Sara and Dean's Green Wedding Preview (A Repost)

I am actually hijacking one of my own blog posts here but I thought the topic was so timely and important, that I had to reshare!!! Back in March, over on the old I Do Click blog, I posted one of my trendspotting installments about the emerging eco-friendly or "green" wedding movement. One of my couples, Sara and Dean, are actually having a green wedding, and I had e-interviewed Sara for the blog about how they were greening their big day, and why. This weekend, that green wedding finally arrives and tomorrow afternoon, I am off to the Asticou Inn in Northeast Harbor to photograph Sara and Dean's rehearsal, the coverage for which I donated in support of their green efforts. On Saturday is the actual wedding and I am looking forward to seeing the way Sara and Dean implemented their green ideas and sharing them with you here upon my return. In the meantime, I thought I'd also repost my March entry for my new readers and as a reminder to loyal blog followers about the value in going green.

Speaking of which... Clay Hill Farm in Cape Neddick/York just announced its Green Wedding Givaway, with a grand prize valued at $30,000 for the winner, who will be chosen based on their ability to articulate the connection between a commitment to each other, and to the earth.

The following text is a direct repost from March, 2008.

I recently saw a t-shirt proclaiming that "Green is the new black!" There certainly is no doubt that the environmental movement has officially caught on, and it's impossible to open a newspaper or magazine without reading about the latest way to green your life, from buying a Prius to using energy-efficient fluorescent light bulbs around your home. As gas prices continue to rise (current speculation is they'll be at $4 a gallon here in the Northeast by summertime), it seems likely that more and more people will start contemplating their relationship with the planet and its longevity, whether for economic or altruistic reasons (does it matter?)

Given this, it's not surprising that this call to environmental consciousness has made its way into the world of weddings. Lately, I've noticed more and more Websites popping up that cater to couples planning green weddings, including GreatGreenWeddings.com, Green Elegance Weddings.com, Treehugger.com and the best one- Portovert.com. Last summer, MSNBC.com featured this article on the hot new trend of weddings going green. Of course, it takes awhile for the trends to make their way north here to Maine but I am proud to report that one of my couples -Sara and Dean- are the first I've found planning a decidedly environmentally-friendly wedding in the Pine Tree State.

And, they are going further than any couple I've read about in my green weddings research to do it.

In fact, the environmental impact of their wedding has been one of their key planning considerations, says the couple (who are seen above in one of their engagement photographs I took back in December that really showcases their connection to nature).

And they aren't just talking the talk! A line item in their wedding budget is actually for carbon offsets they will purchase through Terrapass that will balance out the carbon emissions brought about by them and their guests traveling to Northest Harbor for their October wedding at the lovely Asticou Inn. And their commitment doesn't end there. Sara and Dean, who are both working toward their Ph. D's at Yale University in environmentally-related fields are also using locally grown flowers and food at their reception, and all leftovers will be donated.

While the greening of their wedding will likely come at a greater cost than had they gone a more traditional route, Sara and Dean told me it was critical that their core values as a couple were visible on the day they became husband and wife. Given how articulate the two are on this issue, I asked them if they'd be willing to be interviewed via email for the blog so I could share the thinking behind their theme in hopes it would inspire you as well. Here is what they had to say.

Sam: Tell me a little bit about the ways in which you are working to ensure your wedding has less of an impact on the environment?
Sara and Dean: So, there are some overt things we are doing, and then there are some that are a little more inconspicuous. Although our families and friends know what we are studying and that we are both very environmentally aware, we don't want to force it on people at our wedding, trying to be respectful of different people's comfort levels.

Anyhow, as you read on our site we are using Terrapass to offset carbon emissions from our wedding. We are using this group because they have a handy-dandy wedding calculator (includes travel, accommodations, etc), and they are well respected in the industry. The basic idea here is that you pay a company, who pools money from others who buy offsets from them, and that company in turn invests the capital in greenhouse gas reducing technologies/efforts such as funding wind farms or solar displays (many other examples as well). As I mention on the site, the whole purchasing of carbon offsets is controversial, with some saying that it enables people to not change their behavior (ie still over consuming/polluting) and feel like it is magically sustainable. We look at the challenge of making our wedding sustainable as an effort to find a balance. We knew we wanted to have the wedding in a location that was very special to us, and carbon offsets allowed us to balance that location with the corresponding level of greenhouse gases emitted. Trade offs, trade offs!

We are also working with our florist to do locally sourced flowers for the wedding. We are working with Queen Anne's Flower Shop in Bar Harbor and the co-owner Chelcey Dunham was really excited to think about sustainably sourced flowers. The two main factors for me are how local can we get (with the idea that shipping flowers from Chile uses lots of energy and it is a great idea to support local businesses), and also reducing pesticide use. So note to brides, even in October florists say that locally sourced flowers are no problem! I'd also say that we are thinking creatively about what "flowers" can mean, some grasses or vines or even pine boughs that are local can be really pretty fillers/accents in bouquets!

In March, we will be speaking with the folks at the Asticou to learn more about what we can do for locally sourced food at the wedding reception. For the rehearsal dinner which we are putting on ourselves, we will be using local seafood and veggies so that is covered. We are also using biodegradable food service products (we found it would destroy our budget to rent and wash china), so this was another balancing of ideals with reality. Oh, and one last thing, think about what will be done with extra food if there is any, making a plan to ensure it gets to a local shelter or to the hotel staff is a great way to ensure less waste! Avoiding bottled water is also nice, but not always practical in some settings.

