Green weddings

And now for some good news...
This weekend I was invited to a wedding. A cause for celebration – especially as Sarah and Trevor are having a ‘green’ wedding.

My friends are part of a growing trend towards swapping the frou-frou dress, the mile-long guest list and the expensive honeymoon for something simpler and more meaningful.

No, they won’t be saying their vows in hemp and Birkenstock sandals, but they will try to scale back a bit, and keep it ethical. I think their day will be a great way to shows that they care about the world as much as they care about each other.

Sarah’s already got her dress sorted: an heirloom from her mum, so it has perfect green credentials.

For those who haven’t got their mother’s frock to step into, there’s a thriving business of restoring and selling vintage wedding dresses from Grace Kelly 1950s numbers to 1920s silk flapper dresses.

There are also eco-friendly wedding dress designers, some working in organic fabrics, so you know your dress won’t have been made in a distant sweatshop and then clocked up air-miles getting to you.

They are also going to source flowers locally rather than flying in hothoused exotics, while dried rose petals will make the easiest, most eco-friendly confetti around.

The rings are going to be from an ethical jewellers who use gold from ethically run Colombian mines.

As for the honeymoon, no airmiles needed – and they should have a great time in Cornwall if the current weather forecasts for a hot summer hold true.

I'm very happy for them, and I can’t wait to help them celebrate in true green style (with the odd wedding gift from www.ecohip.org, of course...)