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 Green
Weddings
Green weddings are gaining popularity. I
think it is probably because weddings are
such a great opportunity for self
expression. If the bride and groom care
deeply for environmental concerns they will
likely want to incorporate those feelings
into a weeding and have "green" ceremony. To
meet the need for this growing market, many
wedding companies now offer products such as
recycled paper invitations, organic wedding
favors, etc. The bride and groom may even
opt for a local foods and/or organic
reception feast.
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A wedding is one of life's major rites of passage. It is certainly
something to celebrate! Today, wedding books and magazines promote
large weddings so that more and more wedding products can be sold.
Wedding expenditures run into many thousands of dollars. And after
this major outlay of money, most of what is purchased is never used
again.
On the Spring Equinox 2004, my ex-husband (yes,
that's right! my ex-husband!) Larry and I remarried. We had been
together for almost seventeen years, and had divorced several years
ago when our relationship problems seemed impossible to resolve. But
we still loved each other, so we figured out what to do to make
things better, and are now happier than ever.
In planning our wedding, we wanted to keep it simple,
small, and full of meaning. We wanted a ceremony and celebration
that would be easy to prepare for and manage. We wanted an intimate
occasion, surrounded by our closest friends who would participate
with us in the intention of our union. And as we planned our
wedding, we used the same guidelines for health and the environment
that we practice in our daily home life.
Since most books and articles are about planning big
weddings, I want to offer some tips on planning another sort of
wedding that can be beautiful and meaningful in it's own way.
* Make it your day. Each wedding can and should be a
unique expression of the couple getting married. So create the day
just the way you want it, to please the two of you.
* Choose the wedding traditions that are important to
you. When it comes right down to it, the essentials of a wedding are
the two people to be married, the minister or justice of the peace
who performs the ceremony, the ceremony itself, and the guests who
witness it. Everything else is decoration and tradition. Learn about
wedding traditions and choose to do those that will make your day
special.
* Write your own ceremony. The entire reason for
having a wedding, really, is the ceremony. The most important aspect
of a wedding is not the decorations, but the vows and intentions
that are stated in the ceremony and that you give to each other.
Research the time-honored patterns to wedding ceremonies and follow
this pattern in your own personal way.
* Invite meaningful guests. When you have a small
number of guests, you can spend more time with them and really
experience their presence. Minimum is just the two of you, the
minister, and a witness. Invite family and friends with whom you
have real relationships. Eliminate those that might be invited out
of social obligation.
* Have your wedding at home, either indoors or in
your garden, or in a park. Rather than spending a lot of money on
floral arrangements, we put that money into tidying up our back yard
and planting perennial flowers that we are still enjoying today.
Looking back on our wedding day, we are very pleased
with our simple, small wedding. We were able to relax and enjoy the
day and experience the love and support of our best friends. Best of
all, we still had energy left for the honeymoon...
For many more details on planning your simple, small,
green wedding (including choosing flowers, rings, clothing and
reciption, and photos of Debra's wedding), visit
http://www.debraslist.com/wedding and click on "You are invited
to... My Simple, Small, Green Wedding". Debra is also available as a
consultant to help you plan your wedding.
Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times,
Debra Lynn Dadd has been a leading consumer advocate for products
and lifestyle choices that are better for health and the environment
since 1982. Visit her website to learn more about her new book Home
Safe Home, to sign up for her free email newsletters, and to browse
100s of links to 1000s of nontoxic, natural and earthwise products. http://www.dld123.com
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