Weddings

The nice thing about petals is they often cost less than flowers, and can be used in many creative ways.

For example, you can use petals to create an aisle instead of buying a runner.

Image:Flowers Forever

At the reception you can place petals in tall glass vases along the card table...

Image: Fete Des Fleurs

Or float candles on top of thin glasses vases filled with petals or single blooms...

Image: Shower Blog

You can even arrange petals alone in colorful patterns.

Image:Sharon Stewart

After dinner you can serve a cake sprinkled with petals.

Image: Cake That!

And after the party you can leave in a shower of soft petals. 

Image: Stephen Dominick for Greeves Jams

Unfortunately, roses are one of the most heavily pesticided crops in the world and their production often leads to human health problems (seeBehind Roses' Beauty, Poor and Ill Workers from the NY Times).

The good news is that you can now get dried organic petals online or buy fresh petals from many organic farms.

Be sure to ask you florist about organic alternatives!

Beth Richardson and Steven Kent were married on March 1, 2008 atDuke Gardens in Durham, NC.
The couple met in South Africa, while Beth was working at the Amy Biehl Foundation helping artisans start small businesses.
In 2005, Beth started Zebra Crossings, a fair trade wedding boutique whose mission is to provide couples with "unique handmade items that improve the lives of the producers who make them and whenever possible preserve the health of our environment." Beth and Steven used many of Zebra Crossing's products in their own wedding - and generated over 200 hours of employment for artisans in developing countries in the process! "We felt it would be appropriate for our wedding celebration support artisans like those that were the reason that we met in the first place."
Here are some of the Fair Trade highlights:
1. Beth and Steven announced their wedding electronically using Zebra Crossing e-stationary.
2. For their invitations, Beth and Steven used these beautiful Bodhi leaf cards (made from tree-free paper) with a bamboo stick closure.
3. Their programs and menus came from Nepalese Paper and their place cards and table numbers came from Cards From Africa. Both fair trade stores offer handmade recycled paper stationary.
4. Their guestbook was handmade in India with tree-free paper.
5. Beth gave her bridesmaid's (pictured below holding bouquets of snapdragons, daylilies, and irises from Tre Bella Flowers & Gifts) luxurious all-natural Indian silk shawls to match their dresses.
6. Beth's diamond ring is certified conflict-free and their wedding bands were handmade by artists in South Africa.
8. Each guest received a fair trade, hand-beaded zebra keychainfrom South Africa.
9. Even the topper on their zebra striped cake was fair trade!
10. Finally, to ensure that the gifts purchased for their wedding were in line with their values and beliefs, Beth and Steven set up a registries with Global Exchange, Gaiam, and The I Do Foundation.
To learn more about fair trade visit the Fair Trade Federation'swebsite and be sure to check out Zebra Crossings to find more fair trade products for your wedding.
Finger Puppets available at Zebra Crossings

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Photo Credit: Steve McCaw

Choosing organic, seasonal and local flowers can significantly decrease the environmental impact of a wedding (or any party for that matter). However, unless you live near a good farmers market, or can find a florist who sources locally, finding local blooms can be harder than you might think.  
The first step is to identify which flowers are in season. Because what is available varies significantly by region and season, I recommend using a floral chart - like the one available at Bliss Wedding Floral. While it only offers a limited list, it allows you to search by region + season and shows color pictures of the blooms (which is key). Also take a peak at the Wedding Flowers Guide which has a slightly more detailed list. 

Another great option is to browse a comprehensive list for another region like the fabulous one for California put out by the California Cut Flower Commission and ask you florist what she can get in CT. 

For in situ inspiration - it is worth looking at floral books, and a number now discuss seasonal options (like Wedding Flower by Paul Pryke). I recommend popping into a book store so you can browse more thoroughly. To see a number of seasonal bouquets online see the real weddings page at www.thegreenbrideguide.com

Once you know what you are looking for contact a local farm via Local Harvet and see what they sell during that time of year.

When Justin Ruben, the Organizing Director of MoveOn.org and his wife Autumn Leonard got married last year at Camp Becket, they asked all of their guests to pitch in and help out: "Like many people, we made sure our wedding was definitely a group effort. I think we had 50 different volunteer job descriptions and we asked everyone to take a job--but we did it so everyone took one job, and no one (almost) had to work all weekend. We left it up to our friends to just work together to make stuff happen in the end - we left decisions up to them, etc." 

