PHOTO CREDIT: Jennifer Hughes
Having an Eco-Beautiful Wedding is a lot easier than you think!
On top of it being easy to do in Frederick, it can be colorful! One of the biggest misconceptions about having a “green” wedding is that the colors have to be green and brown and earthy. As you can see from the above photo – an eco wedding was nothing to do with the color! Having a “green” wedding is all about how local you can make your vendors and choosing products and service providers that also purchase locally and chose sustainability as their mission statement. Here’s an easy checklist of how to go about having an Eco-Beautiful Wedding Day!
Start with a venue that gives back to the community. One of our favorite places is Thorpewood!
Look for wedding gowns that are manufactured in the States or Canada. Many designers (yes couture designers like Vera Wang) design their high end gowns in the states and then ship the designs to China or India or beyond for cheap labor and manufacturing. Some of the best couture designers that design and manufacture in the states are Claire Pettibone and Monique Lhullier. Then we have a local designer that we love – Elizabeth St. John and New York City Designer The Cotton Bride (they use sustainable cotton fabrics and design and manufacture right in New York City!).
Look for caterers that are locally run in Frederick and use sustainable and local farmers. “Local” in the catering industry means a 500 mile radius. There are tons of farmers on the East Coast that can provide all you need for your local and sustainable wedding. One of our favorite local caterers in Frederick is Canapes – ask for Mike Delphey!
Try to have your ceremony and reception in the same location to reduce the amount of travel your guests. This reduces the overall carbon emissions for your wedding day.
Try to make sure that all of your flowers are as local as possible or grown in the US, Canada, Holland or New Zealand. These 4 countries are committed to sustainable farming. Check out our website and come meet with us for your floral design needs!
Look for DJ’s that give back to the community on their websites.
Ask your make-up artist and hair stylist to use eco-friendly products on your wedding day. Liz Wegzyn (make-up artist) and Hair by Giselle know all about these products!
There really are limitless ways to make your wedding green! To learn more about how to purchase eco-wedding products and endless green wedding ideas you can check out Eco-Beautiful Weddings Magazine & Blog!
Katie Martin owns Elegance & Simplicity, Inc. – a local event design company that exclusively designs eco-couture weddings in the DC/Baltimore/Frederick areas and the Dominican Republic. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of Eco-Beautiful Weddings Magazine. Her 4th book The Everything Wedding Book is currently out on bookshelves and on Amazon!
PHOTO CREDIT: a little bit of whimsy photography
