Organic Green Weddings

All the cool couples are doing it…..Organic Weddings!

Are you getting married but don’t want to spend an outrageous amount of money on a venue, dress, and flowers? Not only, is a wedding hard on the wallet but it’s hard on the environment as well.

In a one billion dollar a year wedding industry, where approximately 2.4 million couples get married every year there is a budding desire for environmental awareness in both planning and executing a wedding celebration. People are becoming increasingly more eco-friendly not only because the environment is in desperate need of repair, but since organic goods are healthier and often cheaper in the long run.

When planning an organic wedding there are numerous ways to keep the wedding environmentally friendly. You can opt to have your wedding entirely green or just integrate organic aspects.

A few areas of planning that have green alternatives:

Wedding attire - Every bride wants a unique wedding dress or flowing fairytale gown for their special day. Nonetheless, budget tends to play a large role when choosing what to wear. With the intent of being eco-friendly and money conscious, countless brides-to-be are turning to local designers for their dresses. Usually, small local designers will individually work with the bride and can offer an affordable price. Since the dress is custom made, the fabric can be all natural if desired. Silk is one of the more popular choices. Others have decided to rent for the occasion, just using it for the day of celebration and returning it for others to use.

The ring - A diamond wedding ring is both traditional and beautiful; however, the growing awareness of gold and diamond mining has made couples turn to less conventional rings. For instance, rings in Canada can be traced to the source and are labeled as “conflict free”.

Natural beauty products - One of the easiest ways to integrate organic products into a wedding is through beauty products. Many companies now offer complete lines of make up and other skin care products that are 100% natural. These make great guest favors or attendant gifts.

Invitations – Before the dress, flowers and the food, the invitations must be sent out. Emailing your invitations is clearly the most eco-friendly and cost efficient. However, most couples prefer more formal wedding stationery for this type of celebration. The invitations, save-the-date cards, ceremony programs and even reception menus can be printed on recycled or tree-free paper.

Earth friendly locations - Choosing the location for a wedding is one of the most difficult decisions for the couple. When looking for venues here are a few things to keep in mind. There are several types of venues that respect the earth and the surrounding community. For instance, historic buildings, museums or parks can be wonderful places to have the celebration. Many times these locations are owned and maintained by non-profit organizations.

Organic food and beverages – When searching for a caterer, attempt to look for ones who incorporate organic ingredients or at least offer organic options. More importantly, ask if they can include the locally grown produce, or dairy products. Moreover, if you decide you don’t want to keep the leftover food for yourself, a charitable alternative is to donate it to a local homeless shelter or food bank.

Flowers – Flowers are such an important part of the wedding, and there are many ways to bring the organic theme into the decorating. Flowers, fruits and even vegetables are being displayed at weddings these days. There are numerous easy ways to have a wedding flourished with fresh pesticide-free flowers. First off, many flowers, such as lavender, herbs and berries, don’t need pesticides to grow, and are therefore a good place to start. Otherwise, local growers are also a great source for plant materials. Consider using potted flowers and plants that can be taken home by guests later instead of cut flowers that will only be thrown away.

Activities - We can arrange party games, gifts and more that play up your Green theme. Would you like to indulge in spa services with organic products? You'll feel better than ever with ingredients that are all natural. These days everyone is going Green and promoting the steps we need to take in order to preserve our earth.

Transportation – Transportation is both expensive and detrimental to the environment. Instead of having all of your guests arrive in different cars, you could ask them to carpool or have us arrange a limo, shuttle bus, or eye catching trolley. Consider having all the wedding guests arrive at a specific location and then a shuttle picks them up to take them to the wedding destination.

Honeymoons – The last part of a nuptials celebration, and possibly the best part for the couple (hee hee), is the honeymoon. There is no need to end the “green” theme once the ceremony is over. Many couples are opting for honeymoons that are eco-friendly as well. For example, you can stay in green hotels that are concerned with water preservation and recycling or even plan an activity based trip where you’re giving back to the earth.

For more information on how we can help you make the most of your green celebrations, please contact us at (323) 939-2293.