Autumn's mom and sister made the jumping broom Justin and Autumn used in the ceremony out of natural and biodegradable straw and ribbons. On the day of the wedding friends and family members constructed the chuppah out of wood and vines from the camp forest...  and placed seasonal flowers in reusable fish bowls.

For the music, Justin's brother Marc put together a choir of friends and family, "We just asked for volunteer at brunch before the wedding, and he worked with them for an hour. 50 or so of our friends and relatives actually sang during the ceremony--a beautiful gospel song called 'let your light shine' and it was really incredible. (helps if you have friends and relatives who can sing)." Autumn's family, talented New Orleans musicians also sang at the wedding.  Instead of getting a cake, Justin and Autumn asked each guest to bring a pie for a potluck pie-off. "It was INSANELY good. way better than a cake would have been -- and something for everyone." The benefits of having everyone help? "Not only did it free us up to focus on the moment, but everyone afterwards talked about how meaningful it was to have been part of making it happen. I think everyone felt like they owned a piece of this beautiful event. There were no spectators, only participants."

KATE Harrison's idea of a fairy tale wedding goes something like this: Gather more than 150 friends and relatives at an organic farm for a prewedding day of hikes and environmental tours.

Calculate the mileage guests will travel and offset their carbon dioxide emissions by donating to programs that plant trees or preserve rain forests. Use hydrangeas, berries and other local and seasonal flowers for her bouquet and the decorations, instead of burning up fuel transporting flowers from faraway farms. Design an organic autumnal menu (same reason).
Find a vintage dress to avoid the waste of a wedding gown that will never be worn again. ''It's well worth it to start your life together in a way that's in line with your values and beliefs,'' said Ms. Harrison, 28, a graduate student at Yale, who is to marry in October. ''You don't want this event that is supposed to start your life together to come at the expense of the environment or workers in another country.'' Call Ms. Harrison the anti-Bridezilla, whose wedding is all about the planet, rather than ''all about me.'' People in the wedding business say the eco-friendly or ''green'' wedding has arrived, its appeal having expanded to spur a mini-industry of stores and Web sites offering couples biodegradable plates made of sugar cane fiber and flowers grown according to sustainable farming practices.

The quality and choice of products has so steadily improved that the green concept is spreading to other kinds of parties, allowing hosts to embrace the earth without sacrificing style, party planners and others say. ''People are making purchasing decisions based on environmental concerns,'' said Gerald Prolman, the founder of OrganicBouquet.com, an online organic florist. Mr. Prolman, who said his Web site has doubled its sales yearly since it began in 2001, added a wholesale business last August to meet growing demand. ''Whether it's food or cotton or flowers,'' Mr. Prolman said, ''people are asking questions: How are farm workers treated? Who produced the product? How is the environment affected in that process?'' Eric Fenster, an owner of Back to Earth, an organic catering company in Berkeley, said that when he started his business in 2001, his clients consisted almost exclusively of social justice and environmental nonprofit groups.
But that market has expanded to make weddings a third of his business. And few events offer as many opportunities to say ''I care'' than a wedding, whose average cost is $25,000 to $30,000. Bridal magazines, too, have recognized the trend, and a new online site, Portovert.com, made its appearance last month, catering to ''eco-savvy brides and grooms.'' MILLIE MARTINI BRATTEN, the editor in chief of Brides magazine, said that over the last five years the interest in green weddings has blossomed from a desire to incorporate a few green elements, like a vegan menu, to making sure the entire celebration won't contribute to the depletion of natural resources.
This may include finding halls that recycle, hiring caterers who use locally grown ingredients, decorating with potted plants that can be transplanted and using soy-based candles, rather than those of petroleum-based wax. ''If anything, it makes the wedding even more meaningful,'' said Ms. Martini Bratten, whose magazine's February-March issue features a planning guide for a green wedding. Today, some in the eco-business note, even the honeymoon can be green without roughing it. ''You used to have to go camping,'' said Ted Ning, the executive director of the Lohas Journal, a resource guide for businesses that serve the environmentally conscious market. ''Now you have these amazing luxurious spas in Africa or Fiji.
You can look at different animals while getting a massage in a tree.'' But can weddings really make a dent in global warming, particularly if the couple then set out on an emission-spewing trans-Atlantic flight for the honeymoon? Janet Larsen, the director of research at the Earth Policy Institute, an environmental research group in Washington, said that every little bit helps. ''All the actions add up,'' she said. ''Anything individuals can do to reduce their overall environmental footprint can make a difference.'' Joshua Houdek, 32, and Kristi Papenfuss, 35, are planning a ''zero waste'' wedding for 250 guests in August. It will take place on a farm and include compostable plates and utensils, organic and fair trade-certified food, locally brewed beer and organic wine and wedding rings that are ''100 percent reclaimed, recycled, ecologically responsible gold,'' said Mr. Houdek, who works as a Sierra Club organizer in Minneapolis. In lieu of traditional gifts, Mr. Houdek and Ms. Papenfuss, an elementary school teacher, plan to ask guests to sign up for renewable energy and reforestation projects to counteract their energy consumption or to donate to the Sierra Club or other environmental groups.
The couple don't think it's too much to ask. ''We're not forcing them,'' Mr. Houdek stressed, though Ms. Papenfuss said that some people have been surprised at the elements that are making an appearance at their wedding. ''We've had a few people say 'What?' when we talk about biodegradable forks that are potato-based,'' she said. 'What do you mean forks made out of potato?' '' For her wedding, Ms. Harrison, who is working on a law degree and a master's in environmental management, and her fiancé, Barry Muchnick, 33, also a graduate student at Yale, plan to treat guests to a rehearsal barbecue dinner at an organic farm in Garrison, N.Y. The next day's ceremony is to take place at Castle Rock, a state-owned 19th-century castle in a scenic trail area, followed by the reception at a golf club, whose restaurant serves organic food. The couple are looking for shuttle buses that run on biodiesel fuel to move guests between sites, and Ms. Harrison is making pottery for her guests to take home as party favors.

