RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Wedding season is in the air, but after all the dancing, champagne toasting, and celebrating, what's left behind is often an ugly mess—up to half a ton of garbage, food trucked in from hundreds of miles away that winds up being wasted, and junky favors that wind up in the landfill. (Seriously, does anyone really use those gaudy shot glasses with the bride and groom's wedding date printed on it? Or the toxic candles or soaps, or personalized plastic trinkets made in China?)
Green weddings can save tons of carbon pollution and keep tons of garbage out of landfills—a major positive in itself—but you can also enjoy some immediate benefits of greening your wedding. At the top of that list? Saving mega money. "Green weddings have absolutely moved mainstream, which is really exciting," says Kate Harrison, author of The Green Bride Guide: How to Create an Earth-Friendly Wedding on Any Budget
THE DETAILS: A recent David's Bridal survey found that 46 percent of couples are thinking about incorporating ecofriendly components into their wedding festivities. That's great news, because the average wedding creates 400 to 600 pounds of garbage and 63 tons of carbon pollution. One year of American weddings creates about the same CO2 pollution as putting 8 million cars on the road.
WHAT IT MEANS: It's easy to associate a green wedding with more expense, but if you play your cards right, you can actually save money and slash your celebration's carbon footprint, too. Author Maya Rodale director of communications and outreach at the Rodale Institute, an organic research farm in eastern Pennsylvania, is in the midst of planning her own green wedding. Her upcoming historical romance novel, A Groom of One's Own
Here are some rules to live by when greening your wedding:
• Rule No. 1: Give up on perfect.
When greening a wedding, always remember it's not all or nothing, and every eco-upgrade you make is helping the human race and the planet. "Make the better, greener choices where you can, and don’t stress what you can’t," suggests Rodale. "My menu will be totally organic because I know a great caterer who does that. My dress is not at all organic because I didn’t love any of the eco-gowns I found."
• Rule No. 2: Use recycled and reusable materials.
Reusing something is the ultimate in eco-awareness, since it keeps items out of the trash and spares the energy used to make, package, and transport something new. But that doesn't mean you have to shop at a trendy eco-boutique. Here are a few ideas:
1. Old, unique bottles found at thrift stores or antique shops, or even the junkyard make eclectic centerpieces to hold local wildflowers.
2. Reusable tablecloths, aisle runners, and napkins from similar sources can add some vintage appeal. (You can even make them out of old tablecloths found in thrift stores. It's easy!)
3. Look for a preowned gown or wedding shoes. Since they've only been worn once, these are practically new. Harrison was able to buy once-worn Vera Wang shoes for a fraction of the original price on eBay. Then, she resold them for $50. "You can do the same thing with a wedding gown, veil, or other accessory," she says. "When you're finished, you can donate, sell, or recycle it." And of course there's the tradition of wearing the gown that belonged to your mother or another relative. Even if you have it altered or updated, it counts as reuse.
4. Rodale is renting nice wooden farm tables, which won't need to be covered with linens. "We'll save on tons of toxic dry cleaning there. It’s a little thing, but it still counts," she says.
• Rule No. 3: Pick your own flowers.
Harrison, a Yale School of Forestry graduate with a J.D. in environmental law, was married in the fall in the Husdon Valley in NY. "I wanted my wedding to feel like the season it was held in," she says. So instead of opting for expensive, exotic flowers shipped in from another country, she saved lots of money by selecting hydrangeas and dahlias from a local organic farm. She also collected ferns and pine cones locally and handed them over to the floral designer to create beautiful, local arrangements. Wedding flowers typically cost about $2,000, but Harrison only wound up spending about $200.
• Rule No. 4: Use the ceremony as an opportunity to educate.
Nothing could be more off-putting than a preachy Bridezilla. But there are tasteful ways to educate your guests on green issues without being overbearing. You may choose to use local native plants as centerpieces, with a little note explaining how these flowers benefit birds, bees, and butterflies in your area.
If you don't want to publicize your green-ness at your wedding, you could post information under a tab on your wedding website. "That way, it's there for anyone who wants to learn more," explains Harrison, who also launched a website full of green wedding ideas, including a green registry and green honeymoon ideas. You could also add an ecoawareness note on your seating cards or in your program. It could even be as simple as using a recycled symbol on your recycled paper invites or programs.
• Rule No. 5: Opt out of certain wasteful traditions.
Consider making your own invitations and printing them on recycled paper. And please, forgo all the extra envelopes and tissue paper. "I have read the reason was to blot the ink and keep everything clean in the days when they were handwritten," says Harrison. "Obviously, this is not needed anymore, so it is just a relic."
Rodale is avoiding this type of waste by using a self-mailer RSVP card instead of cards and envelopes, and they are printed on recycled paper. "Rehearsal dinner invites will be via paperless post, a beautiful online invitation option," she adds.
• Rule No. 6: Set a sustainable table.
Factory-farmed food is cheaper because it is subsidized by the government, but the animals live in horrid conditions, are fed antibiotics that lead to superbug outbreaks, and pollute drinking-water sources and our air. Chemicals used on crops degrade the health of the soil and can end up on, and in, the food we eat. So in the end, cheap chemical food costs a lot more.
For Rodale, food definitely took precedence over other wedding greening categories. "Our menu will be all-organic, all-local. It’s more expensive, so we’re cutting costs in other ways to compensate," she explains. "Organic food is one way to make a major, beneficial impact on the environment and local economies. Plus, everyone can appreciate a darn good meal, and what better way to showcase organic?"
If your wedding is slated for next spring, summer, or beyond, consider growing some of your own wedding food. You can grow more than 100 pounds of produce in an average-size backyard garden. For more tips on growing, visit OrganicGardening.com.
"We’re growing our own flowers and food to supplement our menu and decorations. We have a farm and even we can’t grow it all, so I do not recommend anyone else try to do so," Rodale says. "But growing a bit can help with costs. We’re also having our wedding on the farm, so that the décor will definitely be all-natural, all-organic."
Also, work with your caterer. He or she may allow you to source in-season, organic produce through a local farmer. Buying direct could cut costs, and if you buy in bulk, it puts you in a better position to negotiate for a lower price. The farmer could also cut you a deal if you mention the farm in your wedding program. Visit LocalHarvest.org to find a grower in your area.
• Rule No. 7: Forgo favors!
Another great way to green your wedding and save money? Nix table favors. Saving this extra cash could allow you to splurge on a great local band or more sustainable food. You could also make a donation to the nonprofit of your choice in lieu of a favor. "For favors, we’re giving folks a darn good dinner, lots of dancing and, hopefully, a night to remember," says Rodale. "So we’re not providing landfill-clogging goodies. Sorry!"