{"id":45517,"date":"2016-01-23T15:19:00","date_gmt":"2016-01-23T20:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/?p=45517"},"modified":"2017-08-06T15:29:59","modified_gmt":"2017-08-06T19:29:59","slug":"easy-greener-eco-conscious-bash-might-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wedding-planning\/wedding-themes\/easy-greener-eco-conscious-bash-might-future","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s Easy to be Green(er): Why an Eco-Conscious Bash Might Be in Your Future"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"entry-content clearfix\">\n<div class=\"byline\">Visit: PortOvert Magazine<\/div>\n<p>Imagine a wedding where crystal drips from the rafters and blush roses bristle from tower vases. The bride rustles in wearing a satiny ballgown, raising a hand weighed down with a knock-out rock. Her nails are buffed to a shine. Not the first thing you think of when you think of \u201cgreen weddings,\u201d is it? But it could be. Which is exactly the point that Meghan Meyers, creator of ecological bridal magazine PortOvert (phono-French for \u201cdoor to green\u201d) is trying to get across.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re not talking sheaves of wheat and burlap table runners,\u201d she says. \u201cA green wedding doesn\u2019t have to look like one. Nobody has to know unless you choose to tell them.\u201d Although, she muses, she doesn\u2019t know why you wouldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>In Meyer\u2019s eyes, the heart of a green wedding is making smarter choices. Not perfect ones, necessarily. Not-the-best of-all-possible-worlds choices, like trying to get your hands on organic cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche in rural Nova Scotia. But smarter, by doing your research ahead of time, and sussing out things you can re-use or rent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGreen weddings are going mainstream,\u201d she says. And Meyers, no Jane-come-lately to environmental concerns, should know. A former <em>Family Circle<\/em> editor and sustainable travel writer, she\u2019s been covering this beat for years. \u201cI started a non-profit agency for animals when I was eight years old,\u201d she says, laughing.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_8778\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_45533\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-45533\" style=\"width: 584px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-45533 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/2c717b971ff9335b7959b11b4962f913-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"584\" height=\"880\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/2c717b971ff9335b7959b11b4962f913-1.jpg 584w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/2c717b971ff9335b7959b11b4962f913-1-531x800.jpg 531w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/2c717b971ff9335b7959b11b4962f913-1-199x300.jpg 199w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/2c717b971ff9335b7959b11b4962f913-1-500x753.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-45533\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-45533 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/2c717b971ff9335b7959b11b4962f913-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"584\" height=\"880\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/2c717b971ff9335b7959b11b4962f913-1.jpg 584w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/2c717b971ff9335b7959b11b4962f913-1-531x800.jpg 531w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/2c717b971ff9335b7959b11b4962f913-1-199x300.jpg 199w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/2c717b971ff9335b7959b11b4962f913-1-500x753.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/noscript> fabyoubliss<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">\n<\/div>\n<h2>How the Red Carpet Went Green<\/h2>\n<p>Green weddings aren\u2019t exactly new. Punch any vaguely-green topic that might involve weddings into a search engine, and you\u2019ll see the early colonizers of the marketplace: eco-friendly wedding bands, pesticide-free bouquets.<\/p>\n<p>But if you get the feeling that the balance has tipped, somehow \u2014 moved past the early adopters \u2014 you\u2019re not alone. In geek speak, green weddings have probably graduated to the so-called early majority. So what got them there?<\/p>\n<p>Celebrities, mainly, says Meyers. It\u2019s fashionable among the jet set to spruce up their shindigs with toxin-free flowers and savory organic fare.<\/p>\n<p>For example: Elizabeth Hurley, who\u2019s planning a two-country, seven-day mega-wedding this spring, elephants included. \u201cShe\u2019s on the natural food bandwagon, so her entire menu\u2019s organic,\u201d says Meyers. Alicia\u2019s wedding was probably the epitome of \u00a0green-meets-beautiful.<\/p>\n<p>She ticks off other examples: Stella McCartney, whose hush-hush wedding involved sustainable clothing and organic food. Prince Charles, who cut into an organic fruitcake and ordered pesticide-free blooms for his wedding to Camilla. And Alicia Silverstone, a prominent vegan who nonetheless wore Monique Lhuillier, not hemp, down the aisle.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlicia\u2019s wedding was probably the epitome of green-meets-beautiful. She thought about every single choice: organic vegan food, pesticide-free flowers, recycled but very elegant invitations. She wore a ring handed down on her husband\u2019s side, and it was a very, very green wedding on the beach at Lake Tahoe. \u201cBut not your hippie wedding. At all.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_8776\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-45534\" src=\"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/3bbe4b7d4c602f6e49592f8642b45076.