Eco-weddings!!! How green can you be?
November 28th, 2006Ecologically responsible weddings popular in US, UK, but not here, YET!
I found this story in a brand new bi-monthly ‘green living’ mag called G, with the tagline ‘for a lifestyle that won’t cost the earth’. Editor Sara Phillips says she’s ‘unfashionably excited’ about it all!
What does G offer? In this edition:
- Clean energy: What it is, where to get it
- 44 Ecofabulous solutions: food, fashion, beauty, travel & entertaining
- Climate change: our best wines face devastation
- Renovating for sustainability
- Australia’s top 12 ethical companies
- Urban chic & eco-cool summer ideas for the house, garden & hip-pocket.
BUT, it was the carbon neutral wedding in Sydney that really caught my eye!
The bride and groom, Danielle and Angus, are apparently really committed to reducing their environmental footprint. They recycle everything, use bikes instead of cars and power their home with 100% green energy.
Friends of the couple work for Climate Friendly a company that funds renewable energy projects and they ‘led’ the process.
What exactly did they do to organise the carbon credits?
- They found out how many guests and where they were travelling from;
- in conjunction with the venue they worked out the greenhouse emissions from the electricity, food consumption and waste: 21 tonnes, equivalent to 48,000 wheelie bins (50% came from flying Grannie over from the UK);
- They worked out that one carbon credit costs $21.15, represents one tonne of CO2 and goes towards funding clean energy projects around the world which generate power but emit less greenhouse gases. For this wedding the carbon offsets came in under $500 and the 130 guests all contributed.
The eco-wedding
- The venue was the Megalong Valley Heritage Farm at the base of the Blue Mountains;
- the bride’s dress was Thai silk that used no synthetic dyes;
- instead of a gift registry, each guest was asked to bring a dish for the reception;
- they had been together for 7 years, so didn’t need household ‘stuff’, and ended up with an amazing array of dishes;
- the total cost was $10,000 ( the average Aussie wedding apparently costs around $32,000!) which included brekky and lunch for all the next day.
For more info about carbon credit you can visit www.carbonplanet.com.
I HAVE heard of people asking for big ’0′ gifts to be donations to ‘favourite charities’ but I haven’t heard of the environment being linked to weddings before – do you think it will take off here?
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December 4th, 2006 at 12:57 pm
Hello, I read the green wedding with interest. I am opening a horse drawn restaurant in Febuary with weddings in mind. I currently work in an Environment based industry and so green power and reducing CO2 emissions was in the forefront of my mind when I considered such an endeavour. I hope that we can transport many bridal parties and others in style whilst reducing greenhouse gases.
Venloe Scott 0412287615
January 3rd, 2007 at 2:48 pm
If you’re interested in environmentally/socially responsible weddings, you should check out the first international sustainable wedding magazine — it launches mid-January at http://www.Portovert.com. It is a GREAT resource (yes, I’m the editor, but it is true!).
January 8th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
I was desperately excited when I saw there was an article on eco weddings in G mag (which I had just subscribed to) but was quite disappointed with the article.
I am currently organising my own wedding and as a Sustainability Educator I already know a lot about how to be green, but a wedding is a whole new ballgame so I was looking for more advice. I felt the concentration on carbon credits was a bit boring and to be frank, a bit of a cheats way out for the couple (although I do admire them sacraficing pressies for the environment). Being green is about much more than purchasing carbon credits. I would have loved to have read about many more creative ways of having an environmentally friendly wedding.
Cant wait for Portovert to come out! I hope its more creative than the article in G mag.
BTW I do like G mag as a whole. Good luck to them! I cant wait for the next issue.
January 22nd, 2007 at 9:18 am
Yes, I’ve checked out your brand new sustainable wedding magazine, Meghan, and I think its great – lovely layout and user friendly – good luck to you.
But eco chic couples planning to marry in the UK may be interested in http://www.GreenUnion.co.uk, an exciting, new comprehensive and up-to-date online green wedding resource covering the whole of the United Kingdom and Ireland. We launched this January and this greener wedding website will help with everything you need to know about planning stylish, sustainable, eco weddings and celebrations without compromising on quality or design. Our fantastic list of top products and services from hats to honeymoons, and cakes to carriages, will help every eco chic bride and groom plan a healthy, happy and green wedding day.
January 31st, 2007 at 5:17 pm
We have started a new company in Melbourne called ecolimo which is an alternative to the large limousines that are traditionally used for weddings. We are using the Lexus GS450h which is an electric/petrol hybrid and produces 45% less emissions into the environment, it is also a very beautiful car so you are not compromising on luxury. The concept has been very popular so far with business people going to and from the airport and we are hoping to break into the wedding market as well as we have also noticed a trend towards green weddings overseas.
As well as being business people we are also committed to the environment.
Have a look at http://www.ecolimo.com.au for more information.
I also like the idea of a horse drawn carriage which I would imagine has 0 emissions, but this is another option. I was also disappointed with the article in G magazine as I thought it may have information about organic caterers and prganic flowers etc.
