WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES SEPTEMBER 21, 2017 15
WINTER BRIDAL
Green ideas for winter white weddings
You’re ready to say your “I do’s” in
front of your family and friends.
Planning a memorable celebration
of your commitment to each other,
however, doesn’t mean you have to
compromise on your commitment to
the environment. It’s possible to create
the wedding of your dreams and stay
“green,” even in the cold, white months
of winter.
Environmentally correct weddings
are a hot trend, according to TheKnot.
com, a leading wedding-planning
website. If your vision of the perfect
wedding marries eco-friendly green
with winter white, here are some tips
and ideas to help you turn your vision
into reality:
FRIENDLY FEASTING
Great food is an essential part of any
wedding, whether you’re serving a sitdown
dinner or just hors d’oeuvres
and cocktails. When you’re planning
your menu, however, keep in mind
how the foods you choose may impact
the environment. For example, is that
fi sh entree net caught, line caught or
farmed?
A dish’s environmental impact
depends on several factors, including
how the product was raised and harvested,
how it was transported and
how far it had to travel from point of
origin to plate. By choosing locally
grown products or those grown and
harvested using sustainable practices,
you can reduce your wedding feast’s
impact on the environment.
REUSE, RECYCLE AND
REVEL
Brides in bygone generations once
gladly wore their mother’s wedding
dress, but the practice fell out of vogue
as more brides wanted their own
unique look for their wedding day. But
the green movement has breathed new
life into the practice, since reusing
and recycling eliminates the need to
consume materials and energy making
something new. More brides are
fi nding that recycling a wedding dress
has other advantages too. It’s possible
to achieve a great vintage look with a
used wedding dress - whether it’s one
handed down from your mother or
one you found in a second-hand store.
A new gown can cost thousands of
dollars, while a repurposed dress can
be had much more cheaply.
WEDDING FAVOR
WONDERS
Sure it’s a cool idea and the groomsmen
will likely use theirs oft en, but
just how environmentally correct
is that custom-imprinted beer cozy?
Wedding favors are a way of thanking
guests for sharing in your special day,
but many popular items are made
from less-than-eco-friendly materials.
To green your wedding, consider
favors that are useful and organic,
such as organic baking mixes or spice
mixes. You can fi nd a plethora of these
great-tasting, green-minded options
from purveyors like Simply Organic.
They even have holiday-appropriate
varieties like Cranberry Bread and
Pumpkin Cake at www.simplyorganic.
com. Dress up favors with decorative
netting and ribbons, and you have a
unique favor that’s good for guests and
the environment, too.
GREENER INVITATIONS
The invitation is often the first
impression guests will have of your
wedding. While every bride wants
invitations that will wow guests,
keep in mind the costs - both monetary
and environmental - of all that
paper. Many eco-minded brides are
switching to invitations made with
recycled paper or, better yet, electronic
invitations.
No raw materials are consumed to
create e-vites, and what’s more, you
can fi nd online services that not only
help you create an e-vite, but send it
and monitor responses all online. Using
such a service can help you keep
better track of RSVPs.
There is the option of sending invitations
printed on recycled paper with
fl ower seeds imbedded in the paper.
Your guests can plant the invitation
in their garden, and remember your
special occasion every time they see
the beautiful fl owers growing.
THE LITTLE THINGS THAT
MEAN A LOT
Some other steps that may seem
small - like choosing locally grown,
in-season fl owers rather than out-ofseason
ones that must be imported
- can also make a big diff erence in
how your wedding impacts the environment.
Whether you opt to replace
cut bouquets and centerpieces with
artifi cial ones that can be reused, or
choose acoustic music that requires
no electricity to keep guests dancing,
it’s possible to fi nd green options for
almost every aspect of your wedding.
Courtesy BPT
