Green weddings part II

Last week we ran a piece on green weddings that focussed on the venue. As you’ll know better than anyone, there’s a lot more to a wedding than the venue so there are many others ways to reduce the environmental impact of the event. Once again the government is our source.
First there’s there are the wedding and engagement rings. You could scour antique shops, markets or the likes of E-bay for a vintage wedding ring with real character. Alternatively, you could buy a new ring made from recycled metal or from Fairtrade gold or silver. For the engagement ring, look for something with conflict-free diamonds. A few web searches should turn up some providers.
The wedding invitations could be sent electronically (making sure that they aren’t gobbled up by spam filters of course) but most people still want to send something tangible. If that’s the case then see if your provider is using recycled and recyclable paper and other materials. You could go half electronic by asking the guests to RSVP by e-mail.
The wedding gift list could offer eco-friendly items or be taken from a company with a good track record on the environment. These days a lot of people getting married have already kitted out their homes, so you could consider asking your guests to donate to an environmental or other charity.
Wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses are too often worn just once. You could choose designs that you could wear again, perhaps with a few alteration. As with the wedding ring, you might be able to buy a vintage or second hand dress that it just as lovely as a new one. Online auction houses, vintage and charity shops and antique fashion fairs are all places to look. The hunt could be part of the fun too. If you are purchasing new clothes, then you can select ones made from Fairtrade and organic fabric. You could also donate or sell the dress and other outfits afterwards.
Perhaps the greenest option is just to hire the outfits. I’ve been a best man twice and an usher three times. Twice I wore hired outfits and three times just my own suit.
In the previous article looking at the venue, we mentioned seasonal food. Well, the same applies to the flowers. Seasonal wild flowers could be wonderful. At any rate, try to avoid flowers that are intensively grown and flown in to the country and also avoid too much cellophane or floral foam. If you’re decorating the venue, then again try to use second-hand or recycled decorations.
Finally, we come to confetti which has long been prohibited by many venues. Lots of confetti contains all sorts of nasty things like bleach and artificial colours. Look for biodegradable confetti or use petals or even birdseed (yep, the British government suggested that one! And why not?).

The pictures are of two National Trust properties; Speke Hall in Liverpool and Fountains Abbey in Ripon.