Vowing to be Green
More couples are choosing to make their weddings organic and eco-friendly — and fashionable
By Ritzy Ryciak
Her husband proposed with the sound of fluttering monarch wings in the background.
“It sounded like a breeze,” remembers Alex Jamieson, describing the small forest in Mexico where the trees were dripping with butterflies and she agreed to marriage. “But it was just the sound of their wings. It was the perfect moment for the hippie in me.”
In May, Jamieson, the vegan-chef girlfriend of Morgan Spurlock, creator and star of celebrated documentary, Super Size Me, the story of one man living on McDonald’s food for a month, married on the tiny island of Fiji.
Jamieson wore a hemp-silk wedding dress (made by her mother) and it should come as no surprise that the Super Size Me couple, who have inspired many to change their diets and think about the impacts of their personal food choices, would make conscious decisions about their wedding.
For too long, weddings have been an event for which all logic goes out the window. The thinking, even for the usually-green crowd: This day only happens once—if you’re lucky—and why not go for the gusto?
Brides become “bridezilla.” Dads go into debt. All sense of “normalcy” is put off until after the wedding.
While over-the-top celebrations have far from vanished (the average wedding in 2005 cost $26,327), an audible fluttering in the world of vows and flowers has definitely emerged. More weddings are going green.
Engaged couples are thinking about the environmental and social impacts of their big day. They are seeking organic and ethically sound options, and that demand is creating more green choices for gowns, flowers, salons, cakes, catering, gifts, jewelry and even honeymoons.
And make no mistake, wedding planners and cake makers alike are anticipating the green slice of the market going into local economies. A recent survey conducted by The Fairchild Bridal Group, publishers of Brides, Modern Bride and Elegant Bride magazines, the total amount spent on weddings has increased $5 billion to a total of $125 billion since 2002. The 2005 study found that each year, 1 out of every 62 Americans will get married. There will be 2.1 million weddings, 40,400 weddings every weekend, 18 million bridesmaids and groomsmen and 295 million wedding guests (there are 300 million people in America).
‘Light on the Earth’
For their parts, Jamieson and Spurlock eloped to Fiji and opted for a very small ceremony (only two close friends attended). After a combined wedding and honeymoon, the couple returned home, threw a few parties and celebrated in a “low-key manner.” While they did not have to tackle issues like paper for invitations, flowers and decorations, and catering, Jamieson did give thought to her wedding day attire.
“I love that not only is this dress light on the earth,” says Alex, describing her Marilyn Monroe standing-over-the-heat-vent style gown. “I can recycle and re-use it.”
Hemp fiber, typically paired with Birkenstocks, is resistant to mold and bacteria, biodegradable and actually improves the condition of the soil that it is grown in. Yet it remains illegal to grow in the U.S. Even so, somewhere along the way, this eco-fiber has gone from earthy to sheen.
“So many designers that you see use the hemp fabrics have been more into jeans, t-shirts and yoga wear,” explains Deborah Lindquist, described in the press as a “sexy eco-designer”who has dressed stars such as Charlize Theron and Sarah Jessica Parker. “In the past, the styles have been more granola-based.”
Lindquist is a Los Angeles-based designer with her eye toward the planet and cutting-edge fashion. She incorporates recycled fabrics into her designs and recently, her hemp-silk wedding dress was featured in a USA Today article about hemp.
“My intention is to save the planet with clothing, one bustier at a time,” says Lindquist, whose new line was just bought by Whole Foods.
Elegant hemp? Eco-friendly bustiers? Is everything and anything in the sphere of green weddings possible?
“People want to make better choices in what they put on their body and in their body,” says Lindquist.
Upside of up-do’s
Joe Carling, a hairdresser for 16-years and the man that many Seattle brides go to for beautification on their big day, notices a similar trend.
“I think that as time goes by, going green and organic will take off even more,” says Carling, who as owner and head stylist of the Mode Organic salon is committed to offering healthy alternatives to the harsh chemicals that plague the beauty industry. “People are just now becoming aware of what is available.”
