by guest blogger, Jennifer Dube of Wed Perfect
So many brides have dreamt of their perfect wedding day for a long time. In my case, my wedding was planned and set by the time I was in middle school. Granted, at the time my groom was to be Leonardo DiCaprio, so a few of the details did change over the following years – but I digress…
Audrey Snow Photography
Whether you wanted to be a princess bride in a white fluffy ballgown and grand ballroom, a stylish-fashion forward bride in a fit-and-flare daring gown and a contemporary venue overlooking the city; a traditional bride in a modest ballgown with a sweetheart neckline and an old Manor House overlooking the water, or any other type of unique and incredible bridal styles, you knew exactly how it was going to look and flow.
Then, as we’ve all grown up in this generation of brides, so much information has been presented to us about our enovironment and the terrible shape it is in. We’ve become more sensitive to this, and we try to incorporate various things into our lives to become more “green”. We use cloth, reusable bags when we shop, we’ve traded in traditional light bulbs for energy efficient compact flourescents, and we shop at our local farmers market-ALL GREAT THINGS!!
Then, the moment you’ve been waiting for happens – the love of your life gets down on one knee and asks you to be his wife! You finally get to plan that wedding of your dreams!!
So-how does this all tie in together? The environment, and your wedding…
Audrey Snow Photography
There are SO many great things you can do to make your wedding more Eco, all the while maintaining your vision and not compromising on what you want for your day. Weddings are a multi-billion dollar industry nowadays, and the average wedding is about $29,000…just think of all the good we could do if each bride started incorporating Eco-Friendly items into her wedding!! This is where I come in: my company specializes in Eco-Chic, green weddings, and I guide you the entire way so you can make earth friendly choices, have your perfect day, and not stress along the way!!
In this blog, I am going to introduce my 5 favorite ways to “green” your wedding, as a little way to get you started!!
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Eco Choice #5: Meaningful Favors
How many weddings have you been to where you are given something like a candle, pen or coaster with the bride and grooms names and wedding date on them? Cute, simple, predictable- and usually a waste. Most of the time they don’t fit into your home decor, and really – who wants something with someone else’s name on it?
Skip the boring and predictable favors, as they are a big waste of money, and are horrible for the environment – they take a lot of energy to produce and ship, only to be thrown away or lost in the end.
Consider something edible that you make yourself – EVERYONE loves that extra something to nibble on at the wedding, and it doesn’t go to waste! Have a cookie or venetian table using old family recipes of your favorite baked goodies!
Not your style? Ditch the favors altogether and donate to your favorite charity. Have a lovely homemade sign by your escort display explaining this to your guests. They will be happy they don’t have to haul anything home, and most everyone appreciates that gesture.
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Eco Choice #4: Dress Accordingly
You do not, I repeat, do not need to have matchy matchy bridesmaids and groomsmen in traditional, never-to-be-worn-again bridesmaids dresses from some huge retailer anymore. My favorite trend in bridal party attire? Eclectic diversity. Let your bridesmaids wear an amazing dress they already own, and let the groomsmen wear suites they already own. You can bring unity amongst the bridal party with the florals (matching bouquets and boutennieres), or ask that they stick within a certain color scheme. Either way, you are going to have an eye catching pop to your wedding, a unique look, and a very happy bridal party that looks and feels great!!
(un) Veiled Vows
For your dress, you can still have an incredible, gown that fufills your fantasties, but look into gently used gowns (there are a TON of websites and locations where brides and boutiques sell the one time used gowns at INCREDIBLE prices), or have it custom made from a great, Eco designer who uses organic cottons, silks and other fabrics for your perfect dress.
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Eco Choice #3: Flower Power
Florals can make or break the look of your wedding. I am ALL ABOUT amazing flowers at just about any wedding. They add that bit of traditionalism, but can be taken to any extreme, from of the earth hippy child, to cutting edge bold contemporary.
Denise Bovee Photography
There are however, many earth tarnishing practices with a lot of floral companies, and the process of getting the flowers to you in general. Be sure to choose your florist wisely – use one who only gets flowers from companies that practice fair trade and that don’t exploit the workers. Also, be sure to choose flowers that are in season – that will make it easier to get the product, you can be sure they are not checmically damaged and falsely created, and your cost will be lower since they are easier for your florist to obtain!
Cher Hanna Photography
Also, don’t trash those flowers at the end of the night! Have your wedding planner transport the leftover centerpieces to nursing homes, hospice facilities or cancer wards to help brighten someone else’s day!
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Eco Choice #2: Feed Your Soul
The food at your wedding is SO crucial to the wedding’s overall success. Keep your guests happily nourished, and you will have a happy, fun-filled time! The food is also where the majority of the waste comes in – between importing the food, the process in which some caterers cook and transport, and trashing the leftovers!
Have your wedding planner help you choose a caterer who will work with local farmers markets and producers to provide amazing organic selections for your guests. A great chef can create an off the charts gourmet meal with the freshest of local, organic ingredients! Everything will look and taste better, your guests will be amazed at the quality, and all the while you are supporting your local food producers and reducing the harsh chemicals that are in most non-organic food. At the end of the night, have your wedding planner work with the caterer to ensure all leftover food is collected, composted, and donated to a local garden or nursery!
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Eco Choice #1: Location, Location, Location!!
Where you host your wedding is so critical for the overall look and feel you want. Traditional ballroom, mansion, restaraunt, outdoor tent, under the stars, beach, garden….SO many options!!
Denise Bovee Photography
No matter what you are looking for, be sure to pick a location that understands your desire to add green aspects to your wedding, and that will allow you to implement little changes to “the usual” wedding they might be used to.
Think about places like the Edison & Ford Winter Estates, that have incredible, historic locations for a breathtaking wedding both indoors and out, that will allow you to use a caterer that brings in organic, local foods. They allow wedding planners who want to maintain the integrity of the space, and use as much natural landscaping as possible to be the backdrop of your nuptials. They even offer a ‘Tree Planting Ceremony‘ that couples can add to their wedding itinerary, where you get to select and plant a tree on this historic property that will forever grow in testament to your love! How amazing is that, and how adorable would that be for, say, engagment pictures? (not to mention all of the ridiculous banyan trees, waterfront views, and intricate old style Florida homes on the property for pictures and wedding locations!)
Choose a location where you can host both your ceremony and reception on the same property, which cuts down on emissions and energy from transporting guests around from one spot to another. In addition, be sure your venue has a recycling program and, if not, ask if they will allow your Eco-planner to build you a recycling station and transport it to the proper locations after.
I truly hope this little guide is helpful in guiding you on your way to the eco-friendly wedding of your dreams!
For more assistance, do not hesitate to call me at Wed Perfect, where I can guide you on your path to an intimate, and deeply personalized Perfect Wedding!
About the Author:
Guest blogger, Jennifer Dube, is the owner and full service planner for Wed Perfect, a complete wedding and event planning company based here in Southwest Florida which specializes in Eco-Chic, and deeply personalized weddings. She has been planning weddings and events for over 8 years in this area and serves on the board of the wedding charity Wish Upon a Wedding.
Her full bio, portfolilo and packages can be viewed on her website: www.wedperfect.net.
