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With the Fall wedding season upon us in the midst of tough economic times, many couples are looking to save some money. Brides and grooms who are environmentally aware and want their celebration to reflect their earth-friendly values may have a built-in advantage when it comes to costs – going green often translates into simplifying, cutting out excess and avoiding waste.
Take flowers, among the big ticket items. Eco-conscious couples often go for natural venues that come with their own décor, such as botanical gardens or parks, thus minimizing the need for cut flowers except for the bouquets and centerpieces.
But even centerpieces can do without expensive blooms. Flowers can be organic and grown without pesticides and other chemicals but are not the greenest option because of their limited reuse value. Why not try something edible so that nothing ends up in the garbage? Fruits and veggies are all the rage at some weddings, filling up baskets and vases in dramatic shapes and colors. Something as simple as alternating red and yellow apples in a tall crystal vase can do the trick.
If this is to “out there,” traditional couples have another option: potted flowers and plants that can be replanted.
And if you can’t do without flowers, at least go with local and seasonal. This ensures that the flowers don’t travel a long distance to your wedding, which saves on all those travel-related carbon dioxide emissions. It also avoids flowers grown in heated greenhouses, which saves energy.
To find out who grows what and where, try LocalHarvest.org. The website, which is also great for food choices for the reception, allows you to search for flower farms and farmers’ markets by zip code.
Mireya Navarro is an environmental writer with The New York Times and author of "Green Wedding: Planning Your Eco-friendly Celebration" (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2009.) For more on green weddings, please visit www.MireyaNavarro.com.
