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| My big fat green wedding |
| February 04 2007 at 11:41AM |
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For the prospective bride and groom who dream of flying their entire family to Barbados for a £100 000 (R1,4-million) knees-up, the idea of a green wedding must sound about as welcome as a bad speech from the best man followed by a punch-up over the wedding breakfast. She dug out a £70 (R990) wedding dress from one of Oxfam's seven UK bridal stores, in Bradford, asked relatives flying in from Australia and Switzerland to offset the carbon emissions of their flights, and a green, 1948 Bentley which had been converted to gas was found to replace the usual petrol-guzzling wedding limo. Out went the reams of paper which weddings entail, and in their place was a dedicated "Jessicaandjoe" website from which guests could order presents and get directions. More couples are opting for a green, rather than white, wedding because of an awareness of the colossal carbon footprint attached to their big day. The Climate Care group estimates that the average wedding emits 14,5 tons of carbon dioxide - a hefty environmental toll. The entire annual carbon footprint of the average Briton stands at 10,92 tons of CO2, the Carbon Trust revealed last month. "The image often conveyed about green events is that they're going to be a bit hippy," said Ruth Culver, whose Green Weddings organisation is the first dedicated to focusing the happy couple on their carbon footprint. "We like to say it's eco-chic - and just as fabulous as any wedding." The couple pulled the event off on a £3 000 (R42 450) budget - a snip, compared with the £20 000 (R280 000) of consumption attached to the average big day in Britain. True to their eco-principles, the couple are honeymooning in Dorset, cutting out the biggest environmental cost attached to most weddings, the overseas holiday which follows. Their presents, which have all gone straight to the developing world, via Oxfam Unwrapped, include a donkey, an alpaca, three health care workers, 125 planted trees and 25 condom kits. The dress Jessica wanted silk from a reputable source and found a £450 (R6 370) dress selling for £70 (R990) in an Oxfam shop in Bradford. She complemented it with a floor-length lace coat which, with no sleeves and just three buttons at the front, showed off the best of the dress. "It's only since the Victorian era that the frothy white dress has been de rigeur," said Culver. "But it's become quite fashionable now and there's no reason not to be unconventional." The Wholly Jo's company uses organic fabrics and "peace silk", made from silkworms. Hemp is a sustainable material, with no chemical inputs. The ring True to the message of Leonardo DiCaprio in Blood Diamond, Joe sought out a ring through the Kimberley Process, designed to certify the origin of diamonds from sources which are free of conflict. A laser-inscripted number establishes the provenance of its seven diamonds. If the style of the ring looks old, getting a local craftsman to refashion it can deliver the same kind of end product on which you might have blown much of the budget. The guests Jessica's father is Australian and her mother is Swiss, so there was some hard thinking to do here. All those travelling were asked to offset their air miles. Joe and Jessica provided public transport links on the website and considered hiring a red London bus to transport guests from the church to the reception. In the end, they just had the reception in the church. The bouquet Jessica wanted flowers which were not transported too far, so crocuses from her mother's greenhouse in Bradford were ideal. The greenery all came from the same place and her mother (a florist) went to Covent Garden flower market to seek out those with the fewest air miles. You can decorate with seasonal and local flowers and living plants rather than flowers - so you can take them home afterwards. The car Jessica and Joe opted for an elegant Bentley, converted to gas. The feast Organic, locally sourced food wherever possible - with only the recipes imported. The organic ethos stretched as far as the beer. The invitations The couple chose paper from recycledpaper.com and they also dispensed with envelopes by addressing the back of the invitations. Artistically sticking pieces of paper on to the invitations prevented them from looking dowdy. The gifts Joe and Jessica asked guests to contribute to Oxfam Unwrapped, with a connection to it through their website. It means guests will have paid for three teacher trainers, three health workers, 2 000 days' school education, as well as textbooks and HIV and Aids education. And there's even more to think about... You can cause more damage than you realise on your hen or stag do. The CO2 problems apply as much to it as to the honeymoon so it might be worth thinking about keeping it a bit closer to home. On to the wedding and the effects of confetti, which contains dyes and bleach. Throwing linseed is one alternative. Sounds improbable but it has the desired effect. After it's all over, give each guest some seeds to plant at home. And if you really have to travel abroad to mark this moment, you could book an eco-holiday. - Tribune Foreign Service
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