Archive for the ‘Eco-Friendly’ Category

More Ideas about a Green Wedding

January 24th, 2011 | Rss Feed

Green weddings are very popular around the country.  Brides and grooms want to be socially concience.  It doesn’t matter if you spend $5,000 or $50,000.  Decisions can be made in the purchasing process to be more environmentally friendly.  We would like to offer a few suggestions to help you on your way.

1) Hire a photogrpher that takes all pictures in digital format.  This way there is no need for proofing indivually printed pictures as no pictures are printed.  All pictures taken can be viewed online!  If you are going to have a photo album, consider albums with recycled materials such as the paper and album cover.

2) Just as in hand-made products, so are some services such as musicians.  Brides and Grooms can hire accoustic music players for their ceremony like harpists, guitarists, violinists and more.  This way there is no use of electricity.  If you do hire music entertainment, the shorter driving distance the better.  Also, check if they use energy efficient sound equipment and LED lighting.

3) Wedding dresses are one of the most important purchases for brides.  One green option is to wear a previously worn dress by another family member.  If you happen to purchase a dress, select organic materials such as bamboo and hemp silk.  For Grooms, consider renting a tuxedo versus purchasing one.  Also, consider purchasing dress shoes that you can wear over and over again or just rent with your tuxedo.

4) A green option in food and drink is purchasing organic food.  Ask food suppliers like bakers and caterers if they purchase organic food.  Organic foods are produced without chemicals and avoid environmentally destructive actions.  Some manufacturers of drinks such as champagne, wine and beer offer certified organic products.

5)  Be sure to recycle as much as you can at your wedding reception.  Items to recycle include bottles, cans, paper products, and cardboard.  In addition, what about sending any leftover food to charity?  Check to see if your venues also support recycling projects.

6) When creating gift registries, green offerings include donations to charity.  We can recommend two websites that let wedding planners choose from a number of charities to make donations, I Do Foundation and JustGive.  Another suggestion is to create registries at stores that offer items made from sustainable products or refurbished products.  Green gift registries can be created through stores like Branch, Greenfeet, GreenSage, Relish and Restoration Hardware.  Brides and Grooms can create a registry with sustainable building products for their home.

7) Wedding reception venues can be decorated beautifully with green products.  Green decor items include bamboo plants, soy candles, recycled glassware and tableware and real flowers from a local grower.  Table centerpieces can also be made with recycled materials or pre-owned.

8) Finally, there are many great reycled paper products available.  We know invitaions are available on Etsy that contain seeds that can be planted after the wedding.  Besides the invition itself, you can also find 100% recycled paper for envelopes, R.S.V.P. cards and other inserts.

About the Author
Matt Campbell is the owner and webmaster of WeddingMuseum.com, an online wedding planning resource.  WeddingMuseum.com features free wedding websites, wedding planning ideas and tools, local vendor listings, wedding song lists and wedding store.

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10 Tips To Purchasing Green, Ethically Sourced Wedding Rings Online

June 23rd, 2010 | Rss Feed

Would you feel good about a wedding ring if it was created by maltreated labor or with materials that trashed the environment? Does your expression of love just extend to your intimate ones; or beyond them to the greater human family? It takes real courage for a bride and groom to even consider these issues, but there is a greater danger for those who ignore them.

With the recent controversies of blood diamonds and dirty gold, it is easy to conclude that many in the jewelry industry lag far behind other business sectors in terms of environmental and corporate responsibility. But there are jewelers out there that are passionately concerned about the environment and the fair treatment of the human family. Finding these fair, compassionate, ethical jewelers can pose problems though.

Here are ten points to consider when purchasing such an environmentally friendly piece of jewelry online. The first five points focus on questions you can ask to determine if a ring is fairly and ethically produced. The last five concern the jeweler’s reputation and things you can investigate on their website – they can be applied to the purchase of any wedding ring online.

1. Ask the jeweler where they source their precious metals. It can take up to twenty tons of mining to produce one wedding ring. It is now possible for a jeweler to produce rings made from recycled gold, platinum and palladium, so ask about recycled metals, as well as the actions the jeweler’s taking against using dirty gold.