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"550\" height=\"733\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/3bbe4b7d4c602f6e49592f8642b45076.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/3bbe4b7d4c602f6e49592f8642b45076-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/3bbe4b7d4c602f6e49592f8642b45076-500x666.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-45534\" src=\"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/3bbe4b7d4c602f6e49592f8642b45076.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"550\" height=\"733\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/3bbe4b7d4c602f6e49592f8642b45076.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/3bbe4b7d4c602f6e49592f8642b45076-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/3bbe4b7d4c602f6e49592f8642b45076-500x666.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">\n<\/div>\n<h2>The Beauty of Balance<\/h2>\n<p>Which suggests a suspicion that may have crossed your mind. Namely, aren\u2019t green weddings really for the beautiful people? A \u201cmoney is no object\u201d deal for those on the top of the heap? The equivalent of Star Jones excess with an earth-friendly spin? Not at all, says Meyers. You don\u2019t have to take everything to the furthest possible limit.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s all about making choices, she says. \u201cThe greenest of all possible choices probably cost more,\u201d she admits. \u201cBut almost everyone can make better, greener choices that might actually be cheaper than the norm. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to take everything to the farthest possible limit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For example: candles. Paraffin is a petroleum byproduct, she explains \u2014 hardly green. And as every conscious consumer knows, beeswax and soy candles are earth-friendlier alternatives. But they cost more. \u201cSo if candles are a big part of your d\u00e9cor but you can\u2019t afford beeswax, you can always choose fragrance-free candles,\u201d she says, explaining that most candles are loaded with synthetic scents that give off soot. A beautiful green wedding can actually be be cheaper than the ones you see in Brides. \u201cOf course you want to balance your budget, but almost everyone can find ways to make their wedding greener.\u201d The how-tos of doing so, she explains, is exactly what PortOvert is about.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA beautiful green wedding can actually be cheaper than the ones you see in <em>Brides.<\/em> Because you\u2019re making sustainable choices. You might want that elegant, sparkly look, and we suggest sustainable ways of getting it. Such as hunting down vintage chandelier crystals to decorate your bare-branch centerpieces or chairs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot buying new is green. Saving something at a fraction of the cost that might\u2019ve otherwise ended up in the trash is green. That wonderful patina you see on older items isn\u2019t just green, it\u2019s gorgeous.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_8779\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_45538\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-45538\" style=\"width: 682px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-45538 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/93651cf63785f0daa1997cebf2a04aba-682x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"682\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/93651cf63785f0daa1997cebf2a04aba-682x1024.jpg 682w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/93651cf63785f0daa1997cebf2a04aba-682x1024-533x800.jpg 533w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/93651cf63785f0daa1997cebf2a04aba-682x1024-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/93651cf63785f0daa1997cebf2a04aba-682x1024-500x751.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/93651cf63785f0daa1997cebf2a04aba-682x1024-672x1009.jpg 672w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-45538\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-45538 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/93651cf63785f0daa1997cebf2a04aba-682x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"682\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/93651cf63785f0daa1997cebf2a04aba-682x1024.jpg 682w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/93651cf63785f0daa1997cebf2a04aba-682x1024-533x800.jpg 533w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/93651cf63785f0daa1997cebf2a04aba-682x1024-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/93651cf63785f0daa1997cebf2a04aba-682x1024-500x751.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/93651cf63785f0daa1997cebf2a04aba-682x1024-672x1009.jpg 672w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px\" \/><\/noscript> Style Me Pretty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">\n<\/div>\n<h2>Going Green in the Grain Belt<\/h2>\n<p>This all seems fine for a connected couple in LA, where the finest (and purest) foodstuffs known to man show up at the local Trader Joe\u2019s, and all-green catering companies and florists are cropping up all over. But isn\u2019t it a little harder to pull off a green wedding in the kingdoms of corn and alfalfa, say? Winsted, Minnesota? McCracken, Kansas? Actually, no, says Meyers. It\u2019s true that your choices are ampler (and sometimes simpler) in the big city, but when you look at the overall environmental footprint, the countryside has an edge.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn cities, the food is trucked in,\u201d she says. \u201cIn a rural community, you might not find organic. But you\u2019ll find local, seasonal food and flowers from the farm down the road.