By Karen Pecora
Owner of Karen Pecora Events and a Planaganza GoLocal Philadelphia Local Expert
Having a “Green Wedding” does not mean that your bridesmaids will wear a green dress or that your guests will sit at a table embellished with green linens, plates and napkins. A “Green Wedding” means that a couple has actually considered eco friendly options for this very special day. Here are some simple ideas to save the environment, reduce and reuse, decrease the amount of energy used and plan a wedding that is low impact on our environment.
Save the date cards:
Replace save the date cards and printed materials about the wedding all together. This eliminates paper. Send your guests a USB drive with all of your wedding information. A digital save the date card, directions with proper addresses to plug into a navigation system to eliminate printing the directions, and website links to help guests prepare for the wedding. For example: Things to do in Philly, Maps of the local area and suggested Mom and Pop type boutiques.
Invitations:
Select organic or soy ink invitations printed on recycled paper.
Save a tree - Bamboo and Cotton are now available in paper products. This eliminates the use of trees for paper. Include a postcard as the reception response card.
Reception site:
Ask your site manager to regulate the heat/air conditioning throughout the weekend. Some facilities turn the heat or A/C off the night before an event, come in the next day and blast the heat or A/C a few hours before your wedding. Turning the heat and A/C off and on uses more energy. Ask the site manager to regulate this a day or two prior and ask him/her to keep the temperature constant. Also, having your wedding ceremony and reception in one location can cut down on the fuel that your guests use throughout the day. Replacing regular candles with Soy Candles can also help.
Favors:
Counteract all of the carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere (contributing to global warming) --from your guests traveling by plane or car to your wedding--by giving each guest an 11-watt compact fluorescent bulb. Each of your guests replacing a 50-watt incandescent bulb with their wedding favor will save 685 pounds of carbon dioxide according to a biology professor from Ohio. You may also opt to give a small recycled envelop with plant seeds.
Hiring a Green Team:
Having an eco friendly wedding adds another level of difficulty to your wedding plans. It is important that you know that every wedding professional that you hire is actually carrying through your wishes. We suggest starting with a planner who has been trained in Green Weddings. You can find such a planner through The Society of Wedding Planners. This is a local, private club of wedding planners who meet, train and develop each others skill level. All of these planners have been involved in research and/or training about how to produce eco-friendly events. These planners have a network of other business professionals who also believe in saving the environment and producing eco-friendly events. You can contact the Society of Wedding Planers through the club website at www.societyofweddingplanners.com
For more information about planning a Green Wedding, Wedding Planning and Coordinating and/or event planning, feel free to contact Karen directly by calling: 610-955-8115.
