Weddings Go Green

Detroit Weddings

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Weddings Go Green -- Creating an Eco-Friendly Wedding

Marriage celebrations don't have to be wasteful affairs of lavish clothing, flowers and favors. Eco-friendly weddings are gaining in popularity. Here are some ideas to be mindful of using our earthly resources in a gentle way:

Invitations, ceremony programs, menus:

Use "tree-free" recycled stationary, incorporating dried flowers and bits of fabric. If you create your own, be sure to read the paper packages to choose recycled, non-bleached paper. You can find "how-to" ideas on the Internet.

Flowers and decorations:

Use live potted plants for decorating the chapel and as table decorations at the reception. These can then be saved afterward for planting. Examples would be using tulips in Spring and mums in Autumn. Use real, rather than silk or other fake flowers. The former are biodegradable, while fake flowers will sit in land-fills for years to come. If you are using candles, purchase beeswax candles.

Attire:

Most brides' wedding fantasies don't involve wearing a hemp bridal gown, but there are eco-friendly fabrics that can be blended with natural fabrics such as silk and organic cotton to create a glamorous gown. Ditto for the bridesmaids' dresses. Steer clear of deep or brightly dyed colors, unless you know that the dye used is from plants and not chemicals. Unfortunately, there are not many options for cleaning your delicate gowns after the ceremony, other than the chemical-using process of dry cleaning. But be sure to ask the retailer if your gown can be laundered instead. If you can pass the dresses on to others for another wedding, so much the better. You might also be interested in renting your wedding gown or purchasing a used one, either of which is a great way to recycle. Thankfully, tuxedos already fall into that category.

Venue:

Cut down on emissions from transportation vehicles by holding both the ceremony and reception at places that are convenient for the majority of the guests. Check to see that the reception site uses re-usable resources, such as cloth table covers and napkins and real plates and flatware. Ask to see their recycle bins - to make sure they are doing their part.

Food and drink:

There are only a few hotels that specialize in organic wedding reception food. However, you might consider asking your venue to use only seasonal produce and local ingredients to create the menu. Another option is to choose a location for the reception where you can use your own natural-foods caterer to supply the meal.

Favors:

Search the Internet to find ideas for eco-friendly favors for the guests to take home as mementos of your celebration. Examples include tree or flower seeds, miniature evergreen trees, an organic tea bag, re-usable vases with live flowers, something edible - unwrapped and in re-usable or recycled paper containers. Many brides and grooms are choosing to substitute a donation to their favorite charity in place of using the money on purchasing favors. A card is left at each guest's place at the table, informing the guest that a donation has been made in their name to the specified charity.

Other ideas:

If you have other good ideas for creating an eco-friendly wedding, please share them with me by emailing me at:

elaine(at)LoveLinesWeddings.com. Replace (at) with the "at" sign on your keyboard.

A wedding officiant may also be referred to as a: celebrant, clergy, officiator, officiate, official, pastor, preacher, wedding minister, minister, magistrate, justice of the peace, JP, priest, judge, facilitator, counselor and rabbi. Rev. Elaine Radloff is a Michigan wedding officiant, MI wedding officiant, (a non-denominational minister) who can officiate your ceremony if you are getting married in Michigan, are having a wedding in Michigan, are having a MI wedding or are wanting to get married in Michigan. Rev. Elaine will write and perform a wedding ceremony (marriage ceremony) or vows renewal (vow renewals) ceremony with as much of your input as you would like. Elaine performs indoor weddings and outdoor weddings in Michigan. Printed ceremony programs are also available. A sample wedding ceremony is included in a packet mailed to you. Also please remember that getting married online, getting married on the web, or getting married on the Internet, is not legal. Rev. Elaine Radloff will marry you in person and sign your marriage license so it is a legal marriage, a legal wedding.