The Three R's of Wedded Bliss

April 4, 2007

Once regarded as barefoot-hippie fests, earth-friendly weddings are finally coming into their own. And there are a lot of shades of green; you can green the entire event or do something as easy as using organic flowers.

For starters, here are some simple tips:

1. Reduce: Cut down on materials with a large impact, like jewelry. Destructive gold mining practices can introduce arsenic and mercury into waterways, endangering people and animals. Plus, diamond shipments may be infiltrated by conflict diamonds, which are traded in order to fund civil wars in which nearly 4 million people have died. Seek out antiques, or recycle the gold or platinum from family members' rings to create a unique, personal design.

Another way to reduce? Serve a sit-down or family-style dinner rather than a buffet, which generates a lot of waste.

2. Reuse: Renting ensures that things will be reused, and "absolutely no plastic cups or bottles!" she says. After the event, donate flowers and centerpieces to charities, hospitals or retirement homes.

3. Recycle: Recycle everything you can and consider biodegradable and compostable utensils, like those from Nat-Ur (www.nat-urstore.com). Set up recycling stations and compost if possible.

Whether you want to go all green or not, here are some products that will incorporate every shade of green into your big day.

Save the Date

Twisted Limb invitations combine recycled office paper, junk mail, grocery bags and grass cuttings (www.twistedlimbpaper.com, 812-876-9352). Tree-free-paper invitations are available from www.invitesite.com.

Looking Good

Polar Bear Diamonds sells Canadian diamonds mined in strict adherence to worker and environmental protection laws (www.polarbeardiamond.com, 877-861-6675). GreenKarat's Celestial Love band contains recycled platinum ($425), and the Gatsby Redux diamond engagement ring and matching band, with synthetic gems, are cast in either recycled gold or recycled platinum ($1,350; www.greenkarat.com, 800-330-4605).

Wear an organic cotton, hemp, recycled-textile or cruelty-free silk dress, such as those sold by Wholly Jo's (www.wholly-jo.co.uk) and www.mycorset.com; Rawganique offers organic hemp and linen dresses and shirts (for men) (www.rawganique.com, 877-RAW-HEMP). Underneath, feel sexy with Ciel's organic-cotton underwear collection (www.thenaturalstore.co.uk).

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