March 26th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
I usually attend weddings with a smile on my dial and not a single thought toward the costs on the environment. Apart from happiness to all present, my thoughts might stray to the financial costs for everyone involved.
I’ll keep my eye out for Portovert and possibly the eco-limo. My cousin used a horse-drawn cart at her wedding late last year. I must say, that was rather charming.
Congratulations to Danielle and Angus. It’s also great to see shining examples of success. Well done.
April 19th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
Based in Victoria, Australia, I have been growing and drying rose petals for the wedding industry for the last two years. My mother, Jan Slater, and I work in partnership on the family farm, Simply Rose Petals.
Last week Mum and I were talking about how many of our brides are now ringing up to order rose petals for their eco-weddings. So I thought I’d do a bit of research today and see if this trend is taking off. That’s when I found this site. Great to see brides are really taking such an important issue seriously as too often people think that it’s OK to splash out when it’s only one day of their life.
I’m thrilled that our rose petals can be a part of an eco-friendly wedding as we’ve been practising environmentally friendly farming since our business began. Have a look at http://www.SimplyRosePetals.com for more information.
Meghan, I love the look of your wedding magazine. Is there anywhere I can purchase it in Australia?
May 19th, 2007 at 11:22 pm
We may have some answers to help Naomi and other couples as we have just launched Australia’s first online directory dedicated to eco-friendly, green & natural weddings. We love the ideas already mentioned here and would love to hear any more… Please visit us at http://www.naturalweddings.com.au to see the growing list of Australian companies helping to create beautiful, planet-friendly wedding celebrations.
October 21st, 2007 at 8:39 pm
Hi,
Firstly, I am getting married next year to a home sustainability consultant (http://www.ecosmart.net.au/) so there is no getting around the obvious–a green wedding!
Secondly, I am a home based dressmaker and have been researching sustainability in the fashion industry for some time.
We use green Synergy energy, compost organic waste onsite, recycle, recycle fabric scraps to our bike mechanic as rags, have CFL light bulbs throughout and I plan to buy a roll of silk/hemp fabric to encourage brides to use that.
For our own wedding I will use some op shop fabric finds (old beaut beaded fabrics) in combination with [probably] new fabric.
I am looking into the bamboo and palm leaf plates and will hopefully have a ceremony and reception venue within waling distance.
Portovert looks quite helpful. I like the article which outlines weddings under five grand.
November 21st, 2007 at 10:32 pm
Eco studio is Australia’s largest eco-green based community, with a green celebration feature that includes weddings with a great range of articles, photos and a resource directory, for finding anything you need for your eco wedding.
Eco studio also has a great community forum with extensive comments regarding eco weddings and free classified’s with a green wedding section to buy and sell your near new bridal dresses and accessories.
http://www.ecostudio.com.au
December 5th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Hello! I am also getting married and planning an Eco Friendly Wedding. I was so excited about jumping on the net and finding a one stop shop website that could help plan our special day.
Unfortunately, I found it a little difficult to find exactly what I was looking for, so……
I created my own! Eco Friendly Weddings http://www.ecofriendlyweddings.com.au is a one stop shop directory, created by a bride to be for brides to be!
Launched in November 2008 and growing everyday with more and more listings I am bringing together all the tools you need to have your own dream eco wedding, just like me.
I can be contacted through the site, I would love to hear from anyone who is also planning an eco wedding and wants to share their ideas.
January 15th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
Hi,
Its great to see so many new companies starting to go down the eco wedding path. I have been making eco jewellery since 2005 and have found a huge increase in the amount of engagement/wedding rings I have had commissioned lately. Thanks to the internet and sites like http://www.pigswillfly.com.au we can all research our purchasing decisions from the comfort of our homes enabeling us to choose the greenest option. If anybody needs any information on eco wedding jewellery please contact me through my website http://www.utopiancreations.com.au and Ill do my best to answer your questions, that goes for consumers and other jewellers interested in turning over a new leaf.
November 4th, 2009 at 8:28 am
Hi, I am a professional make up artist and about 12 months ago decided to offer only organic and natural make up products. I choose the best products for my clients, researching and choosing the purest products available, for the skin and the environment. The results are amazing using organic and natural, my clients react less to the products and know that they can pamper themselves, guilt free. Ladies can still look beautiful on their wedding day without the need for synthetic and petro-chemical filled make up! An all round more natural beauty.
Please email me for more information – Bridal parties, make up lessons, special occasions – charlottefeakins@hotmail.com.
January 15th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
I’m a Marriage Celebrant who believes that ceremonies should be sustainable and I specialise in ceremonies that sit lightly on the earth.
I would love to chat to you about your wedding, commitment or baby naming celebrations.
Please email me at greencelebrant@gmail.com to discuss the possibilities of an environmentally friendly ceremony.
June 12th, 2010 at 10:49 am
Hi,
I run Wild Bunch Weddings where we provide high quality wedding videos.
Apart from creating pretty great videos (modesty is overrated), we’re committed to a greener future and only use recycled products where possible and donate a part of our profits to an Australian environmentally sustainable cause.
Our blog/website outlines where we help with the environment:http://www.wildbunchweddings.com.au/blog/?p=34
Vida!!