Tips From Renee Brant
The following green tips grew out of our family’s experience in creating a “green” wedding for my son Justin and his wife Laila. Both of them are environmentalists at heart and in their professions. We followed their lead and learned a lot along the way, which we share with you:
1. Location
One of the major considerations with the greatest environmental impact is the decision about where to hold an event. In the case of this wedding, the couple lived on the West Coast and some friends also lived there. Most of the family members and friends of the couple from high school and college lived on the East Coast. Justin and Laila decided to have their wedding in their home town of Boston, greatly reducing the collective travel expenses and energy consumption required for travel to and from the wedding.
2. Compostable Picnic Ware
Justin and Laila wanted to invite everyone to a picnic the day before their wedding. They decided to use disposable picnic ware (plates, glasses, cups, forks, knives). One can now purchase compostable picnic supplies- plates made from sugarcane, and glasses and cutlery made from corn. For those in the Boston area, Greenward, 1776 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140, 617-395-1338, is the only place we found that sold these products locally. Once can also purchase these products online through companies including World Centric and Eco Products. Consider shipping costs (environmental and financial). The products themselves are considerably less expensive than the usual paper and plastic ware. We decided to support Greenward, our local business, and found the personnel very helpful.
3. Composting
Compostable products are beneficial only if you do in fact compost them! However, this is difficult to do at home with any significant quantity of picnic ware. So we had the task of investigating local composting resources. While local municipalities have begun to compost yard waste, not many compost food waste and biodegradable picnic ware. Cambridge does, but one needs to be a resident, and the times to bring material to the composting site are limited. One can also bring waste for composting to Whole Foods Market on Prospect St. in Cambridge, but it is a shlep to bring any significant amount of waste there. Our friendly sales-person at Greenward recommended the company which does the composting for Cambridge, Save that Stuff, 617-241-9998. They were the only local place we found that would compost food waste and biodegradable picnic supplies. They brought large waste bins to our home, picked them up when they were full, and composted the waste. After we composted food waste and picnic ware, and recycled cans and bottles, we had virtually no trash after a picnic for 100 people!
4. Eat Local and Sustainable
We looked for a caterer committed to working with local family farms using sustainable agricultural techniques and producing naturally raised meat without use of growth hormones, antibiotic injections, or trough feeding. They use locally grown produce when it is available, fresh farm eggs, and fish caught from the ocean. We discovered Lionette’s Market in the South End, 617-778-0360, 577 Tremont Street. The food was fabulous and the staff very helpful. Vegan and vegetarian dishes were plentiful. I am sure there are other caterers who share these values, but we did not find them. Let us add to the list.
5. Paper, Invitations
Consider whether you need to use paper invitations, or whether you can use the internet (including sites such as eVite). If you use paper, investigate recycled products.
6. Flowers
We used flowers grown on a local farm, arranged centerpieces in recycled vases, and made our own bouquets, corsages, and boutonnieres.
7. Transporation
We provided bus transportation from the local hotels where guests stayed to and from the wedding and picnic. This greatly reduced the need for guests to rent cars and minimized gasoline consumption for transportation to and from wedding events.
8. "Confetti" Substitutes
Rather than using confetti or rice, we threw rose petals and lavender at the bride and groom at the conclusion of the ceremony.
9. Gifts
Charitable giving was an integral part of giving gifts. The I Do Foundation facilitates partnering of gift registries with charitable non-profit foundations. A percentage of every gift purchase is donated to one’s favorite charity at no extra cost to the person purchasing the gift.
10. Huppah Poles
Thanks to Rabbi Pearlman who gave us the contact information, we were able to borrow huppah poles, which had been created for another wedding in the congregation. While they were in our possession we loaned them to another couple, who also used them. We will now make them available to others and hope to create an on-line record of the journey of the huppah poles as they re-cycle through weddings over the years to come.
These suggestions represent a beginning in being mindful of environmental considerations when you plan your simcha.
"Righteous people ... do not waste in this world even a mustard
seed. They become sorrowful with every wasteful and destructive act
that they see, and if they can, they use all their strength to save
everything possible from destruction. But the wicked ... rejoice in
the destruction of the world, just as they destroy themselves."
- Sefer HaChinuch 529; 13th Century