Green Wedding

August 18, 2011 by  
Filed under Wedding Planning

The question has been asked and answered and now your wedding day looms ever closer. You want to make it that perfect day with the perfect moment that you have always imagined, but what is the dream anymore? The picture perfect weddings with doves and huge cathedrals are the stuff of fairy tales and most little princesses anymore work full time and cannot afford them. If you are someone who has been environmentally conscious, you could consider a green wedding as a way to cement your vows to your spouse and the world. Moreover, you can do it without taking out a second loan!

A green wedding is a very simple concept all you do is keep the environment in mind while making all the preparations. Large gatherings of people can upset the balance of certain ecosystems and waste can be the name of the game during preparation and execution of the ceremony. Consider the paper waste from invitations and the pesticides that are commonly used on the grass for outside ceremonies or receptions.

There are many things you can do to ensure an environmentally as well as economically sound green wedding. The manner in which you shop for rings, your reception plans, food and drink are all areas that can be green activities.

The easiest part of your green wedding will be in the clothing. Many brides choose to wear dresses made of all natural fibers, like hemp. Others will choose something they already have that can be altered or will be worn again. Wedding dresses are indeed beautiful, but they are also a waste. Too many of them are taking up valuable space at the local garbage dumps. To keep this from happening it is best to have a dress you can wear again. Many brides have their heart set on a brand new dress and if that is you try to choose something that can be worn again to other events, even if you have the dress altered at a later date.

Save the earth a little bit at time by using some of these green wedding tips:

* Never discount the pawnshop as a potential place to purchase your wedding rings. They often have antique rings available much cheaper than the jewelers do.

*All your table accoutrements can be made of biodegradable products, spoons, fork, plates, cups and table coverings. This is a sure way to make the dishwasher and the earth happy, not to mention saving water!

*You may prefer to have real dishes and that is okay too, just try to find a caterer that will rent them to you. You will not have to concern yourself with the dishes and you can prevent the landfills from overflowing with plastic cups and forks.

*Have your wedding ceremony and your wedding reception at the same location, if at all possible. This saves your guests on gas having to get back and forth between the two locations, it saves them a possible change of clothes, and it decreases the amount of pollutants in the air by decreasing the amount of driving they have to do in the name of your ceremony.

*Having a green wedding shouldn’t stop you from having creative wedding ideas

Wedding Comfort – Why Shouldn’t You Be Comfortable On Your Wedding Day?

Weddings, are, of course, a magical time of joy and beauty.   They are also a time of mind-numbing fear and anxiety – not that the decision could be wrong, but that something could GO wrong.  Will the flowers be right?  Will the flower girl throw a tantrum?  Will the best man get schnockered and talk about that weekend in Thailand with your groom-to-be?  There is an awful lot to think about.

One thing you shouldn’t have to think about is how YOU feel on your special day.  Sure, it is the most important day of your life.  Of course, it is the day you want to look more beautiful than any other day.  The thing is, it’s also a very long day, and you should take certain precautions so that nothing distracts you from being your radiant, beautiful, happy self.   Here are some practical suggestions that other people might be too tactful to share with you.

wedding shoes 2

photo by Inchka

The Shoes.  You shoes should certainly be the shoes of your dreams.  Princess Shoes.  Fairy Princess Shoes.  Shoes that make your feet feel light as air.  Shoes that do not cause permanent toe damage.  Shoes that won’t make you snap at your elderly relatives.  There is a line between comfort and fashion.  We all know that.  Trust me when I tell you that you will enjoy your special day so much more if your feet aren’t killing you.  Just say no to foot torture devices.

wedding knickersphoto by Susan_1981

Allow me to mention the subject of your unmentionables.  Of course you want to be pretty from head to toe on your wedding day.   Of course you should wear underwear that makes you feel pretty.  You should not wear underwear that will cause you to dance prematurely up the aisle.  I doubt very seriously that you want a shot of you picking a wedgie in your photo album.  Nor do you want your maid of honor’s duty to include reattaching your stocking to your garter.  Have a test run of your wedding skivvies – if not the actual pieces then very similar or identical – so that you can be sure it will be comfy and stay put during your nuptials.

Follow these words of advice, from me, Wedding Gal’s trusted and beloved Cousin Betty.  I’ve been to too many weddings (and a part of too many weddings) to steer you wrong.