2. Ask the jeweler what their in-factory environmental practices are at their own location. Jewelers can offset the carbon use of their employees and production from travel and commutes. They can recycle extensively, purchase green sourced energy if available, and use compact fluorescent lighting. They can choose to use less toxic fluxes and chemicals. Any jeweler who is concerned about these issues will be able to talk about them in detail when you ask.

3. If the jeweler is manufacturing internationally, ask what their environmental practices are off shore. First, determine where the piece was made and then find out as much as you can about the practices of that company by searching for them online and even searching for names of current investors or executives in the company. Their past actions will give you an idea of their current practices.

4. What are the environmental effects of the mining of your diamond? This is a difficult question to answer for just about any diamond coming out of Africa, even with the Kimberly Process. Ethical jewelers typically offer Canadian diamonds that bypass the African DeBeers supply chain.

5. Gemstones. There are just a few gemstones available from environmentally concerned mines. A few jewelers are able to source directly from suppliers who work with environmentally responsible sourcing.

6. Research the reputation of the jeweler. A company that you work with online should have some kind of third party consumer advocacy group, such as the Better Business Bureau, that assures you that the company is reputable. Many companies also list testimonials from satisfied buyers, but such listings have more credibility when they have a last name, physical origin and at least a first initial. A brick and mortar store location that has been in business at least ten years gives added credibility.

7. Consider the depth of the line. A jeweler with a reputable line of wedding rings should be able to offer the same style in various widths. The gents sizes are wider and paired with ladies sizes. Most engagement rings are under 4.5mm. That means that they can be worn with a match under 9mm, which is about as wide as two rings can be for the average person. Most men prefer a ring between 6.5mm and 8.5mm. Some men prefer wider sizes, and some ladies, narrower. The width of a ring is really a matter of personal taste.

8. Sizing of the ring and resizing. This point is often overlooked by someone who purchases a ring online. How will the company help you out after you purchase the ring? Some rings have sizing bands and some are made without. Sizing bands make the ring easier to size, which is important because many people will lose or gain twenty pounds during the course of a marriage. Some are comfort fit as well, which means that the rings are convex in such a way that the center of the ring touches the finger instead of the entire ring.

9. Customer Service. After you have reviewed the products, make a list of questions and give the company a call. A company that is concerned about their environmental practices should have sales people who can articulate the practices. You can learn a lot simply by spending some time talking to the person who picks up the phone.

10. The soul of the ring. Some pieces of jewelry really do feel better than other pieces. A wedding ring is the most important piece of jewelry you will own and it will carry irreplaceable sentimental and spiritual value. The rings should be unique and resonate with your own profound, sacred connection and commitment to your beloved. You may well want to ask the company to send you a sample of the wedding ring before you place your order.

By raising these issues, you will be helping to change an industry. If just five percent of the market asked jewelers about environmental sourcing, we will see a huge shift. Do your part and buy an ethical, green wedding ring to celebrate your commitment to your beloved through your commitment to the great human family!

About The Author: Marc Choyt is President of Reflective Images an winning company, www.celticjewelry.com and www.artisanweddingrings.com, that produces fair and ecologically sourced jewelry designs. Marc authors www.fairjewelry.org a movement website for consumers and jewelers supporting green, fair trade, socially responsible business practices in the jewelry industry. He also originated The Circle Manifesto, www.circlemanifesto.com, a business model based on indigenous wisdom traditions.

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WeddingMuseum.com is Certified Carbon Neutral

November 24th, 2009 | Rss Feed

ClearSky Climate Solutions performed a greenhouse gas assessment of WeddingMuseum.com’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for 2009 and projected 2010 carbon footprint. WeddingMuseum.com is 100% completely carbon neutral by purchasing certified carbon offsets from ClearSky to offset their 2009 carbon footprint and projected 2010 carbon footprint from the Gordondale Dairy Methane Capture Project (WI, USA). In addition, ClearSky Climate Solutions and WeddingMuseum.com have partnered to offer a wedding carbon footprint tool.  Now WeddingMuseum.com is offering bridal couples the chance to calculate their wedding carbon footprint and make their wedding climate neutral.

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A Green Wedding

June 22nd, 2009 | Rss Feed

Earth-Loving Couples Rejoice!:
Celebrate Your Love with a Green Wedding

Doing our part – however small – to save the environment is a step in the right direction. And earth-loving brides everywhere are choosing to tie the knot in a more eco-friendly way. The push for recycled, organic, do-it-yourself green wedding fetes is growing in popularity as more couples want to do their part for the environment. And for couples on a budget, an eco-friendly wedding helps you save a little cash in the process.

