How to Have an Earth-Friendly Wedding Shower and Reception

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You and your groom can make your wedding as special, unique, and environmentally friendly as you are.  You can make the experience enjoyable for your guests while inspiring them with your concern for the earth.  Combine tradition with conservation to create a memorable occasion without loading the landfills with post-consumer waste or compromising your earth-friendly lifestyle

 The aftermath of many parties is a large quantity of bags filled with garbage.  Paper plates, napkins, empty soda cans, plastic cups, and other debris all end up destined for the landfill.  The best way to prevent these items from winding up in the landfill is to avoid using them in the first place.

 When a party is held at home, there may not be enough plates, cups, serving utensils, and table linens to accommodate all the guests.  Rather than resorting to paper or plastic supplies, the hosts can purchase inexpensive dinnerware and household linens to be used at the party.  Once the party is over, these supplies can be washed and then presented to the bride as an additional present.

 There are also companies that rent linens and dinnerware for parties.  These items can be returned dirty.

 If a party is catered, it is important to advise the caterer that disposable paper and plastic dinnerware will not be used at the party.  Before arranging to hold parties at a particular location, call and speak with them about whether they will be able to respect your preferences for an environmentally friendly event.

 It is proper for you to send a thank you note to the hosts of any parties held in your honor.  Instead of sending a paper note, you may choose to have a small token of your appreciation sent to the hosts.  For example, you could have a plaque or vase engraved and presented to the hosts.

 The first party held in honor of the couple is usually the engagement party.  It isn’t mandatory, but it is nice to celebrate an engagement with a party.  The engagement party is traditionally hosted by the bride’s parents.  It is perfectly acceptable to invite guests to an engagement party by telephone.  This eliminates the paper waste associated with written invitations.  Gifts are not required at an engagement party, so there shouldn’t be a problem with disposal of wrapping paper like there is with bridal showers.

 It is traditional for the bride’s friends and family to host a bridal shower.  In the past, it was common for this celebration to be a surprise.  However, showers are rarely kept secret anymore.  This allows brides to offer their suggestions to the hosts.

 When the bride is planning an environmentally friendly wedding, the bridal shower should also reflect her decision.  Care should be taken to balance tradition with eco-friendly practices. 

 There should be a recycling bin at the shower so that recyclable items can immediately be placed in the bin.  That reduces the risk that recyclable or reusable items will land in the garbage and consequently in a landfill.

 Close friends and family members can spread the word among the other invited guests that the shower is going to be free of gift-wrap and ribbons.  Suggest that gifts can be wrapped in dishtowels, cloth napkins, towels, hand towels, tablecloths, and other linens.  The packages can be tied with hemp or string.  At the shower, one person should be assigned to neatly fold linens as they are unwrapped from the presents.  Separate pieces of string should be tied at the ends and rolled into a ball for later use. 

 Some guests may still use wrapping paper to wrap the presents.  They may either fail to get the message, or choose to ignore it.  For this reason, the recycling bin should be kept handy when the gifts are unwrapped so that paper can be placed immediately into the bin.  This way it won’t end up in the garbage.  Alternatively, someone can use a scissors to trim the ends of used wrapping paper and fold it neatly so that it can be reused.  The paper scraps can be placed in the recycling bin.  Ribbon can also be saved for reuse.

 It is best to have a photo album, scrapbook, or other repository for the cards which will accompany the gifts.  If a scrapbook is used, make sure that you have several glue-sticks on hand so that the cards can be immediately secured into place.  If you put the cards aside with the intention of doing this at a later date, it probably won’t get done.  A three hole binder with clear plastic sheet protectors works well and serves multiple functions.  As each present is opened, someone can make a list of who gave what item.  Then the card can be placed in one of the sheet protectors.  When the bride has finished opening the presents, the list can be placed in the front of the binder.  The bride will have an immediate keepsake of the cards received at the shower, and a convenient list of the presents she received.  This list will be valuable in writing thank you notes (which should be written on recycled paper).

 A wishing well can be placed on a table to collect small household supplies for the bride.  In keeping with the theme, any items should be eco-friendly.  There are many products on the market which are biodegradable and less harmful to the environment than other products.

 Food scraps can be saved and then used to start a compost heap in the backyard.

 Coworkers may throw a party in the workplace.  It can be much more difficult to control the purchase of supplies in an office party, but you can suggest the use of a recycling bin as appropriate in keeping with your beliefs.

 If you give a party in honor of your bridesmaids, it will be easy for you to control the theme of the party.  Traditionally, the bride can present gifts to the attendants.  The gifts can be anything you feel will show your appreciation to those women in your wedding party.  Potted plants or tree saplings can be given.  You can present each of her attendants with a piece of jewelry which can be worn to the wedding.

 A bachelor party may be held by the best man and the ushers in honor of the groom.   There is usually a rehearsal dinner sponsored by the groom’s family.  It is important to discuss the details of the rehearsal dinner openly and honestly with the groom’s family to avoid hurt feelings and misunderstandings.  With a little effort, you can make sure that any party held in your honor is earth-friendly like you.