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Something Borrowed, Something...Green
Summertime is the season for weddings. There are 2.5 million weddings a year in the United States and summer is the most popular time of year to get hitched. If you or someone close to you is planning a wedding, why not make it green?
Last year, Brides.com estimated that approximately 33% of future brides and grooms in the U.S. were planning an eco-friendly wedding. You can too and although your guests may not ever guess that it's green, you may want to tell them. That way they can appreciate how beautiful a green wedding can be.
What Makes It Green?
The average wedding has over 150 guests and costs $20,000. There are many opportunities to green it up. Some choices are healthier, some reduce waste, some save natural resources; but all of them will make the planet a little greener. Every choice makes a difference - no matter how big or small. Here are just a few ideas on how to say "I do" to having an eco-friendly wedding.
What You Can Do
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Start with earth-friendly invitations. Green Paper Studio has invitations printed in soy ink on recycled paper and Smock letterpress invitations are beautifully printed on bamboo paper - as a bonus their print shop is powered by wind energy and all their packaging is tree and petroleum free and bio degradable (www.greenpaperstudio.com and www.smockpaper.com/wedding).
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Use organic flowers or potted plants that can be reused. Stick to in-season blooms that don't need to be shipped in from across the globe. You can also consider having the wedding outside, so nature provides the decorations.
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Wear a vintage or hand-me-down wedding dress. Or buy a dress made of sustainable fabrics. Check out the Natural Bridal Collection of eco-friendly designer wedding gowns by Morgan Boszilkov (www.naturalbridals.com).
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Think about serving local and/or organic food and recycle uneaten leftovers by giving them to a local charity.
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Have an organic cake (without tiers - plastic to hold up the layers is just thrown away). If you want a tiered look, consider stacking beautiful cupcakes on reusable cake plates. If you can't find an organic baker and don't want to bake your own cake, ask a traditional baker use organic flour, organic milk and free range eggs.
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Serve you food from sustainable dinnerware. Bamboo Studio has beautiful handcrafted plates, serving pieces, flatware and skewers made from bamboo sheath. They are elegant, strong, reusable, disposable and environmentally friendly (www.ecobambooware.com).
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Give favors that make the earth more beautiful. Plantable Eco Favors grow into amazing flowers (www.botanicalpaperworks.com).
 The Bridal Association of America estimates that the average couple spends over $400 on favors for their guests.
 At our rehearsal dinner, we hung recycled baby food jars (with tea lights inside) from wire hangers in a beautiful old oak tree. It was magical with the lights twinkling over the marsh at sunset.
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