Kathleen Terrana, owner of Beautiful Bridal, says the contest (called "Brides Make Smart Choices") is intended to make us more mindful of our consuming habits. She says weddings can be extremely wasteful if they aren't planned with the environment in mind.
"The choices you make at your wedding will eventually affect me, and the choices I make will eventually affect you, because they all impact on the environment. So it makes sense to share our environmentally-
The movement towards green weddings is gaining momentum as more and more brides include environmental choices in almost every aspect of their planning. They're choosing, for example, second-hand or rented wedding gowns, rings made of recycled gold, a reception serving local food and drink, hybrid limos for the bridal party, organic in-season flowers, a honeymoon that's close to home, etc.
Ms Terrana has come up with a few of her own suggestions for environmentally-
· Make personalized wedding favors by decoratively wrapping up garden seeds or tree seedlings, then customize them with blessings, poems, or personal messages.
· Use biodegradable or recycled paper wedding invitations, wrapping paper, ribbons and gift cards.
· Give your attendants jewelry made from recycled metals and stones.
· Book the wedding and reception within walking distance of each other so car travel is reduced.
The "Brides Make Smart Choices" contest closes on June 30, 2008. Details on how to submit ideas to the eco-friendly wedding contest can be found on the Beautiful Bridal blog: http://beautiful-
Contact Information:
Kathleen Terrana
email: sales@beautiful-
phone: (757) 427-2166,
fax: (757) 340-0303
website: www.beautiful-
