Consider Your Carbon Footprint: Eco-Chic Wedding

By Guest Blogger: Wayne Alldridge from Marble Weddings, WPICC

With ever-growing concern for our environment, fair trade and humanitarianism, eco-friendly weddings are projected to be a continuing trend.

In this article you will find key facts, tips, and ideas for developing an eco-chic wedding. Making yourself aware of industrial impact to the environment is the first step. Remember that eco-friendly wedding planning does not have to be all or nothing. Even if you choose one aspect of your wedding to be eco-friendly, that is still one step in the right direction.

Having an outdoor ceremony may seem like the most obvious choice for an eco-friendly wedding, but take into account what might be required. If you are thinking of a park, planning to have 150 guests attending, and must rent your own chairs, that is potentially several runs or several delivery trucks emitting fumes. On the flip-side, having your ceremony at an outdoor venue that caters to weddings, such as the Royal Botanical Gardens, is a great choice. They will likely have everything you need onsite, including a tent in case of rain. The natural garden surroundings make for beautiful dà©cor, and eliminate the need for bringing in additional dà©cor or flowers.

Having your reception at the same site as the ceremony is the most economical way to go. This eliminates more vehicle emissions from guests traveling between the sites, and having deliveries to two locations. If this is not an option for you, encourage your guests to carpool. Overall, a lower guest count is going to be more economical.

Once engaged, one of the first things that a bride does, is buy a dress. As an eco-friendly alternative you can wear a dress passed down from your mother or grandmother, and have it altered. You can also shop for a vintage dress. This brings in an elegant feel from the past. Another option is to have your dress custom made from a fabric like hemp or bamboo. Softer than cotton, and with a silk-like texture, bamboo fabric draws moisture away from the skin, so it's especially great for a summer wedding! But remember, having a bamboo dress made in British Columbia and shipped to Toronto defeats the purpose of eco-friendly. After the wedding you can donate your dress or keep it to have it made into a christening gown or first communion dress for your child.

Bamboo is a fast growing plant. It releases about 35% more oxygen back into the air than other plants and some species can grow up to 4 feet per day.

Your wedding invitations are the first insight that your guests will have into the theme of the wedding. Paper-less would be the most eco-friendly way to go, but typically, it is not customary to send electronic wedding invitations via email or social media. However, if you are creative enough, and explain to your guests the reasoning behind the electronic invitation, then why not? Video yourselves with a message to your guests: inviting them to your eco-friendly wedding. Within the email you can include the written details as well. Paper invitations should be considered for older generation guests. If you prefer to stick to paper invitations for all of your guests, then use recycled, organic, or hemp paper products. Reduce the amount of paper used by having post-card style RSVP cards. This eliminates the envelope.

Hemp is made from the cannabis plant and is one of the most eco-friendly fibers in the world. The plant controls erosion of soil, generates oxygen and can be cultivated in under 100 days.

When it comes to flowers, the biggest concerns are the chemicals that are used, as well as the conditions in which the farmers in some countries are forced to work. Most flowers bought in Canada are imported from South America. Many chemicals are used to preserve these flowers, even pesticides, herbicides and fungicides that are banned in Canada. Even more than chemicals than the amount used for food preservation. There are organizations that regulate flower farms and limits on chemicals, and better working conditions for the employees. Working conditions are not up to our Canadian standards, but are certainly better than most, including health care and workplace safety. Fair trade flowers can be ordered though Transfair Canada. These are grown in Kenya and imported to Vancouver for distribution throughout Canada. Locally grown flowers can be found here from May through October. Also try to find vases that are made locally. The majority of floral containers (vases and pottery) are imported from China. Fair trade is not regulated in China and human rights regulations are sub-standard.

Continue the eco-friendly trend when purchasing dà©cor items. Seek out candles made from beeswax or soy. Not only are they better on the environment, but beeswax candles burn longer, and have a nice natural aroma. Stones, bamboo and salvaged wood pieces make for beautiful centerpieces and additional dà©cor. Candle holders can be made out of wood pieces and personalized stones in lieu of place cards.

Be sure to have labeled recycling bins and green carts at your reception. For esthetic purposes, these do not need to be in plain view at your reception. But can certainly be made available to service staff, and outside the venue. If the weather is going to be hot, have pitchers of water available with biodegradable cups. Avoid disposable water bottles.

Plastic bottles are the most prevalent source of pollution found in our oceans. Every square mile of ocean has over 45,000 pieces of floating plastic in it.

When deciding on your dinner menu, choose foods that are locally and organically grown. Eco-friendly caterers will prepare foods and meats that come from local farmers who use less chemicals, who feed their livestock organic grains, or raise free-range chickens. In order to keep your menu appealing to all parties, consider having the “ordinary” meal accompanied with the option of having the vegan alternative. Keep the beverages to a choice of domestic brands. No imports. We are lucky to be in an area so close to the famous Niagara wineries.

Have more than one purpose for items. The bridesmaids bouquets can be placed in ready-made vases on the head table for additional dà©cor. Flower arrangements from the ceremony can also be used for the reception. The guest favours can be displayed as the centerpiece on the dinner tables.

One eco-friendly option in lieu of guest favours is to make a charitable donation. To make your guests feel more involved in this you can set up a donation table with several baskets or vases labeled with the names of charities. Guests then take their personalized stones (in lieu of place cards) and place their stone in the charity of their choice. An idea for an eco-friendly guest favour would be seeds in a personalized eco-friendly container or a fern sapling in a burlap pouch, for the guests to plant in their garden at home. Burlap is a coarse fabric woven from vegetable fibers.

To package those guest favours or organic cupcakes, use cellophane. Cellophane is the top eco friendly choice for bakers. 100% biodegradable and is made from wood, causing almost no environmental impact. Cellophane seals easily and keeps foods fresh because moisture and oxygen cannot penetrate it. These can be tied with hemp or raffia ribbon, and labels added. Raffia is also made from a plant and is eco-friendly.

Once the wedding is over, you have returned from your honeymoon, and settling back into your lives together, it's then time to send your `Thank You' cards. Finish the wedding experience off with an eco-friendly `thank you' by recording your thank you messages on video and emailing them to your guests. Don't record one standard message, record individual messages for the guests. It's more personal than a card, you could show them what you purchased with the money they gave you, and most of all… it's eco-friendly!

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