Although I didn't walk the talk on this one, I did run into this cool bridal gown boutique in NYC that offers second hand designer dresses and sends the proceeds along to NYC children's charities.

We are looking into soy or beeswax candles (not petroleum based like most candles), and are currently trying to figure out what sort of recycled paper to use for invitations/save the dates. One cool thing I've learned, is that even some of the highest end papers (Crane specifically) have great sustainability practices. Crane's cotton papers are made from remnants from fabric industry and they have an interesting low water usage process that I believe has won awards. This just shows that it isn't always so hard or so far from the beaten path to think about sustainability!

Our wedding is shaping up to be a few days worth of events, many of which will be active! As a kid I would make my grandparents stand up and do exercise routines with me when I went to visit them (for their health of course!), and so my family is used to this sort of behavior! We've got hikes planned, and have a whole slew of info about bike riding, other hikes, and other outdoor fun. This isn't really sustainability based, but it certainly helps to show off Maine's beautiful coast and develop an appreciation for the landscape!

Finally, favors. For us, we wanted to give people a thank you that was really nice but also useful. I run a recycling program on Yale's undergrad campus and I can't tell you how many "give-aways" I see in the trash that are not ever used! Dean and I are currently looking at Mason jars with handles as the receptacle we give to everyone so that they can partake of our candy bar! Not only can we buy candy in bulk and save money, but this is also a fun thing for kids, people can personalize what they take or take nothing at all so they are more likely to actually enjoy and eat it, and the jars themselves are great for tea or coffee afterwards! Woohoo! This is really exciting to me, its our most recent decision so I'm still riding high on this one.

Sam: Why should it be important for others to try to "green" their wedding?
Sara and Dean: I think this should be important to others because we live in a constantly more globalized world. Although we have pretty darn comfortable lives, through advances in communication technology and transparency, we are able to understand and see more of the impacts that our lifestyle has on the places that produce goods for us. For me, I see a responsibility to be a better steward of resources as part of my life in a developed country. By paying attention to the way we use energy, material resources, and what we dedicate our time to, I think that a big difference can be made in the footprint of our lives. And heck, it just feels great to live a life in which you are doing your best to be a citizen of the global community through living more locally and reducing your impact!


Sam: What are three simplest steps other couples can take to make their wedding more environmentally-friendly?
Sara and Dean: 1.) Think Local. Buying products that are made locally helps support local vendors and also reduces the energy needed to package and ship things long distances. This can apply to anything from food to flowers to favors.
2.) Reduce consumption where possible. Think of things that are not really necessary, and come up with creative alternatives that you can handle yourself. If you love luminaries, make them yourself using tissue paper and last year's Christmas lights! If you want confetti, cut up the comics sections from your newspaper!
3.) Reuse. If you face facts, there are just some things that you want to be part of your day no matter what. Think of ways to incorporate them that will allow them to be reusable. Let your bridesmaids pick dresses from a color family (J.Crew has a cool selection of different styles in the same fabric and color) improving the odds that they will re-wear them since they chose them! Find favors that celebrate your day but that also have a longer term use! Let guests take home centerpieces, or use the same flowers for rehearsal dinner, ceremony, and reception (creative florists can make this happen)!

Sam: Many people think the whole greening/global warming/carbon credits/etc. is partially a political sham. Do you believe the changes you are making at your wedding - one of the thousands of weddings held each year- can really make a difference?
Sara and Dean: Well, I'm realistic in that I know I can only control my own behavior. It was important to us that this be a central part of our planning, and we've made it happen. We are able to see that it will have a difference in this ceremony and that is really special. I think the key is getting more people to actually engage and feel that this is important, and this rides on a larger social/political movement. When it comes down to it, your wedding day should represent the two of you and, I feel, the type of life that you want to share together. Starting off on this way makes a big difference to me! Does this make a big difference globally however, probably not, but it also brings ideas into the minds of a larger group of individuals who might not have thought that way previously, and that sort of watershed has great potential to have an impact.

What I love about their response is that it conveys their passion without being preachy. Sara and Dean aren't people who are going green because it's trendy, but because it is something they believe in and have devoted their lives -professionally and personally- to. They are realistic with their vision while holding to their values. Brides and grooms to be who are reading this should also be buoyed by the fact that many of Sara and Dean's suggestions are simple and inexpensive, like letting the bridesmaids pick out dresses they'll wear again and reusing flowers from the rehearsal dinner at the wedding.

Lately, I've seen a few photographers who have held contests on their blogs to give wedding photography coverage away to a couple planning a DIY green wedding. I am not going to go that far (hey, I need my green, too). But, because I believe good things come in three's and I see that Sara and Dean are one short on their list of wedding items to be reused (so far they have flowers and bridesmaids dresses), I figured why not make myself reusable as well! And so, I am offering them three free hours of rehearsal dinner coverage on the Friday night before their wedding. I am so proud of Sara and Dean's commitment to a cause they believe in (and willingness to educate others about it here.) I encourage others to consider making their day a nice one for a green wedding! (And I've love to hear your ideas on making your wedding day, or any other in your life, more Mother Nature minded.)