Planning your special day can be stressful, especially if you are aiming for something a little different to the norm. One very helpful resource for eco-conscious couples is The Green Bride Guide, offering essential advice and tips for creating an elegant, earth-friendly wedding.
The Green Bride Guide – Create an Earth-Friendly Wedding
Author of The Green Bride Guide, Kate Harrison, is both a green wedding veteran and keen environmentalist who graduated from the Yale School of Forestry with a J.D. in Environmental Law. Regardless of your budget and personal taste, you can find useful tips from Harrison, who provides a wide range of options for everything required to make the big day green and gorgeous. Divided into 14 chapters, key areas covered include as follows:
- Engagements – rings, announcements, parties, planning timeline, hiring a planner
- Location – US and destination weddings
- Eco-chic bridal wear – gowns, shoes, veils, jewelry, hair, makeup
- Flowers – for the ceremony/reception, non-flower alternatives
- Green transport
- Decor for ceremony/reception
- Green food and drink – cake, catering tips
- Thank-you gifts – vintage, edibles
- Eco-fabulous honeymoon – tips for minimal-impact travel
Eco-Friendly Save-the-Dates, Invitations and Wedding Websites
A particularly useful section, Chapter Five, offers couples a comprehensive guide to creating cost-efficient, sustainable and truly memorable methods of pre-wedding correspondence with guests. In addition to an extremely practical timeline of when to get the essentials done, a whole variety of alternatives to the traditional save-the-date cares and invitations are explored. As identified by Harrison, here are some examples of helpful eco-friendly ways to communicate important information about your forthcoming nuptials:
- Phone/text/email news
- Announce engagement on your blog
- Set date ASAP and if it's a short engagement, there's no need for save-the-dates
- Virtual cards – e-card invites with built-in RSVP
- Skip invitations completely for small, intimate wedding – organise by phone instead
- Create a wedding website/blog to keep bridesmaids, family and friends up to date
- Go digital – create a save-the-date video
- Use 100% PCW paper/ buy recycled paper
- Buy soy ink cartridges to print unique invites
Gift Ideas for Enviro-Conscious Couples
Setting up a wedding list makes a great deal of sense, as this prevents the bride and groom from receiving five toasters, three kettles and four jugs. It means that you get to decide where you wish to have your gifts purchased from, which is likely to be particularly helpful for enviro-conscious couples. In addition, green presents for the bridal party and thank-you gifts are also important, with Harrison recommending the following:
- Recycled materials – made from glass, metal, paper
- Vintage/antique items – flasks/pocket watches
- Sustainable jewelry – perfect for bridesmaids
- Personalise organic cotton/hemp clothing
As highlighted above, planning an elegant, eco-friendly wedding is considerably less challenging with the help of The Green Bride. This comprehensive, highly practical resource provides everything eco-conscious couples need to make their special day more sustainable.
Book Reviewed:
Harrison, K. (2008) The Green Bride Guide. Illinois: Sourcebooks Casablanca. ISBN-13: 978-1-4022-1345-8.
Kate Le Page - Kate Henning-Le Page writes about eating disorders, body image and recovery issues. She specializes in anorexia recovery.
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