Green wedding elements are one of the hottest trends among brides. Luckily, vendors are offering eco-friendly options that make it easy to go green in a chic and stylish way. “Green is not an all or nothing,” says Mark Kingsdorf of The Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants in Philadelphia. “If you add one touch of green that’s good for the environment, then it’s a good thing.” Kingsdorf and wedding and event planner Ivy Robinson of Ivy Robinson Weddings & Events, based in Charlotte, N.C. have been designing luxury weddings with eco-friendly selections for over 15 years. We asked them to share their tips for luxurious weddings with an environmentally friendly touch.
The Green Lantern
Lighting is one of the most important elements in a wedding, but it can also be one of the most costly in terms of its carbon footprint. Kingsdorf suggests incorporating soy candles, which burn cleanly and range from small votives to chunky pillars, as part of the décor. For favours, give each member of the wedding party a sleek soy candle from Coco & Bubbles (from 15.50 USD), which offers scents such as Basil + Herb and Brown Sugar + Fig, not to mention more masculine options such as Cedar and Oakmoss.
Earthy Décor
Going green is all about reusing, and Robinson has a knack for taking everyday items and turning them into luxurious rustic décor elements such as place card holders, chargers and even vases for florals.
Wedding Dresses With Vintage Flair
Besides the sentimental value, wearing your mother’s wedding gown is yet another way to go green. But instead of wearing it as is, says Robinson, have it reworked by a seamstress into a shorter reception gown.
Farm-to-Table Wedding Menus
Using local foods is one of the most efficient ways to incorporate eco-friendly practices into a wedding. Four Seasons Hotel Miami offers couples a farm-to-table menu with dishes such as the basil-crusted corvina and vegetables from a nearby farm in the Florida Keys, not to mention that many of the ingredients are grown in the property’s own vegetable and herb garden.
Local, Organic Favours
Nowadays, just about every major city boasts vendors that utilize sustainable products in their food, says Kingsdorf. John & Kira’s in Philadelphia incorporates herbs from their own garden, as well as organic ingredients from local artisan food purveyors and farmers, into their gourmet chocolates.
Save the Dates and Invitations
Though an electronic wedding invitation may be the most eco-friendly, it’s also a huge no-no in terms of etiquette. Today, though, stationers offer luxe paper suites that use recycled paper or other environmentally friendly products. Paperie purveyors such as Paper Source and Minted offer a selection of eco-friendly save-the-dates and wedding invitations. Crane & Co.’s 100 percent cotton papers are made from recovered cotton fibres, which require less use of chemicals and produce less waste than papers made from trees.