It wasn't that long ago that the idea of a "green" wedding was reserved for tree-hugging hippy typesóa simple, shoeless affair. Today, however, couples across the social spectrum have sought out and developed innovative ways to reduce the environmental impact of their special day. Throwing a green wedding can be all that any bridezilla can imagine.
Weddings are not just expensive, they're resource intensive, especially when you are planning them on an island in the middle of the Pacific. From the food to the flowers to your auntie and your tutu, the most important elements of your wedding must often be flown in from across the world. The flights, the hotels and the rentals cars amount to a huge carbon footprint, and we haven't even talked about the entertainment, gifts or decor. An energy-neutral wedding is best accomplished with a holistic approach, one that focuses on your nuptials while keeping the Earth's best interest in mind as well. Such an approach involves figuring out what the various environmental impacts of your wedding elements are, and seeking out alternatives that use fewer resources and produce less waste.
The first step in greening your wedding is assessing its carbon footprint and what you'll need to offset. Evolution Sage is a locally owned and operated company that provides carbon off-sets by investing in local, clean renewable-energy providers, sustainable agriculture projects and native reforestation. They can set up a carbon calculator specifically for your event.
Once you start to think about the ways in which to integrate eco-friendly alternatives into your wedding, the opportunities for going green are really endless: reuse dresses for yourself or your bridesmaids, buy vintage rings, send recycled paper invites or go totally paperless by sending an e-vite. For place cards use shells, stones, or sea-glass. These are not only green, they are much more beautiful than the regular paper place cards.
Beyond reducing, reusing and recycling, remember to go local and organic whenever possible. This significantly lowers the carbon footprint of a wedding, insofar as the resources that go into your wedding are not flown in from thousands of miles away and the food is not soaked in petroleum based pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. Hawai'i is awash in delicious organically grown produce that is harvested year round. Simply alert your caterer of your preference and they can easily integrate local and organic foods into the menu.
If you are down to do something a little quirky, pick a unique local spot that embodies your green desires like Downtown at the Hawaii State Art Museum. They have a gorgeous lanai that would be the perfect spot for a wedding or rehearsal dinner. "What makes Town or Downtown the clear choice for a green wedding is our commitment to local farmers and community," says Ed Kenney, Chef and Owner of the eco-minded restaurants. "We exclusively use local pasture-raised beef and sustainably-caught island seafood. We will also customize a menu based on the freshest, in-season, local produce."
And what's a wedding without flowers? Unfortunately, the colorful accoutrements are also a traditionally carbon-heavy element to every wedding. "Brides often don't realize that the orchids in their bouquets are flown in the Thailand; the roses from the Netherlands. Make sure your florist knows you want locally grown flowers," says Morgan Childs of Moana Events, who specializes in the planning of green weddings in Hawaii. "There are beautiful tropical flowers and leaves like monstera leaf, heliconia, bird of paradise and red ginger, that are always in season and have a huge impact in a room." Morgan also suggests using potted orchids from local nurseries, a possible favor that your guests can bring home. She continues, "We regularly donate the flowers from our events to local hospitals or funeral homes and can arrange for Aloha Harvest to pick up your extra food after the event." This curbs the unintended excess regularly associated with wedding receptions. If you're a total eco-warrior, research zero-waste approaches to planning large events: you might have to do some trash sorting, but your guests will learn a lot in the process.
Think simply and have your guests do the same. Holding a day wedding saves on electricity and with Hawai'i's amazing weather and tropical locales, there's no reason to be indoors. In addition, think about having your ceremony and reception in the same place to avoid driving around town. In lieu of gifts, ask your guests to make donations to your favorite charities or to offset the footprint of their flights and hotel stay. Evolution Sage can actually link your personalized carbon calculator to a list of projects of your choosing, including personal home energy retrofits, so that offsetting the carbon footprint of your wedding is not just an additional cost to you or your guests, it's actually an investment in your home and your community.
If you're a stickler for a traditional resort-style wedding, several locales are doing their best to accommodate eco-conscious newlyweds. Mauna Lani Resort on the Big Island was voted one of the world's "Top-Eco Friendly Getaways" by Conde Nast and the Kahala Hotel, through its affiliation with Leading Hotels of the World, also has a program where they will offset the carbon footprint of their guests upon request.
In the end, brides no longer have to sacrifice the quality or elegance of their wedding in an effort to go green. With a little thought, and a little effort, a green wedding is quite easy to organize and Hawai'i is the perfect place to do it. If you are thinking about saying "I do," it's not that hard to say "I do" to the Earth, too.