Many couples erroneously believe that a green wedding equates to tacky, bohemian, and an overall sacrifice of quality. If done properly, your own green wedding will be just as elegant or upscale as you want it to be, though more environmentally conscious of course. Many bakeries are now experts at whipping up organic, eco-friendly wedding cakes that are just as beautiful as their non-organic counterparts, while locally grown flowers are likely even fresher than exotic arrangements that have been flown or trucked in.

So, when it comes time to plan your big day, consider some of these eco-friendly wedding ideas to help the earth in your own way.

Invitations: Many stationary and bridal supply companies now offer green wedding invitations and save the date cards on 100% recycled paper or tree-free paper products. Some of the more gung-ho green wedding experts recommend getting rid of the paper altogether by using electronic invitation programs. This is probably not the best idea; your guests will enjoy receiving something in the mail that informs them of your wedding day. And as far as etiquette goes, electronic invitations are a little impersonal. For a dual purpose invitation that encourages your guests to put their green thumbs to work, select stationary companies sell invitations with seeds imbedded into the paper, so guests just plant your green wedding invite and wait for it to grow! Another option is to send pretty postcards (made from recycled paper of course), which will cost you a lot less in postage prices.

Flowers: Those pretty flowers you see at every wedding are, in fact, likely quite toxic. Sprayed with dozens of chemicals to prevent insects from eating their beautiful blooms, these flowers are that not great for the environment, and even the workers who handle them on a daily basis have fallen ill. And if you order birds of paradise, gardenias, or other exotic flowers that must be shipped from abroad, you’re permitting yet another truck, loaded with diesel fuel, to get on the road. Instead, choose seasonal flowers that are homegrown, thereby supporting your local farm subsidiary. Another great green wedding idea is to grow your own flowers, though you’ll have to start months in advance. If you choose this method, you can keep the flowers in the pots, leaving them just as they are – simplistic, but elegant centerpieces.

Dress: A quick search online for ‘green wedding dresses’ will turn up dozens of websites offering eco-friendly wedding gown material, and if you’re willing, you can have your green wedding dress made from hemp, cotton, or silk – organic of course – just for you. You can also re-fashion a vintage wedding dress, taking it to an alterations specialist so it fits perfectly, or purchase a simple, white cotton dress while holding your own homegrown bouquet of tulips. Some designers, such as Adele Wechsler’s Eco Couture and Tara Lynn Studios, are finally catching on and creating whole lines of eco-friendly wedding dresses with one thing in mind – helping the environment and using earth-nurturing materials.

Refreshments: The food is perhaps the easiest part, and many guests will appreciate the fresh taste of organically made dishes at your eco-friendly wedding! Many catering companies can usually comply with your request to make the food wholly organic. You can also opt to make the food for your green wedding yourself (with the help of some trusty friends who know their way around the kitchen). Organic wines and beverages are also available on the market at many stores around the country. And if you want to go all the way, you can set up tables with tablecloths made from eco-friendly material.

Reception Venue: Choose a location close to the wedding ceremony. Not only will your guests appreciate a spot that limits driving to the nether regions, but you’ll also avoid the extra pollution of 200 cars on the road for 15 to 20 minutes. One estimate puts this amount of travel at 6,014 pounds of carbon dioxide . To calculate the carbon footprint of your wedding for various modes of travel, try http://www.terrapass.com/wedding/ and plug in the required information to find out the impact your own eco-friendly wedding has on the environment. If you elect not to register for gifts, many couples decide to place a donation jar in a strategic place asking guests to contribute to an environmental charity or cause that’s close to the couple’s hearts.

Save the Earth without Sacrificing Beauty

Other options, such as candle centerpieces (which double as lighting) and weddings bands recycled from older jewelry pieces, are just a few additional ideas that add a unique twist to your eco-friendly wedding bash. From purchasing a secondhand wedding dress to using tree-free, green wedding invitations, there are limitless ways to celebrate your love the green way. And whether you choose to infuse your eco-friendly wedding day with just one or two green elements or host an entire day in honor of the earth, make sure it’s a special day between you and your loved one that you’ll remember forever.

