Eco-Chic - The modern North American wedding is a joyous, extravagant and increasingly consumerist occasion. It costs $27,500 US on average, includes about 160 guests, and involves more than 40 different professionals. There’s even a nickname for the self-absorbed, money- is-no-object bride: they call her Bridezilla.
In her just-published book One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding (Penguin Press), New York journalist Rebecca Mead investigates the modern U.S. wedding and the multibillion-dollar industry it has spawned. The whole purpose of this growing industry, she says, is to encourage brides to become obsessive, extravagant, self-centred creatures.
But for renegade couples who want to buck the consumerist trend, there’s a growing selection of environmentally friendly options. Here are a few green-wedding ideas from Eco-Chic Weddings - The rings: The production of a single gold ring can generate 20 tonnes of mine waste, Anderson writes. Diamonds often originate from areas in sub-Saharan Africa where the profits from their sale are used to fund guerrilla military activity. Opt instead for faux diamonds, such as the synthetic stone Moissanite, which looks real, but costs a fraction of a diamond’s price. Choose recycled gold. Have your engagement ring serve as a wedding band as well.
- The gown: A typical wedding dress can take 15 metres of fabric or more. Often, it’s made in China using child labour and/or environmentally harmful chemicals. And it usually costs more than $1,000. Instead, buy a gown made by a local designer. Choose a dress you can wear more than once. Consider a recycled or rented dress.
- The bridal registry: Create a registry to cut down on unwanted gifts you’ll never use. Better still, register with companies that encourage sustainable and fair trade practices. Or be totally selfless and ask for charitable alternatives to gifts.
- Bonbonnieres: Admit it — nobody ever uses those tacky little wedding favours. Dispense with the bonbonniere altogether and make a donation on the guests’ behalf.
- The invitations: Some stationers recommend the so-called “wedding wardrobe,” which might include up to 10 different pieces for a single invitation. Consider a simpler invitation, perhaps using tree-free or chlorine-free papers, or artisanal paper and include a “please recycle” note on the back. Or go digital and send e-vites.
- Flowers: The toxic chemicals used on flower farms in Central and South America poison the soil and groundwater. Choose organic flowers. Or find locally grown flowers in season.
- The menu: It is humanly impossible to eat everything at most weddings these days. Sushi, smoked salmon, tapas for cocktails, a pasta first course, soup, salad, the main meal, followed by dessert, then a sweet table. It’s way too much for even the biggest gourmand, and tons of it ends up in the dumpster after the party’s over. Simplify the menu.
- The honeymoon: The average amount spent on a honeymoon is $3,700, and almost two-thirds of those trips are to foreign locales. Investigate green hotels. Go to the website greenhotels.com to see if a hotel or resort supports organizations that pay fair wages and follow good environmental practices. Check blueflag.org or greenglobe.org, two sites with environmental information about international destinations that promote sustainable development.