Why Green?
The mark that we leave on the planet, not only; affects each one of us today, but it impacts every living being well into the future. As the owner of The Rental Company I would like to help our clients in planning the wedding of their dreams while preserving the Lakeshore's amazing natural resources. As a company we hope that by providing either a basic handout or in depth Green Planning Services, that we can provide information and awareness. We want our customers to be able to make the choices that feel right to them and are appropriate for thier event.Robyn's Top Ten Green Ideas
1. Choose a local rental company that has a green plan and rent china, glassware, silverware & linens. This is the ultimate in recycling and it adds such an elegant touch to your wedding.2. IDoFoundation.org – registering with retail & travel partners affiliated with the I Do Foundation. A portion of the proceeds from purchases on your registry (up to eight percent) will go to the charity of your choosing.
3. Scope out your local farmers market, ask growers if they use organic, pesticide free growing practices and what flowers will they have available when you are getting married. They will give you the cream of the crop and not leave your wallet in shock. You can arrange them yourselves or a local florist will usually arrange flowers that you bring in.
4. Choose a climate neutral setting. This is easy to do in West Michigan. You can use an outdoor venue from May to October and be very comfortable that a tented event will be wonderful. So many lovely old churches in our area do not have air conditioning, you can also ask the venue to leave the air off and open windows.
5. Choose a local caterer that specializes in organic food, offers a vegetarian option, composts food waste and will arrange for the untouched leftovers to be donated to a local shelter or Gleaners organization.
6. Skip the favors or be sure that they are earth friendly, tree saplings from arborday.org are one of my favorites. Chocolates are always wonderful but minimize the packaging & be sure the items come from organic & fair trade farmers.
7. Use Tree Free, recycled or handmade paper for your invitations. Mail them early so you don’t need to send the save the date card. Reference your website so that you don’t need all the enclosures with directions. Use a postcard for the response. Include a please recycle note on the invites. Set up a wedding website, you can use this to announce your registration choices, your eco-friendly wedding choices, your directions and a myriad of other information. Let guest know your honeymoon plans. Post pictures of your new home, etc…
8. Look into a volunteer honeymoon. What better way to start your life together than by helping others that desperately need a helping hand or four. You can plan these trips with the help of many charitable organizations. CharityGuide.org is a good place to start.
9. Ask your bridesmaids to donate their dresses to glassslipperproject.org or fairygodmotherslinc.com so that they can be repurposed as prom dresses for girls who could not afford a gown.
10. Choose organic fabrics for your gown & your bridesmaids. Hemp/silk is a great mix. Bamboo is also woven into a silk like fabric.