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F
orget about something new and something blue! Accord-
port local businesses that incorporate environmental responsibility
ing to the Green Bride Guide, an online eco-friendly
into their own companies and you will have made a substantial
green wedding site, when it comes to weddings these
impact."
days more than 70 percent of engaged couples are saying
Nelle Donaldson, a certified green wedding planner and owner
"I do!" to green.
And, it's all because these modern brides
and grooms want their weddings to stylishly reflect their eco-conscious values.
These are earth conscious couple and
their wedding is therefore a natural progression of who they are," explains Janice
Twomey, the owner of Rue 29 Napa Valley,
a wine country-based event firm that works
with Bay Area couples to plan eco-friendly
weddings. "It is how we live our lives not
only in California but all over the USA and
the world."
And, she adds, each one of the more
than two million weddings performed this
year in the United States will produce an
average of 62 tons of carbon dioxide and
of Berkeley's ZahZoom Weddings and Par-
Each wedding
ties, sees the green wedding movement in
performed this year
ding where the couple says, 'you plan it, I'll
in the United States
finds that more couples are "moving toward
will produce an
with those values.
average of 62 tons of
a state of evolution. "It's a rare green wedshow up, I want it all green". Instead, she
a sustainable goal" and her role is to work
Eco-friendly planning
Donaldson and Twomey are among a
carbon dioxide and
growing niche of wedding planners ca-
400 to 600 pounds of
time, money, and stress planning a green
garbage.
400 to 600 pounds of garbage. "That is
pable of helping engaged couples save
wedding.
The Wedding Planning Institute, an
online resource that certifies – and lists
- green wedding planners, notes that its
mind-boggling. No wonder the green wedding movement has be-
certified planners can suggest how to green transportation, select
come so popular!"
appropriate vendors and venues and help choose carbon offsets.
Her simplest tip for planning a green wedding: "Hire and sup-
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FLOURISH • WINTER 2013
There are other sites that offer sustainability suggestions such as
