culture_society

Environment & Energy Carleen McGillick Carleen McGillick carleen.mcgillick@asu.edu Carleen McGillick

Elaborate weddings use large amounts of resources and produce extensive waste for a single day of festivities. Modern couples choose various methods of decreasing their wedding's waste and resource use in planning their weddings, to various extents and degrees. Couples make simple choice and take simple steps to shape an eco-friendly wedding, with regards to wedding invitations, attire, gifts and favors, food, decorations, venues, and much more. The possibilities are limitless, experts say as they weigh in for this informational article of particular relevance and importance in today's increasingly green-savvy society.

TEMPE, AZ – Eco-conscious couples are seeking something old, something new, something borrowed and something green. Blending tradition and environmentalism, many modern engaged couples are actively choosing to decrease their wedding’s environmental impact. "An environmentally-friendly wedding is one in which the bride and groom take a socially conscious approach to planning their event," said Anja Winikka, editor of wedding planning site TheKnot.com. This can mean "going 100 percent green or simply choosing to infuse some eco-friendly elements." "It is not all or nothing," said Wenona Napolitano, author of The Everything Green Wedding Book. "It is as much or as little as the couple can do. The main thing is that they are planning with the environment in mind." Ordinary weddings use a lot of resources, Napolitano said. Planning an eco-friendly wedding "is all about choices" to cut back resource use and waste. "It is up to the couple and what is available in their area, budget and time frame," Napolitano added. Lynn Colwell, co-author of Celebrate Green, said every aspect of a wedding can be green. "But any steps taken in this direction are positive." To start, wedding invitations can be printed on recycled paper with soy ink, Winikka said. Invitations also shouldn’t be adorned with ribbon or plastic ornaments rendering them unrecyclable. At non-green weddings, wedding gowns and wedding party attire are specially created but worn only once. A sustainable alternative would be to "rent, borrow or purchase vintage" previously worn attire, Colwell said. Eco-friendly apparel can also be purchased new from "an environmentally friendly designer." Green choices for rings include vintage or heirloom rings or recycled gold, Napolitano said. Couples should also be sure to avoid notorious so-called blood diamonds, opting instead for "conflict-free diamonds." Eco-friendly menus can feature food, wine, wedding cake and cocktails made from organic or locally grown ingredients, Winikka said. Leftovers may also be donated to a local food bank instead of thrown away. Wedding gifts can also consist of donations to the couple’s favorite charities instead of "things" the couple doesn’t even need, Colwell said. Homemade decorations, favors and accessories add an eco-friendly twist to weddings, Napolitano said. Couples should "think organic and sustainable." "Locally grown flowers" or natural decorations and centerpieces can replace imported flowers and synthetic décor, Winikka said. Choosing solely digital photographers also diminishes the environmental toll of printing, paper and ink, said Napolitano. Couples can also make green venue choices. Holding a wedding outdoors or during the day can save electricity, Colwell said. Local wedding venues like Mission Palms Hotel in Tempe committed to "reducing our impact on the Earth’s natural resources" are particularly attractive to eco-conscious couples, said Christopher Kenney, regional director of sales and marketing for the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel. To Mission Palms, "embracing green practices is very much the right thing to be doing," he said. "We see a number of event planners who request to only do business at hotels and resorts that are green and working towards being green." This translates not only into benefits to the environment but also business for eco-friendly venues, Kenney added. Couples choosing environmentally friendly wedding options "can know that they did their part, whether small or large, to change things and help save the planet," Napolitano added. By going green, couples can also save a little green – money, that is, according to Napolitano. Most green weddings, she said, tend to be cheaper than an average wedding because they are simpler and make use of homemade, vintage or reused items. On their wedding day, couples will know they are "making the least amount of impact on the planet," Colwell said. With environmentally friendly weddings, "couples can make a bold green statement about their love for each other and the planet," Napolitano said. "What a great way to start a new life together." 2009-04-29 14:40:05 UTC 2010-02-09 07:31:32 UTC