Green Weddings, Eco-Weddings and Eco-Fashion are Fabulous & Chic!
Eco-weddings and events are something that I am very passionate about -- it's the couple's opportunity to do their part in saving our planet. When a client comes to me and is interested in pursuing this avenue, I assist them in finding the necessary resources and vendors, so that they can come away knowing that they have successfully produced an event that is environmentally sound not only to the earth now, but also to future generations.
Although most of us think "recycle" when we think going "green" and while some brides don't mind, or find it sentimental to use mom's or Aunt Sally's old wedding dress (and there's nothing wrong with that), when shopping for your gown, please be mindful that there are some dress designers who are also thinking about the environment and using eco-friendly fabrics or sustainable textiles in their designs.
If this is something that you would like to incorporate into your wedding, it wouldn't hurt to ask the store when shopping for your gown if they carry eco-fashions, and even if they haven't joined the bandwagon yet, the more it is requested from you savvy eco-minded brides, the more they'll start to research and add it to their line. Those designers who are already carrying eco-fashions are constantly searching for new and innovative fabrics and technologies, so in time a greater supply of these designs will be more accessible to you as a consumer.
Fashion Designers Turn Eco-Friendly Fabrics Into Haute Couture
What does eco-fashion mean to us?
Eco-fashions don't involve the use of harmful chemicals and bleaches to color fabrics -- Clothes and accessories that meet such criteria are usually made using organic raw materials, such as cotton grown without pesticides, or re-used materials such as recycled plastic from old soda bottles... I know this doesn't sound that glamorous, but wait until you see the actual designs and end result of our eco-fashion designers.
It is not only our health that is dependent on toxic-free fabrics, it is also the health of our social environment ensuring that the men and women who produce our garments are made by people earning fair wages in healthy working conditions.
There is a nonprofit organization called Sustainable Technology Education Project (STEP) which defines eco-fashions as clothes “that take into account the environment, the health of consumers and the working conditions of people in the fashion industry.” Let's do our part!
Here are a few other suggestions as we start to become eco-conscious in weddings...
-Have your invitations printed on recycled paper.
-Supply bio-degradable confetti (ecofetti) for your guests' use.
-Arrange for guests to travel to your event in planned transportation, such as a coach or bus.
-Create your romantic ambiance by using renewable soy or beeswax candles with lead-free wicks, such as the soy candles.
-Consider having both your ceremony and your reception in one location - this cuts down on fossil-fuel use and pollution.
-Consider not serving your guests a buffet-style dinner, as a lot of the food often goes to waste or ask your caterer if the unused food can be donated. Opt to serve a sit-down or family-style dinner instead.
-Also, consider caterers & bakers who offer organic food -- food grown locally without pesticides.
Joining our "Green Weddings Are Chic" section, Society Weddings Online Magazine is delighted to feature the company created by Beth Gerstein and Eric Grossberg, founders of Brilliant Earth, a fine jewelry company, specializing in social and enviromentally friendly jewelry, located in San Francisco, California.
