By Mark Kingsdorf
Owner of Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants and a Planaganza GoLocal Philadelphia Local Expert
Nearly every bride I talk to wants to know "How green IS green enough?" And my standard answer is - "Anything you do helps- and going green in Philly is easier than you think!"
The truth is that NOT all couples are getting married in a field, with organic flowers, vegan organic food and a hemp dress. It's just not totally practical for many couple or their families. But adding in eco-friendly or socially-conscious elements to your wedding is not more difficult and in many cases no more expensive than traditional weddings.
Dress for the part: Most brides I talk to shop for gowns before they find a wedding date or ceremony location. Shopping for environmentally friendly fabrics sounds like a HUGE chore but actually it's really easy. Most good quality gowns made of silk, either satin or organza, are a natural fiber. It's the synthetic blended gowns which are typically not eco-friendly. So splurging for a gown is now good for the environment!
Location, location, location:If you are having a ceremony in a church or synagogue look to hold you reception in a location as close by as possible to lessen the driving between locations. Some of the most memorable weddings I've planned were where the couple and their guests walked a block through the park to the reception site. Finding a location where you can have your guest rooms, ceremony and reception is a big PLUS too. Look for hotels which recycle newspapers, as well as glass and aluminum. Many hotels are now conserving water by offering to change sheet and towels only at guests' request.
Food for thought: Most caterers offer locally grown ingredients in season. Using seasonal, fresh and local ingredients is a great way to show off your Philly style. Many brides push for the “ go organic” - while I’m a firm believer in going organic whenever possible. Using organic ingredients produced half way around the world and shipped uses more petroleum and often crests more pollution than if they were not organically grown. I go for local first and local organic is even better.
Go for local flowers: There are a number of local greenhouses and florists who can provide flowers for your wedding. Murphy and Klein (www.mkfloral.com ) uses cuttings from their extensive gardens – many of which are organic.
Add a flicker of romance: Most brides love the glow of candlelight. Traditional candles, however, are a petroleum based product and produce a large amount of soot. Why not use soy based candles- made from a renewable resource they burn cleaner and on average cost no more than traditional candles- “It’s SOY” (www.itsasoy.com ) produces 100% natural candles AND they’re local!
Something to remember: Choose a wedding favor which reminds them of the day - AMAZING organic chocolates by John and Kira’s (www.johnandkiras.com). Make sure you check out their chocolates made with mint, much of which is grown as part of a project with a student run garden at Drew Elementary and UC High School in Philadelphia. Another great choice is regionally produced organic cookies from Beautiful Sweets (www.beautifulsweets.com). These can be customized and personalized for any occasion.
Offset your footprint: Making a donation to ANY charity is a great choice as a wedding favor but one that helps erase the impact your celebration made on this big blue marble REALLY makes a difference. Carbon Fund (www.carbonfund.org) will help you calculate the carbon produced by guests traveling in for the big day as well as the amount of energy used to rock the house.
The important thing to remember is that Green is not an ALL or NOTHING deal… every little bit you do can help.
