though -- finding petal suppliers that don't use pesticides. Today, these growers are easier to locate in the U.K. than the U.S.

Green brides might also distribute favors that go easy on the earth or even "give back," such as sachets made of pesticide-free herbs, live flowers, tree seedlings, or small packets of organic tea. In fact, you'll find some green brides registering at charitable organizations instead of department stores, and contributing to environmentally-active organizations instead of handing out favors.

Reuse, Recycle

Even the most traditional wedding brings opportunities for reuse and recycling. Leftovers from the reception can be dropped off at food banks; flowers at hospitals or rest homes. The green bride might take this a step further and choose recycled paper for invitations and Save-the-Date cards. She might also re-use a wedding gown (her mother's ideally, or failing that, one from a thrift or vintage store). Otherwise, she might opt for a new gown that isn't too formal so she can wear it after the ceremony. Separates are perfect -- a lovely lace top looks great with her favorite pair of jeans!

There's just one caveat -- much like things at the grocery store, eco-friendly doesn't often mean cheaper. Ecology brides are sometimes surprised to discover their weddings cost 15K, 20K and up, just like those of their more traditional sisters. When it comes to going green, food costs in particular can sting.

Still, when she looks back on a wedding that opted for a little more nature, a little less stuffiness, and far less conspicuous consumption, the green bride might find it was all time well spent -- and maybe she'll someday discover that a guest or two was inspired to follow in her footsteps.

About The Author

Blake Kritzberg is the proprietor of: http://www.favorideas.com. Visit the site for easy, elegant, unusual, and affordable wedding favor ideas, wedding favor FAQ, and free wedding screensaver.

Learn more about "green weddings" now at:
http://www.favorideas.com