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How To Throw A Green And Cheap Wedding

How To Throw A Green And Cheap Wedding

Most the people we know have weddings that cost anywhere from 30G’s to a cool million bucks (yep, we really know people who have spent that much and more on the big day).   We try not to judge, but it’s hard, when there is so much strife and poverty in the world to imagine spending money that way.   We’ve thus far been the proponent of good old fashioned elopements til our girl Laura Little emailed us telling us she was offering full wedding packages (in NYC) that start at $10,000 and end at $15,000.     Offering a new way of thinking about the big day, and applying it to the regular DIY bride makes an eco-friendly, humble, fun wedding seem possible!   That got us thinking about all the possibilities!

Here are some of Laura’s Favorite Tips:

  • Keep it short and sweet. Meaning, if you want to hire a venue in Waterloo (or where you are hosting the wedding), make sure the ceremony and reception are in the same place, this eliminates travel drama, guests getting lost, and two venue fees!
  • Limit your guest list. Be stringent with your invitations and prioritize your guest list. Use the 2 month rule: If you haven’t seen or heard from the person in 2 months, they are not a priority.
  • Don’t go mad with flowers. If you have to have flowers, put them in key places, and choose seasonal options to keep cost reasonable. Simplicity is key.
  • When it comes to catering, beverages and wedding favors, get creative. Do tea sandwiches, or beer and wine only, maybe write a thank you poem and print it as a giveaway. Remember your guests have come for you – not a luxury meal or goody bag.
  • Forget Designer Labels. Use a personal stylist to help you find the perfect dress, she’ll know where the deals are, and how to find a replica dress for less. You’ll be saying “Vera who?” in no time.
  • Stand your ground and know what you want. It’s easy to make bad choices when we feel pressured or put on the spot.   Before you sign on the dotted line – take your time and think it over. You’ll avoid error and the cost of fixing things later on.

Here are some our *favorite* tips for an ECO Wedding!

Your events should be reflective of how you live our everyday lives, but some people use THE big day to really do something different and take a stand for what they believe in. If you are a green teen, incorporate as many organic, local, and natural options into your big day as you can. Just because you are in love   doesn’t mean the planet should suffer! Weddings can be literal wastelands of food and resources. So as you plan your celebration – use this guide to help you party while lookin’ the globe in the eye. Actions as simple as offering cloth hand towels instead of paper towels in the restrooms at your event can save a tree or 12, and look way more elegant.

INVITES

For invitations, use recycled paper invitations.   Our dear friend Marisa used beautiful colored hemp pulpy-looking paper and soy ink on her invites, and they were gorgeous! Many stationery stores carry recycled paper products, but try to avoid plastic or heavily coated papers which are almost impossible to recycle. These recycled invitations and stationery are made by hand: www.twistedlimbpaper.com. Another option is to go totally paper free, and save a fortune and a forest, by sending your guests an evite. Check out www.regards.com or www.evite.com. You can funk up your evite with photos and glam text, OR hire a graphic designer to design something gorgeous and email it out as a JPEG! Evite sites also have excellent features to track rsvp’s and send Thank You notes, post-event to save even more needless paper.

Twisted Limb Custom Eco Invitations - made from crushed flowers and seeds
Twisted Limb Custom Eco Invitations – made from crushed flowers and seeds

OPTIONS OUTSIDE OF RENTING OUT FANCY PANTS HOTELS

Instead of renting out a hall, party on a beach, lake, backyard, rooftop, or even an idyllic farm.   Minimize travel with local events. Really, the ideal place to throw a green party is outside (duh!!). There is nothing like an ocean background or starry night to trump any centerpiece!

FLOWERS – SMELL THE ROSES, MOSES.

Bouquets can be handpicked from a neighbor’s garden, or functional centerpieces can be handcrafted by you and your posse. You could even make it a weekly craft fest -girlie bond and create memorable works of art! Candles are cheap, easy, eco (if you buy soy candles), and can brighten any setting, and help keep the bugs away (if you are planning an outdoor event – use citronella candles). You can even rock recycled glass holders for votives. Try stringing LED white lights from Innovative Energy Solutions, which use 80 to 90 percent less energy, if you must use unnatural light.

