We use cookies to make your experience better. To comply with the new e-Privacy directive, we need to ask for your consent to set the cookies. Learn more.
You Don't Have to Be a Green-Guru to Green Your Wedding!
Posted:
July 05, 2011
Categories:
Blog
You're getting married and you've decided that you want to be environmentally conscientious about how you plan your wedding day. Maybe you want to have an entirely green wedding, with such high standards that Treehugger writes an article about it, or perhaps you're more like the rest of us, and would like to incorporate as many green and sustainable options into your wedding as possible, without hand-growing your own organic silk worms and weaving their abundant natural gifts into your wedding gown on an FSC-certified, sustainable-wood loom by solar-powered light, while drinking organic, fair-trade green tea.
Since I don't even know where to start with organic silk worms or looming, I'll stick to helping you green your wedding, one small step at a time.
One of the first things to consider when greening your wedding is your overall footprint. The less people you have, the less impact you have. You may or may not be able to control this factor, but if you can, less is more.
Once you've decided on how many friends and family you'll be wowing with that silk gown, you can start to narrow down how you'd like to green your wedding day. Some of the most simple things make a positive environmental impact, like using natural-twig baskets for your centerpieces or recycled-paper place card holders for each guest.
If you go the route of the eco-wedding centerpieces, you can fill them with just about anything, though on a wedding day, I get all traditional and feel like the more flowers, the better.
Do It Yourself Centerpiece Project:
WHAT:
One natural-twig basket for each table of 8-10. If seating more than that at a long table, use two or three per table.
Flowers! Depending on your budget and your style, you can order more of the same flowers you're using in your bouquet or those of your bridesmaids'; or you can go wildflower harvesting for a more bohemian, relaxed atmosphere. Plan on five three-inch-diameter, or seven two-inch-diameter flowers per basket.
Oasis foam (the green spongy stuff that holds water and your flower stems in place) - five inch rounds for each of your baskets. You may have to cut the foam yourself, but it's easy to make a pattern out of some old newspaper and use that as a guide.
HOW:
This should be done the day of, if possible, or the night before at the earliest. If done the night before, refrigerate baskets to keep flowers fresh.
Line baskets (up to the top edges) with plastic (use old bread bags, or other recycled plastic).
Soak Oasis foam in water (or follow directions on the package).
Place wet Oasis foam in the bottom of the baskets on top of the plastic.
Cut the flower stems so that the blossoms stick up from the edges of the basket about one- to one-and-one-half inches.
Gently poke stems into the foam, arranging from the outside in, in a circular pattern.
If you feel like this has just gotten you started on greening your wedding, some other simple green ideas are vintage boutonniere holders for the men or rustic twig flower girl (or boy) baskets (these match the centerpiece baskets).
Whether you green your wedding with one small item or green the entire event, you've made a difference and left a slightly smaller footprint on your perfect, special day.
- Jocelyn Broyles
Comment(s)
Recent Posts