\u201d Myers describes her own wedding, a laid-back seaside affair down in South Jersey. It was an intimate event surrounded by farms, which supplied the food as well as the hydrangeas. \u201cIf I\u2019d married in New York, everything would be trucked in and processed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Organic is great, she adds. Great for the workers, great for the eaters \u2014 and yet, not always practical. \u201cOrganic agriculture\u2019s working out really well in Northern Virginia, but Vermont keeps losing their crops.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, sure, local, in season and organic\u2019s ideal. But supporting local farmers and eating food that\u2019s in season? That\u2019s probably the most important.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_8780\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_45536\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-45536\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-45536\" src=\"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/3df21b33dc9927e2f2c99d67bdf1afbd.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"901\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/3df21b33dc9927e2f2c99d67bdf1afbd.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/3df21b33dc9927e2f2c99d67bdf1afbd-533x800.jpg 533w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/3df21b33dc9927e2f2c99d67bdf1afbd-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/3df21b33dc9927e2f2c99d67bdf1afbd-500x751.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-45536\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-45536\" src=\"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/3df21b33dc9927e2f2c99d67bdf1afbd.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"901\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/3df21b33dc9927e2f2c99d67bdf1afbd.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/3df21b33dc9927e2f2c99d67bdf1afbd-533x800.jpg 533w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/3df21b33dc9927e2f2c99d67bdf1afbd-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/3df21b33dc9927e2f2c99d67bdf1afbd-500x751.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/noscript> whimsicalwonderlandweddings.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">\n<\/div>\n<h2>Bringing Up Baby<\/h2>\n<p>This story should strike a chord with any wedding planner. Haven\u2019t we seen this before? Oh, right: themes. A few years ago, brides (and guests) saw wedding themes as real break from the box.<\/p>\n<p>At first, we painted them in the broadest strokes possible (think: early portable CD players vs. today\u2019s 80 gig iPod). We had <a class=\"alinks broken_link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.favorideas.com\/shopping\/beach-wedding-favors.html\">beach<\/a> themes, heart themes \u2026 occasionally even <a class=\"alinks broken_link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.favorideas.com\/shopping\/asian-indian-wedding-favors.html\">Asian<\/a> themes. That was about as crazy as it got \u2014 unlike today, where you see themes as individual as a given couple\u2019s love story.<\/p>\n<div class=\"pullquote\">These days, green weddings are about making the effort all the way through. Green weddings are fruits of the same tree, it seems. In their infancy, they toed the line: hemp wedding gowns, vegan food, <a class=\"broken_link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.favorideas.com\/shopping\/plantable-flower-seed-wedding-favors.html\">plantable favors<\/a> (and nix the Styrofoam cups and plastic cutlery). But as they matured, they became something more personal. Aside from the George Clooney effect, what changed?<\/div>\n<p>Meyers, who\u2019s seen this industry from multiple angles over the years, draws parallels to travel, pop culture, politics \u2014 and of course, food.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_8781\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_45537\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-45537\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-45537\" src=\"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/96ed5214d5f2aa9c2042b100fd3c0f0c-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/96ed5214d5f2aa9c2042b100fd3c0f0c-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/96ed5214d5f2aa9c2042b100fd3c0f0c-1-533x800.jpg 533w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/96ed5214d5f2aa9c2042b100fd3c0f0c-1-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/96ed5214d5f2aa9c2042b100fd3c0f0c-1-500x750.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-45537\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-45537\" src=\"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/96ed5214d5f2aa9c2042b100fd3c0f0c-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/96ed5214d5f2aa9c2042b100fd3c0f0c-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/96ed5214d5f2aa9c2042b100fd3c0f0c-1-533x800.jpg 533w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/96ed5214d5f2aa9c2042b100fd3c0f0c-1-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/96ed5214d5f2aa9c2042b100fd3c0f0c-1-500x750.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/noscript> Ruffled Blog<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">\n<\/div>\n<p>Which people are thinking more about, she says. In fact, the trends in organic clothing are essentially a spinoff of food concerns. \u201cIt makes sense that the food movement started everything, because it goes directly into our bodies. We might not feel the plight of the polar bear, but we do feel the high cancer rates.