A Green Earth-Friendly Wedding

The buzz nowadays is all about being GREEN. Not with envy, but with earth-friendly, good-natured, tree-hugging happiness.

I recently read an article by Reno News and Review about having a Green Wedding. I thought it was kind of funny, considering that most wedding chapels are VERY green, compared to your average wedding location.

I'm going to use the Antique Angel Wedding Chapel in Reno, Nevada as an example:

Decorations

Ok, if you had an outdoor wedding in your parent's backyard, or a wedding in a church, you're going to have to come up with some decorations. These may include any number of non-renewable resources; balloons, crepe paper, banners, paper or vinyl tablecloths, and much much more.

At a wedding chapel, the rooms are already perfectly decorated with silk floral arrangements, framed art, romantic lighting, and more. The reception area is decorated with painted murals, floral arrangements, linen tablecloths, and tasteful decor.

The Dress you only wear Once

Why buy a dress you're only going to wear once? What a waste!! By renting a gown you get to dress your best for a fraction of the cost of buying a brand-new dress. Further, you don't have to hassle with caring for the dress before and after the event. The Antique Angel also offers an assortment of dresses for mothers of the bride, and bridesmaids. And, of course, make your man look his best in a tux!

Wedding Bouquets

Anything that ends up in the trash is not green. Items that take few and renewable resources to create are green. So, let's look at the typical wedding flower situation. You drive to a nearby florist to figure out what flowers you want for your wedding. Then you drive home. The florist, meanwhile, waits for the flowers to arrive by truck. When the flowers are done they are either delivered to you, your wedding site, or they're picked up by the wedding party. The flowers are oooh and ahhhed over during the ceremony, a bouquet is tossed at the reception, and then they're thrown in the trash after a week of attempted drying and preserving of the petals.

Here's another way to do it: Call the Antique Angel Wedding Chapel and consult with the on-site florist. Choose either silk or fresh. Historically, fresh flowers have been pretty popular, but it's becoming more and more realistic to opt for silk. If you do choose fresh, know that you're eliminating a lot of driving time by making a phone call, and by working with on-site florists. If you choose silk bouquets, either pick out a bouquet that is on display, or have one custom made. Either way, choose a wedding bouquet that will match the decor in your home. And then plan on keeping the bouquet 'til death do you part!