It all sounds like more work and expense than the traditional wedding. While Mr. Ning of Lohas Journal noted that going organic often means paying up to 20 percent more because many products come from small farms that receive no government subsidies, some brides noted that a wedding at a farm is more economical than at a hotel or hall. ''It doesn't have to be any more or any less expensive,'' Ms. Papenfuss said. Some couples make tradeoffs so they can afford to go green. Sarah Minick, 29, an environmental planner in the Bay Area, and Siddhartha Mitra, 27, a doctoral student at the University of California at San Francisco, kept their wedding last July on the small side, about 75 guests, so they could offer an organic menu, which they said cost about 10 percent more than traditional food. The couple had their ceremony and reception in a natural setting that required few decorations, the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley.
They went less green on the favors, though: they gave non-native tropical plants because they thought them more beautiful than locally grown varieties and felt their guests would enjoy them more, Mr. Mitra said. ''We're really happy with how it turned out,'' the bridegroom said. ''It reflected us.'' The environmentally conscious party concept is spreading.
Marriott International will soon announce deals with organicbouquet.com and other vendors to make organic flowers available to customers for events, starting in the spring, said Laurie Goldstein, a spokeswoman for the hotel chain. Ms. Goldstein, who said the demand was driven by corporate meeting planners seeking to be more socially responsible, called organic flowers ''the first step'' to offering all-green events, including organic food and organic cotton tablecloths.
Even Hollywood is jumping on the bandwagon. For the Golden Globes last month, E! Entertainment partnered with the Environmental Media Association as hosts to a Golden Green after-party, including napkins printed with energy-saving tips. The organizers also committed themselves to planting a tree for each of the 800-plus guests. For private parties, as for weddings, Ms. Martini Bratten advises couples that no matter how well intentioned, they should not appear to be coercing guests into contributing to a cause. Asking them to buy a certain gift or donate to a specific group is fine as long as that is conveyed as just one choice, she said. ''It shouldn't be a requirement,'' she said. ''Imposing your wishes on someone else is crossing the line.'' What about the host who wants to send guests home with energy-efficient light bulbs? Many couples said that more often than not their friends and families want to make a difference, too. ''I have a couple of relatives who think some of it is unnecessary, but they appreciate the mind-set behind it,'' Ms. Harrison said. ''It's a huge opportunity for people to make choices that can affect change. It's one of the biggest contributions you can make as a young adult.'' By:Mireya Navarro