Can a “green” wedding save you some green? Absolutely. Environmentally conscious engaged couples sometimes miss the opportunity to bring their socially responsible awareness to their wedding. But when you consider that a green mindset can also save thousands of dollars, the incentives add up. Marjorie and Matthew wanted an elegant destination wedding in Vermont for a guest list of one hundred. But they were also determined to keep their commitment to being earth friendly as a couple and bring those values to planning their wedding. They brought up the challenge with their wedding coach and officiant.
Rings? Rings, especially. Diamonds, gold, and platinum are notoriously unethically produced. Miners of these raw substances often work in unsafe conditions and mining itself can damage local ecosystems and watersheds, according to sustainable jewelers like Leber Jeweler, GreenKarat, and Sumiche. Add to that the fact that the diamond mining industry exploits child labor and you have one place to really make a statement. Contact those jewelers and explore it for yourselves. The other thing that some couples do is recycle old gold or silver jewelry from previous generations to make their own rings.
Marjorie and Matthew got inspired by the session. As they began to list the ways they actually could make a difference and save money, they got more excited about their wedding. Michelle Kozin’s book encouraged them even more: Organic Weddings: Balancing Ecology, Style, and Tradition (New Society Publishers, 2003). Kozin’s related website is www.OrganicWeddings.com.
Click here for more, including a summary of all the ways this couple planned their green wedding.
Click here for more information about wedding officiant and relationship coach Rev. Dr. Michael Caldwell.
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