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Meyers points out a similar evolution in the travel biz: it all began as adventure tourism, which eventually morphed into ecotourism, and then responsible tourism. \u201cAt one point,\u201d she says, \u201cit was about composting toilets. But now the whole thing\u2019s much broader, and appeals to a wider range of people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And as more and more people hop on the green wedding bandwagon, the concept takes on a life of its own.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese days, green weddings are about making the effort all the way through \u2014 buying local, sourcing 100% recycled invitations \u2014 instead of one or two isolated gestures.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"callOut\">\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><center><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.favorideas.com\/images\/green-wedding-3-worst.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"372\" height=\"39\" border=\"0\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.favorideas.com\/images\/green-wedding-3-worst.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"372\" height=\"39\" border=\"0\" \/><\/noscript><\/center>Let\u2019s say you\u2019re a bride who\u2019s new to the concept and short on time (imagine!). Aside from the food and the blooms, where would you focus? We asked Meyers to pick out the top three offenders in old-school weddings.<\/p>\n<h2>Ditch the (Typical) Dress<\/h2>\n<p>The typical wedding dressis made from yards and yards of acetate or polyester, both petroleum byproducts that typically involve outgassing, static electricity and huge amount of energy to process, refine and transport.<\/p>\n<p>Meyers points out that in the $99 or less range, you won\u2019t see too many alternatives to the petroleum-based wedding dress. But brides with a budget from $500-1000 have more options, including organic cotton, silk\/hemp hybrids, and even eco-friendly rayons made from trees.<\/p>\n<h2>Retrofit the Flowers<\/h2>\n<p>Looking beyond the obvious, Meyers takes specific umbrage to floral foam.<\/p>\n<p>Floral foam?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt drives me crazy,\u201d she says, pointing out that the foam is composed of phenol and formaldehyde, two over-the-top toxic products. \u201cIt\u2019s cancer-causing for the workers, and a one-time-use product. And there are a ton of alternatives: floral frogs, tight arrangements.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFloral foam is pure evil.\u201d She laughs, but it\u2019s not a joke.<\/p>\n<h2>Re-think the Ring<\/h2>\n<p>We had to ask about \u201cblood diamonds,\u201d with all the hoopla going on between DiCaprio\u2019s new movie and the diamond execs tripping over themselves to pose blinged-out celebs as a form of spin control.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSure, conflict diamonds are a huge problem,\u201d agrees Meyers. \u201cBut the attention is misdirected. Because mining in general is a big problem. We have sapphires in India mined by children. The industry says, \u2018it\u2019s the gem of Princess Diana \u2014 get a sapphire!\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome countries take great care, but mining in general is an environmental atrocity and a socially reprehensible practice. The diamonds coming into this country are just the tip of the iceberg.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So what\u2019s a bride to do? Or more specifically, how did Meyers handle it at her own getting-hitched?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell,\u201d she says candidly, \u201cthis was a couple years ago. I didn\u2019t know everything then that I know now.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut I knew I didn\u2019t want a tainted diamond. My husband designed my wedding ring. It was handmade in Vermont by a jeweler who carved it himself. The tiny little diamonds around the band were my grandmother\u2019s, as was my day-of jewelry. The main diamond, we had to buy, and it said it was conflict-free from Canada.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStill,\u201d she muses, \u201ca lot of diamonds are recirculating on the market. And if I did it again, I\u2019d buy a used one.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"at-below-post addthis_tool\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.favorideas.com\/wedding-themes\/unique-themes\/the-new-green-eco-wedding\/\"><\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Visit: PortOvert Magazine Imagine a wedding where crystal drips from the rafters and blush roses bristle from tower vases. The bride rustles in wearing a satiny ballgown, raising a hand weighed down with a knock-out rock. Her nails are buffed to a shine. Not the first thing you think of when you think of \u201cgreen weddings,\u201d is it? But it could be. Which is exactly the point that Meghan Meyers, creator of ecological bridal magazine PortOvert (phono-French for \u201cdoor to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":45520,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[320],"tags":[3311,5881,2499,5882],"class_list":["post-45517","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wedding-themes","tag-eco-wedding","tag-environmental-wedding","tag-green-wedding","tag-portovert"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>It\u2019s Easy to be Green(er): Why an Eco-Conscious Bash Might Be in Your Future | Wedding Themes | TopWeddingSites.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wedding-planning\/wedding-themes\/easy-greener-eco-conscious-bash-might-future\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"It\u2019s Easy to be Green(er): Why an Eco-Conscious Bash Might Be in Your Future | Wedding Themes | TopWeddingSites.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Visit: PortOvert Magazine Imagine a wedding where crystal drips from the rafters and blush roses bristle from tower vases. 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