About the Author: Cherie Johnson is the founder and owner of Creative Bride, a one-stop shop for personalized, unique baby and bridal shower, graduation, quinceañera, anniversary, and wedding favors, helping countless couples and families make their big events a success. Before she launched the company in 2006, Cherie worked as a professional wedding photographer, capturing the most special moments of the bride and groom’s big day. For more information on Creative Bride or to find a variety of colorful, customizable gifts and favors, please visit www.Creative-Bride.com.

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Planning An Earth-Friendly Wedding

June 19th, 2009 | Rss Feed

6 steps to planning an earth-friendly wedding
by Jeff Kear, Co-owner of My Wedding Workbook Free Wedding Software

Global warming. Holes in the ozone layer. Extinction of species. Climate shifts. The side effects of our use of fossil fuels and a century of conspicuous consumption are readily apparent, and only by changing our ways can we begin to reverse the process that brought us to where we are today.

Many people are already doing what they can to preserve the environment by recycling, composting, using green or recycled products, buying natural or organic foods (or even growing their own) and cutting energy consumption through a number of means. If you’re a green-leaning bride or groom and want to extend your conservation efforts to your wedding, here are a few things you can do to ensure the only mark your wedding leaves is on the minds of your guests. Call it wedding planning with a decidedly green perspective.

1. Reduce your paper usage
Elaborate printed wedding invitations and save-the-dates are a time-honored tradition in announcing weddings, but they are also resource intensive. Now there are many e-mail programs and services available that allow you to send creative e-invitations from your computer, saving paper as well as the fuel required to deliver all those printed missives.

In addition, there are many paper products used at weddings and receptions (programs, napkins, table coverings, etc.). Find out if there are viable alternatives to these products or if you can use recycled versions.

2. Minimize and streamline guest travel
Take a moment to think of all the guests attending your wedding and the distances they will have to cover in getting there. That’s probably quite a bit of fuel. In fact, airline travel is one of the most fuel-intensive methods of travel period, and if your guests are traveling one or two people to a car, that isn’t exactly efficient, either.

One way you can cut down on the energy consumed through guest travel is to arrange carpools for your guests traveling from the same areas. In addition, you can contract vans or shuttles to haul groups of guests from your hotel, ceremony and reception locations to mitigate having everyone driving separate cars to each destination.

3. Use recycled or re-usable items whenever possible
Instead of buying decorations that will be thrown away after one use, rent your decorations from a local rental vendor so that they can be reused. Or instead of wasting rice or releasing helium balloons when you leave the church, use biodegradable confetti that will quickly turn to compost. Whatever wedding product you need, there’s probably a green alternative now being offered.

4. Take a green approach to wedding gifts
Unfortunately, many of the gifts on the typical wedding registry come enclosed by lots of earth-unfriendly packaging, and sometimes the gifts themselves may not have been made with eco-friendly processes. When filling our your registry, take the extra time to make sure your desired gifts are as kind to the environment as you are. In addition, forgo all the fancy wrapping paper and instruct your guests to either leave your gift unwrapped or to wrap it in newsprint.

5. Select green vendors
Many green vendors often have earth-friendly practices that will make a big difference when it comes to conserving the environment. For example, photographers can shoot with digital equipment instead of using film, and they can also preview your shots electronically instead of printing them all out for your initial review. And caterers can use organic or naturally grown produce and range-fed meats.

6. Offset your carbon footprint with carbon credits
No wedding is going to be completely off the grid, and it’s virtually impossible in your wedding planning to eliminate all consumption. So for the amount of carbon that you will use, you can purchase what are called carbon credits to offset your wedding’s carbon footprint. Carbon credits can be purchased from organizations that invest in carbon reduction products, so every credit you purchase goes to counterbalancing the carbon you have used or will use. TerraPass is such a company and has a calculator for determining the carbon usage of a wedding at http://www.terrapass.com/wedding/.

About the author: Jeff Kear is co-owner of My Wedding Workbook, the next-generation online wedding planning software that’s free, easy-to-use and helps engaged couples manage every wedding detail, from your engagement to your honeymoon and everything in between. Copyright My Wedding Workbook 2009 All rights reserved

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