Carling works at Mode Organic, voted Seattle Magazine’s, best salon in 2005—and not just in the green category. Similarly, Carling won best stylist and best colorist designations. He is renowned for his up-do’s.
Mode Organic offers one of the only ammonia-free hair coloring systems in Washington and is a full-service spa that pampers conscious brides with organic facials and bridal spa parties featuring organic food.
Carling notes that when clients are educated and given the choice—toxic chemicals or plant-based products,—not surprisingly, they make the choice to change.
There is chicken-or-egg debate about what came first, the demand for greener choices or the choices themselves, but everyone agrees both are on the upswing. Ask Michelle Kozin. When she started the organicweddings.com in 2001, her idea was novel. Now, at least a dozen other websites have joined in some facet of the online green-wedding planning industry.
Or ask Leslie Zvitt. She is a Chicagoan who married this March and incorporated tree-free invitations into her wedding planning. Plus, she ordered a recycled white gold wedding band from Green Karat, a Texas-based jeweler, for her new husband, Jeremy.
“I knew what kind of people we were and how invested we are in the outdoors,” says Zvitt. “I knew that I wanted our wedding to reflect those values more than I wanted it to reflect the [mainstream] wedding industry.”
Kozin estimates about half of the money spent on weddings goes to the venue and the caterer. It is still a muddle to find facilities that match a green couple’s values—one tip is look to the spaces used by nonprofits—but going organic with the food, wine and beer gets easier every June.
Green Karat, a company committed to ending destructive gold and diamond mining, provides ecologically and socially responsible jewelry alternatives. Rings are made out of recycled metals like gold and platinum and created or recycled gems are available.
“I learned about Green Karat rings and it seemed like a more ecologically responsible way to go,” says Zvitt, who admits, that in addition to the wedding ring and invitations there were probably more green choices that she could have made while planning. At the same time, she explains that she didn’t want to be overtaken and overwhelmed by the wedding whirlwind and its many expectations.
“I wanted a great party and I wanted to do it as simply and as kindly to the environment as we could.”
Value-added wedding planning
Amy Vanclef, founder of Simply Organic Weddings and a wedding coordinator in the San Francisco area, has been planning weddings for the past six years. Last year, she decided to hone her focus, and work with brides with green intentions.
“There is so much value in this,” says Vanclef, who spends a lot of her time researching more ethical and more environmental option. She notes organic catering as her most popular request. “People spend a lot on weddings and there are so many choices available where couples can spend their money to help create community and support local vendors.”
Valerie Edmunds is the creator of Green Elegance Weddings, a recently launched website by the same name that compiles and updates green wedding products and services.
“My thinking is, if those dollars are going to be spent, let’s direct them to more green.” Edmunds makes this great point: For many, weddings, like house purchases, represent one of the few times in life when big chunks of money are spent. If you or maybe your parents or in-laws are dropping lots of cash, why not make the world a little cleaner and greener.
For many couples, Edmunds says researching and planning a greener wedding can even be a good starting point for couples to develop core values as a family unit.
“It is unifying,” she says. “It can also be a great opportunity to express new ideas or issues to guests that they have not yet been exposed to.”
No area of the planning needs be untouched. Green planners can help with organic flowers (free of the pesticides used on most all commercial flowers). There are alternatives to the classic registry in which couples ask for energy-saving lights or organic cotton linens. You can look for organic and locally made chocolates as a wedding favor (other couples have distributed jams or honey from local farmers markets). Some couples plant trees in the names of guests.
By planting a tree you can offset carbon emissions. Cornstarch utensils are biodegradable and compostable. There are ways of making a point without being preachy.
“It is impossible to be perfect—it is impossible to be a purist,” says Edmunds. “But whatever you can do does make a difference.”
Ritzy Ryciak is a regular contributor to Conscious Enlightenment publications who goes green every chance she gets.