The most sustainable thing you can do when throwing an event is to use potted plants – guests can take them home at the end of the evening, and they look adorable! That way, you combine the decorations with the favors… like, a luau party could have organic pineapples on the table and the guests get to take them home – yum!

Get ready for the icky truth about flowers: flowers are mostly genetically engineered hybrids and there are no enforced pesticide/herbicide caps. 75% of all US flowers are flown in from SE Asia = a lot of jet fuel. Jet fuel = is the biggest contributor to greenhouses gases in the world. Yikes! www.organicbouquet.com does beautiful ORGANIC (pesticide free) flowers State-side if you must go for cut stems. But really, what’s the point in all those dying flowers that cost you a fortune for one night only? Why not at least let a planted flower go home with a guest to brighten up their days for weeks on end! Another option is a dried flower centerpiece – they can be taken home too and will smell up the joint something gorgeous!

Another idea: get theme decorations for FREE from www.Freecycle.org, instead of buying new. Most party items will sit in closets or garages forever. It’s really easy to find everything you need from people who’ve had their fill of the item!

NOT EVEN A COFFEE CAKE DID I GO HOME WITH!!?!?!

It’s nice to offer a little memento of your event that people will actually use. A keychain of you and your dog isn’t something people want… sorry. However, a beautiful champagne flute that they can drink from at the event, and then take home would cut down on washing, and offer a reusable and realistic gift. I once went to a wedding reception where they used little antique-y picture frames as name cards – once the event is over you can bring home a pretty little frame! Good Luck Gardens in a Bag, Windowsill Herb sets of starter pots, or precious Tree in a Box kits, are all super adorable and as green and cheap as they come!

GIFTS

See Also

If gifts are part of the spiel – definitely register. It’s eco-evil to get gifts you will never use. Don’t be embarrassed to put a toilet bowl brush on your register if that’s what you need, it’s certainly better than those disposable jobbies! Make sure to give back, after all, how many divas are as lucky as you to be so privileged and loved! Register on www.JustGive.org, you can select from over 500 wonderful organizations who can benefit from your love. Really, who needs another Steuben vase?

DRESS

Go recycled fabrics, or a borrowed a dress from Mom. Vintage is so the way to go, if at all possible. There are also tons of chic places to rent couture gowns for the night. You are never going to re-wear that $5,000 gown, so why buy it? Wasting = not very green! If you do go for new – try and make sure your designer uses organic fabrics.   Go to a local tailor and have her copy that Monique Lhuillier you’ve been dreaming about for a fraction of the price.   Better yet order a “green” gown from custom designer Olivia Luca, who is not only affordable, but has tons of silk-free options for the vegan fashionista.

TABLE

It’s always greenest to use washable linens, napkins, cutlery and dinnerware. When you must use paper, buy recycled, like Seventh Generation’s paper plates, which are made from 100-percent recycled paper, with a minimum of 83-percent post-consumer materials and whitened without chlorine bleach.   Make recycling easy for guests, not just the obvious things like bottles and cans, but name cards, bottle caps, etc. Things guests would just take home and eventually toss.

FOODAGE AND NOSHES

First of all – be sure to find out where your local shelter is located and be sure to arrange that ALL leftovers get brought directly from the event to the shelter. Half eaten plates can be donated to an animal shelter if you call and arrange it in advance. There is NO need to waste hefty bags full of perfectly decent food as long there are people and animals starving. Try and serve locally grown organic food to support your local farmers. If you can’t find everything organic, don’t beat yourself up! Little steps make a huge difference! There are eco-friendly and organic catering companies around the country.   As for cakes, use this fantastic list to craft your organic dream.

NEW YORK CHICKS: Want to learn more about throwing a wedding for 10K with Laura? CONTACT 212 244 4464 OR [email protected].