Is Green The New White For Your Wedding?

The BBC Bloom website tells us that weddings are becoming increasingly carbon-intensive. By “greening” your wedding you could help to reduce the impact of it on the planet. Scientists have calculated that it would take 123 years for the average Indian couple to generate the same amount of CO2 as Liz Hurley’s week long wedding.

According to Climate Care, an organisation that seeks to offset Carbon emissions, the average wedding creates around 14.5 tons of CO2—much more than the average person (12 tons) during a whole year. Another organisation has calculated that the environmental cost of a medium sized wedding might be as much as 21tons of CO2.

Cars, flights, exotic imported fruits for the reception, Polyester (derived from petrochemicals) wedding gowns often imported from sweat shops in the Far East again at great expense to the environment, long haul destination honeymoons, gusts travelling vast distances to the wedding all add up to the environmental costs.

So how might you make a difference?
How can you make your wedding day “green”?

Flying less, a long haul flight will instantly ruin all the green effort you have put in but consider making it a useful trip. Opodo.co.uk the travel company tells us that working with the Orang-utans in Borneo, panda conservation in China or orphanage projects in Sri Lanka are all increasingly popular alternatives. Think about a train trip round Europe or to the South of France, Spain or Italy.

Think local, eat local seasonal produce, use caterers that source local organic or sensitively grown produce dressing, minimise waste, if you have food left over donate it to your local homeless shelter.

Hold your wedding in a central location so that friends and family might not have to travel so far. If you really can’t bear not to have all your friends and relatives from abroad involved you could set up a webcam with a live feed, think about synthetic or second-hand rings and other jewellery. Antique jewellery is both beautiful and eco friendly with zero carbon emissions. Or combine the wedding with your honeymoon and travel round to visit (and stay with) them as part of your celebration and honeymoon.

With an average British wedding costing in excess of £20,000.00 (around 150 guests) perhaps you should consider reducing numbers to reduce both carbon impact and your own costs—see my article about “Saving money at your wedding” Just remember there is no detectable link between the cost of your wedding and the success of your marriage. Keep it intimate and eliminate most of the family hassle and pressure.

Do you really need a giant Hummer to transport the Bridesmaids and Grooms supporters?

Consider a bus

Then use it to transport the wedding party and guests to the reception.

Why not use a carriage to arrive at the church Minimum pollution and rose fertiliser for free but make sure that you use a local supplier.
By all means splurge on the things that are important to you, Photography, flowers locally grown and sourced, Champagne (British please) and so on but keep everything else as basic as you can. You (or dad) could even plant some flowers when you get engaged ready for the wedding day.

E-Mail your invites to save on postage and paper. Or, perhaps use your social networking site of choice.

Borrow stuff from friends and relatives who have recently got married, using second hand or borrowed items saves considerably on costs and CO2.

Consider a hired, second-hand or inherited dress, even look at Oxfam who run a designer dress agency.

Good gifts 9www.googgifts.org) and Oxfam Unwrapped (www.oxfamunwraped.com) along with many other organisation offer ethical, eco-friendly gifts.
Many couples have been together a long time and have all the toasters, fridges and knick knacks they need. Why not consider using your wedding gifts to improve someone's life n the third world.


By Mike Watts
Mike Watts – Michael D. Watts Photography & Video

www.michaeldwatts.com