2009-04-21 18:30:49 by SMARTBRIDE
Eco-Friendly Weddings Tips: Flowers
Choosing eco-friendly flowers can reduce the impact of your wedding day - just imagine, less shipping/emissions, less pesticides, fair working conditions and more. Follow these four simple steps to ensure you're making the right choices for the planet and your pocketbook.
- Step 1: Know what's in season
- Step 2: Choose the perfect Bouquet
- Step 3: Find a eco-friendly Florist
- Step 4: Research a second life for your flowers
Let's get started!
Step 1: Know what's in season
First things first. Try to stick with locally grown flowers that are in season. Not only will it be better for the environment, but a lot easier on your pocketbook too! Here are a few lists of flowers in season through out the year.
Step 2: Choose the perfect Bouquet
Now that you know what types of flowers you can work with, begin gathering inspiration for what you want your bouquet to look like. If you've already chosen your wedding colours, you'll have a head start. Keep in mind, it's nice to tie in flowers from your bouquet into the other arrangements you are using for the ceremony or reception. Here are a few photo galleries for inspiration.
- Flickr Search
- Weddingbells Summer flowers Gallery
- Bouquets by Colour at Bride & Bloom
- The Knot Bouquet Gallery
- Martha Stewart Galleries
Step 3: Find a eco-friendly Florist
Choosing a florist can be a bit time consuming. Not only will you be looking for someone who can create your vision, but also a vendor with reasonable prices and sustainable practices. When interviewing potential florists or ordering flowers online, you may hear many terms thrown around like organic, eco-friendly and fair trade. We've listed a bunch of eco-related terms below so you can better understand what to look for in a responsible florist.
LOCALLY GROWN:
Depending on your location, you may be able to request locally grown flowers. These flowers do not incur the emissions of flowers shipped from afar. They're generally fresher and support your local economy.
ORGANIC:
Organic flowers are those grown using a sustainable system of agriculture popularized in the U.S. by farmer and publisher J. I. Rodale in 1946. Organic farming works with nature, not against it, by utilizing agricultural techniques that build soil fertility and protect the surrounding air, water and wildlife. In doing so, organic farming seeks to build healthy, rich soil to produce plants that are high in nutritional value and resistant to pests and diseases. Organically grown flowers and plants do not harbour hazardous fertilizers and pesticides. They can be safely composted with no fear of putting those nasty chemicals back into the soil.
ECO-FRIENDLY:
While there are no strict standards for this term - you'll want to ask some additional questions of flowers labeled "Eco-friendly". They should meet at as many of the following criteria as possible:
- a) use of materials which are recycled, recyclable, tree-free, biodegradable, compostable, post-consumer, wild crafted, all-natural, and/or printed with vegetable-based inks;
b) manufactured or transported using carbon offsets, renewable or efficient energy, and/or little to no toxic chemicals;
c) produced using organic farming practices but are not certified under the USDA National Organic Program;
d) a portion of the sale proceeds are donated to non-profit organizations dedicated to wildlife & land conservation, ecological restoration, and environmental protection.
ECO-PACKAGING:
Look for flower arrangements that use biodegradable containers which can be safely composted. For wrapping up fresh flowers, ask for natural materials such as hessian, paper, cornstarch film, cotton, jute, raffia.
SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE
Again, there is no independent standard for this term, but looks for flowers that are:
- a) sourced from farmers and artisans who re-invest in the infrastructure of their local communities through education, healthcare, and/or economic development projects;
b) sourced from farmers and artisans who are employed by companies that provide safe and just working conditions, a livable wage, and adequate health and education benefits;
c) give a portion of the sale proceeds are donated to non-profit organizations dedicated to social justice, human rights & welfare, and animal rights;
d) produced without animal testing or cruelty and are either vegetarian or vegan.
FAIR TRADE:
Fair Trade flowers are available. Working on the same principles as the more familiar Fair Trade coffee and tea, these flowers are superb quality and give much needed financial and ethical support to producers in developing countries. This means a fair price for their goods (one that covers the cost of production and guarantees a living income), long-term contracts which provide real security; and for many, support to gain the knowledge and skills that they need to develop their businesses and increase sales.
*Tip*
Veriflora is North America’s first comprehensive sustainability certification program for the floral and potted plant industries. The VeriFlora "Certified Sustainably Grown" label is your guarantee that flowers and potted plants have been produced in an environmentally and socially responsible manner and meet the highest standards for freshness and quality.
Step 4: Research a second life for your flowers
It's important to think ahead. After the big day, what happens to all the flowers and decorations from your wedding? We suggest to choose a home for these things along the way. For example, flower arrangements or centerpieces can be given to one guest from each table in place of favours or presented to friends of family who helped out to show your appreciation. You can also research other institutions such as hospitals or seniors homes that could use a little cheering up. Your flowers can last up to 2 weeks in another location. This may not be possible if you are renting vases. Check with your accountant to see if this could be a tax write-off.
