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A Green Wedding Fit for a Queen

Today is the last post from college guest blogger Dorothy Munholland. She’s braving her last round of finals before moving on to graduation and beyond. Best of luck to you, Dorothy, and thank you for your contributions to Glossing Over It. Hope to see more of your writing in the blogosphere soon!

A GREEN WEDDING FIT FOR A QUEEN

By Guest Blogger, Dorothy Munholland

The Fantasy

I’m only slightly embarrassed to admit that I was awake at 4am on the day of the royal wedding, anxiously awaiting the first glimpse of bride Kate Middleton, while at the same time conducting an extensive Google search on Prince Harry’s relationship status. I say only “slightly” because chances are, you were doing the same thing. You, me, and over 2 billion others that just couldn’t ignore the hopeless romantics within. I mean, really, the wedding was textbook fairytale and I couldn’t miss the chance to watch it unfold in real life.

With all the fantasizing though, I started to think about how many resources go into making unions the beautiful moments that they are and I found myself getting a bit, well, disenchanted with the whole fairytale thing. Don’t get me wrong, I still think every bride deserves to feel like a princess at her wedding (and every groom like a prince, or whatever title he/she may fancy) but there has just got to be a way to plan a wonderful wedding without creating such a big footprint.

As wedding season quickly approaches, or is already upon us, I thought I would redirect my royal wedding energies and think about some fun ways to keep that special day a little greener. There are a lot of really great resources out there for people who are planning a wedding and want to go the eco-route. All I had to do was delete “most eligible prince” from my search history and within seconds I had more information than I knew what to do with. Here I’ve selected some of my favorites.

Lindee Daniel wedding gown

The Dress. If a one-of-a-kind couture gown isn’t in your budget, consider buying a used one from a site like Recycled Bride or PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com. Not only can you get gorgeous dresses for mere fractions of their original prices, you’ll also be dramatically reducing the resources that go into making a dress. If you aren’t crazy about being the second bride to walk down the aisle in your dress, think about buying a dress made with organic materials like this one by Lindee Daniel or these by Adele Wechsler.

 

The Food & Flowers. We all know that the food served can make or break an event. Why not increase your chances of wowing guests with a menu of seasonal and fresh ingredients? Flavorful and healthier for both the body and the earth, local and organic food is becoming increasingly popular. Try to hire a caterer that shares these values. A good place to start might be at Local Harvest, a website that will help locate farmers and restaurants in your area serving up sustainable dishes. For flowers, consider engaging a vendor from your local farmer’s market. Not only will you have gorgeous, fresh blooms, but you’ll probably save money, too. Glossing Over It’s Susan Gloss got the floral centerpieces for her September 2007 wedding from Lewiston Perrenials at the Dane County Farmer’s Market, and loved that the arrangements of dahlias and gladiolus were not only bright and seasonal, but local, too.

Wildflower Bouquet

The Gifts. Since you have the stage on your special day, seize the opportunity to give your guests a take-home message. Literally. Hand out packets of wild flowers and encourage your guests to scatter them in a place that needs a bit of loving—no gardening or pesticides necessary. The best part is you aren’t wasting money on a gift that will be shoved to the back of  a closet. Can’t decide how to thank your bridesmaids? Upcycled jewelry from Bario-Neal is both elegant and environmentally responsible.

Whether or not you’re tying the knot in the near future, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to give up being eco-conscious for special occasions. It may take a bit more thinking and planning to green your wedding, your birthday, or your dinner party, but the extra effort will end up making your event even more unique and special. Saying “I do” might not land you a title like it did for the new Duchess of Cambridge but it can certainly earn you some green swag—that’s nothing to laugh at!

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