How to Plan An Eco-Chic Wedding
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You don't have to sacrifice style or design to do the right thing for the environment. Just making a few simple changes to your wedding choices can make a bigger impact than you imagined.
Each person on the planet has their own “footprint” which represents the amount of energy they consume, waste they produce, and the impact their buying decisions make on the global community. There are simple ways to reduce your impact by thinking about what you buy and consume for your wedding. Two significant ways to do this by rethinking you’re the flowers and the food you choose for your wedding.
Flowers
Did you know that the U.S. Department of Agriculture doesn't regulate pesticide levels on imported flowers? As a result, cut flowers are one of the world’s most pesticide-intensive crops. This translates into an unhealthy product that is produced in an unhealthy work environment; and of course, this type of production has a negative impact on the environment as well. But, you can make a better choice by looking to local suppliers, or sustainable flower growers from other parts of the world for your wedding.
The specific location of your wedding will most likely dictate how you add your own style to the décor. The location I used for my wedding was pleasant and simple, with big open windows that featured a beautiful vista of fall colors, so I didn’t need to do much to make it pretty. To help you make your location suit your style and your values, my suggestion is to rely upon the expertise of your florist to seek out sustainable choices. Some things to consider are:
• Do they work with organic, local or sustainable growth flower producers
• Consider using an online supplier such as www.californiaorganicflowers.com
• Local Harvest [localharvest.org] is another online resource; you can use it to find a local supplier through a nationwide directory of local farms
The Menu
Nearly half of your wedding budget will probably be spent on the reception, and a huge part of this cost is the meal you will serve your guests. Whether it’s a brunch, a lunch, or a dinner, you can make a few good decisions about the ingredients that will make a positive impact. Food is a big issue in our society, both the production processes as well as the nutritional value have come under intense scrutiny in recent years. Are carbs good, are they bad. What is organic, and why is it preferred. Should we be vegetarian, or is meat okay, so long as it’s produced in a healthy way. I’m not a nutritionist, and I can’t give you advice about what is the healthiest choice for you. I can tell you some research does show the consumption of organically grown foods to be a better way to avoid consuming toxic pesticides and fertilizers. In turn, organic food, when produced and reintroduced into the environment post-consumption, puts fewer toxic chemicals into the environment and food chain, and as a result promotes sustainable agriculture.
According to The Environmental Magazine, an average dinner travels 1500 miles, using energy and packaging that will ultimately go into landfills. If we buy our food from local farmers, not only will we reduce energy consumption, and potential packaging waste, but we will also support our local economy--your dollars stay within your community, and strengthen the local economy. And most often the food you buy locally is much fresher because it is usually sold within 24 hours of being harvested. And as for the vegetarian question, according to The U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2,500 gallons of water are spend to produce just one pound of meat, compared to 25 gallons to grow a pound of wheat. And this doesn’t account for the vast tracts of land needed for cattle production, much of which is left barren after the herd has fed there. Whether or not you go vegan or not, you might be surprised that if you just make a change to three little products, you will be improving your individual footprint in the global sense:
Sugar
If you have a sweet tooth like I do, you may be distressed to know that that sugar crops may be responsible for more biodiversity loss than any other crop in the world. The traditional methods for growing sugar cane result in the destruction of habitat, intensive use of water for irrigation, use of agricultural chemicals, contaminated water resulting from the production process. And it’s not just in Brazil and other far of lands that you’ve never been to—it’s right here in our own backyard—by all accounts, the Florida Everglades are seriously compromised after decades of sugar cane farming.
Chocolate
While it may indeed be good for your health, the industrial production of cocoa in different tropical regions of the world results in the clearing of tropical rainforest, erosion and run-off, reduced soil fertility, contaminated crucial water supplies, and the destruction of wildlife habitat.
Coffee
And then there’s coffee; Globally, coffee is second only to oil in terms of dollars traded, and it has a tremendous social and ecological footprint, particularly in regions of the world that also host some of the planet’s greatest, and most threatened, biodiversity. U.S. retailers such as Starbucks are creating opportunities for smaller coffee growers to sell to the larger global market, which is a good.
Have you lost your appetite? Don’t worry, there are ways you can help make things better—get started with what you serve at your wedding. To get you started, check out these resources:
• Organic Consumers Association [organicconsumer.org]
• Eat Well Guide [eatwellguide.org]
• Fair Trade Coffee [faircoffee.com]
• Local Harvest [Localharvest.org]
• Dagoba Chocolate [dagobachocolate.com]
The above is excerpted from: Eco-Chic Weddings, Hatherleigh Press, January 2007. (Copyright Emily Anderson)
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About the author
Emily Anderson is the author and creator of Eco-Chic Weddings. She believes good style and design are essential to creating a sustainable lifestyle. After a career of working for fashion and style icons, Emily now uses her creativity and chic point of view to make a positive impact on people’s lives. She believes that you can have a well-designed life and also make the world a better place. Eco-Chic Weddings is her first solo endeavor. Emily also publishes ideas daily on her web site ecochicweddings.com.
