A Green Wedding

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  What I am sharing today is based on a note  sent to me by Lucy Thomason who posts articles for the event planning careers blog. This is her personal hobby blog, focused on tips to help people  organize a green event, use less energy and reduce their carbon footprint.
  
  Lucy assures me that this wedding actually took place in August 2010, between Engel and Dyer, near the Huron River in Ann Arbor.
  
  A lot of people would like their wedding to be eco-friendly, and over recent times it has become increasingly practical and affordable. Still, it can be a challenge.... this is what Engel and Dyer did -
  
  Accepting that they wouldn't be able to keep everything totally green, Engel and Dyer decided they would try their best anyway, and to make the day fun as well as instructive  for their guests.
  
  They held their wedding at a science and nature center, where guests were offered tours in the hour before they walked down the aisle. The tours featured water and energy conservation methods used at the center, like solar-panel arrays for electricity, solar-powered heating and water heater systems, and no-flush compost toilets.
  
  Engel and Dyer say they focused on "little details" that make a big difference:
  
  • Dyer's dress was an heirloom - a vintage green dress that had been her great-grandmother's in the 1930s
  • Her ring was made with recycled gold and had a beryl instead of a diamond
  • Her makeup was certified organic
  • Instead of rice, guests were given local lavender buds to throw in celebration.
  • At the reception, the tables were covered with local wildflowers and the foods were locally sourced
  • Leftovers and unused food were recycled (by sending to local farms) or reused.
  • They found a solar powered generator to run the lights and the audio system for the band.
  
  Despite their commitment, not every choices they made was the most eco-friendly option. For instance, when they couldn't find a local red wine they liked, they used a burgundy from elsewhere in the USA - but still a domestic wine. They did serve (local) Michigan white wines sparkling cider, however.
  
  They could have used paperless Internet or txt invitations, but Dyer felt paper invitations were important - but on recycled paper, of course.
  
  Can you do something to 'green up' your wedding day? Does all this inspire you?  If it does (and I hope it does) I wouldn't want to give the impression that it is simple - but Engel and Dyer managed it, and if you are prepared to make as few compromises as possible, you can do something for the environment, too.
  
  The best way to scale back on an event's carbon footprint is to cut back on the number of guests. Fewer guests mean fewer meals, fewer needs for centerpieces and other decor and fewer miles travelled to reach the marriage. That doesn't mean people have to be excluded - consider the option of broadcasting parts of the wedding over the Internet!
  
  Once you have the guest list parred back, The best way to reduce the impact of any event is to look at the life cycle of the different elements you use: where is that food coming from, how much energy is expended to produce it, how does it get to your plate and where do the leftovers go?
  
  While meat might take more energy to produce than fruit and vegetables, considering how far some fruit and veggies need to travel might give them a larger carbon footprint.
  
  Finally, consider the wedding professionals you engage - do they need to travel far to participate or can you engage local photographers, musicians, celebrants and reception houses? Does your florist grow their blooms locally? Can you have your photoshoot at a local venue rather than travelling a long way to a special location, then back to the Reception Venue? How many cars do you actually need, and do they have to be petrol guzzlers? How many of those meetings really need to be face to face?
  
  There is a great deal that can be done towards having a greener wedding; it need not be more expensive, and it certainly does not have to be a second best affair. Quite the opposite.