Green Options

Silver Moon is a wonderful Chicago-based vintage store with an online presence. Silver Moon features gorgeous perfectly in tact vintage bridal. By investing in a vintage garment, you are helping to extend the life of a fine hand-tailored luxury item that may end up in a museum costume collection one day (if it is cared for).

Designer Adele Wechsler, a South Africa native and current Toronto resident, doesn’t see green weddings as merely a passing trend, but “as more of a movement that’s here to stay.”  Adele’s newest Eco-Couture Collection transcends preconceived notions of eco bridal wear by seamlessly blending high fashion luxury with organic fabric and fair-trade labor.

Since my wedding is coming up in two weeks, I’ve been doing some exploring into all the trendy “green wedding” options. It’s amazing how awareness has grown in the past few years! Unfortunately, having a completely green wedding can often double the already expensive costs. But if every couple made even two or three decisions based solely on environmental concerns, the planet would be as happy the newlyweds.

When planning your own wedding, consider integrating even one or two of these ideas:

Skip the disposable cameras, and ask friends to bring digital cameras. Before the wedding, set up an account on sites such as Photobucket.com or Snapfish.com, and email the login and password to your friends. After the wedding, everyone can upload the photos they took to the account, and you’ll have an instant album of candids that everyone can enjoy. And if you want to have prints, you’ll be able to print only those pictures you really want.

Besides wearing a pre-owned gown (remember, a good tailor can make an poofy 80’s gown into a stylin’ 21st century dazzler), think about using heirloom jewelry for the engagement ring and wedding bands. If you must have new, matching bands, be sure to ask the jeweler about reclaimed, recycled, ecologically responsible gold.