5 Simple Green Wedding Tips from Danny Seo
Environmental lifestyle designer Danny Seo calls his eco-friendly way of living "Simply Green." Through his best-selling books, television programs, products, magazine columns, and how-to lifestyle lectures, Danny Seo continues to share the creative ideas that have made him one of America's leading lifestyle authorities on modern, eco-friendly living.
"If you’re thinking about going green, keep in mind the big picture. Think about the major elements of a wedding that have both the biggest impact on the planet and on your wedding day. There are all sorts of things you can do to leave a smaller footprint on the earth without sacrificing a thing on your big day."
1. The venue.
"Imagine a gorgeous field of wildflowers as your backdrop. Or a canopy of perfectly manicured tropical plants inside an early 20th century greenhouse. Or an untouched forest with towering redwood trees all around you and soft pine needles to walk on beneath you. Many conservation organizations and nonprofits will rent out their preserved spaces and conservatories for a fraction of what more traditional wedding locations would cost. Plus, your rental fee will likely be used to fund their charitable works."
2. Food & wine.
"Ask your caterer to use readily available organic ingredients to create your wedding menu. Finding a truly all-organic caterer can be next to impossible, so work with your caterer to choose dishes that incorporate local, seasonal fruits and vegetables. Think heirloom tomatoes in the summer; crisp apple tarts in fall; fresh herbs and baby-green salads for spring; and exquisite root-vegetable purees for winter. You can also insist on a no-Styrofoam policy and tell your caterer to recycle cans, bottles and aluminum foil.
"Organic wines, which are made from grapes grown without chemical pesticides, have improved by leaps and bounds over the years. Bonterra (which translates into "good earth") is a high-quality, reasonably priced line available nationwide. In New York City, the all-organic and biodynamic wine retailer, Appellation Wine and Spirits offers a wide variety from both large and small winemakers around the world. And spirits can be green too: Reyka vodka is made in Iceland using organic ingredients and geothermal energy from deep within the earth."
3. The invitations.
"Look for tree-free paper alternatives made from kenaf, hemp, or bamboo. Or choose 100 percent post-consumer recycled stock produced from discarded newspapers, office paper, and magazines. Also, ask your printer to use a soy-based ink. It’s a greener choice as it’s made from renewable soy beans and the end result is often brighter, clearer printing."
4. Centerpieces.
"Going green with your centerpieces isn’t just better for the environment, it can save you money, too. I am a fan of an online company called Organic Bouquet, which sells certified organic roses and exotic flowers, all grown without chemical pesticides and insecticides. Organic roses are naturally fragrant and, because they are free of chemical pesticides, they’re also edible. You can safely use them to decorate cakes or cupcakes, sprinkle on salads, or to make rose-scented sugar (just toss a few petals into a bowl of sugar). Or save your organic roses and make potpourri; fill cellophane bags with the mixture and send them to guests with your thank-you notes after the wedding.
"Another option is to ask your florist to only use flowers that are certified sustainable by the Rainforest Alliance. Their mark of certification only appears on flowers that were grown in a way that protects native forests, waterways, and soil. It also denotes that they provide the growers with healthcare, education, fair wages, and safe working conditions.
"Accentuate your centerpiece with beeswax and soy-based candles in a variety of shapes in sizes. Not only will they burn with significantly less soot and smoke, but they burn more slowly than paraffin-based candles."
5. Your eco-registry.
"Register smart. Check the labels and research the brands to see who the Environmental Protection Agency is giving a thumbs up. Kitchen items are very popular registry picks. So, when you think pans, you can think green. Traditional Teflon non-stick pans use perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which is a synthetic chemical used to manufacture polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and is toxic when released into the air. Teflon non-stick pans are being phased out for this reason by mandate of the Environmental Protection Agency.
"There are a number of alternatives that are dishwasher safe, easy to cook with and affordably priced. Some options to consider include hard-anodized cookware that is labeled PFOA free; cast-iron pans; enamel coated pans and saucepots; stainless steel and new technologies like ceramic coatings called Thermolon and GreenPans, which use a truly non-stick sandflow coating.
"You can even register for big ticket items, like a mattress, and still be eco friendly. My own Simmons Natural Care by Danny Seo mattress, for example, is naturally hypoallergenic and the natural latex and soy-enhanced foam is eco-friendly because it’s a renewable resource. The inherent properties of the mattress make it naturally dust-mite, mold and mildew resistant."
-Danny Seo
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