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Budget Weddings Forum
Glasshalfempty
member
Sustainable Style
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/street-style/the-woman-who-believes-sustainable-weddings-are-the-next-big-thing-20170501-gvwqz6.html
Is this happening elsewhere? I like the idea of an ethical mortgage broker being part of this.
Is this happening elsewhere? I like the idea of an ethical mortgage broker being part of this.
Re: Sustainable Style
Years ago, an established USA financial counselor with a TV/radio audience recommended the Knot boards as a good way to prevent a couple from going out of control when planning their wedding. This is not new. We have always discouraged couples from going into ANY debt with their wedding costs.
How many times have we stated, "A wedding means a couple who wants to get married, a license, an officiant, and legal witnesses"? We also strongly discourage PPDs, which are a completely unnecessary expense, and only serve to flatter the couple. Budget weddings seem to be the norm, here.
Maybe I just don't speak "Aussie"?
I don't think sustainable just means not going into debt. It's also about how, as it says in the article, we can not contribute to the problem of overconsumption. Just in the ways we do in our regular lives by recycling, choosing ethical clothing over other choices, or charitable giving.
Feel like that's probably true, and also wanted to share.
I think you are talking more about a lifestyle change- which is something that is hard for many of us to change on the grand scale, which you can currently see with climate change issues. How do we stop driving cars when our cities are designed with urban sprawl and you need the highway to get anywhere? Etc.
If this is something that is important you, you can start by looking directly at the companies you deal with. Regarding jewelry, there are companies that follow ethical and conflict-free practices, or you can also consider a lab-made stone. As for flowers, source out local growers, or nix the flowers in general. Seek out a caterer that uses local products. Find a dress from a company local to you (or at least makes their product in the same country)- it may not have the tag "wedding" associated with it, but I am sure there are options for beautiful dresses either made in country by a large company or made by a local designer that can be found.
People are ALWAYS encouraged to overspend. The entire retail industry, not just the wedding industry, is about encouraging people to buy things whether they need them or not and whether they can afford them or not. As for the author's third sentence, "Weddings are a dreamy and delightful thing, but can you think of another occasion on which we're encouraged to spend the equivalent of a mortgage down-payment on a ball gown designed to wear once, 200 pink porcelain napkin rings and a silver cage of hired white doves?" Yes, actually I can. People are encouraged to buy expensive vehicles, expensive furniture, expensive everything else and usually to take out loans for it instead of buy what they can actually afford. This is not a "wedding industry" problem.
Second, I hate the whole "average price of weddings" thing. I'd be much more interested in a median price of weddings because I think it'd be less.
Third, charity registries are, at best, controversial (see recent thread in Favors), and at worst, wrong from an etiquette standpoint. And I fail to understand how creating a charity registry is anymore sustainable than just registering for things you need (which is what H and I did. All the things on our registries were things that, if we hadn't been gifted them, we would have had to purchase anyway because we didn't have them and needed them) or not registering and donating the money received to charity.
Finally, to her last sentences "Think a Charitable Gift Registry, a responsible travel agent and an ethical mortgage broker. 'Instead of having a big wedding, you could support a cause, travel or start your family home.'" How in the world can travel ever be described as sustainable?! And saving money for travel or buying a home is not unique to "sustainable" weddings. Many people do this without calling it "sustainable." And, shouldn't you always look for a responsible travel agent? Shouldn't you always look for an ethical mortgage broker? Again, not unique to "sustainable" weddings.
So, even though I didn't want to, I clicked over to this woman's website. Apparently, sustainable to her is "experiences over stuff," which makes no sense to me. How is an experience any more sustainable than buying a physical object? How is spending $5,000 on a trip any more sustainable than spending $5,000 on a home remodel or the latest greatest techno gadget or whatever?
And of course, on the "simplify" page of her website, she encourages an unplugged wedding. Because apparently not taking pictures is more "sustainable" than taking pictures. News to me. That phone still exists and that phone is still using batteries and will need to be recharged regardless of whether or not it's used a couple times during a wedding to snap a few photos.
Honestly, it just sounds to me like she's using a buzzword to make money and doesn't really know what it means. *eyeroll*
There are are very few things that are less sustainable than airline travel.
As to, "shouldn't you look for a responsible travel agent or ethical mortgage broker?" I don't think a lot of people do. I honestly don't think it crosses most people's minds when planning a holiday or thinking about housing.
Um..what? Travel agents are responsible for what? If a mortgage broker isn't ethical, he will soon be in prison. Totally confused by your post.
"Responsible travel" meaning what I outlined before...using local services, not impacting too much on the environment etc. A 'responsible travel agent' is therefore someone who can help facilitate that, rather just just stick you in a chain hotel.
I think a lot of this seems more #sustainable than it does actually sustainable, climate-friendly policies. Like, it sounds great and buzzworthy but not actually having the impact one thinks it does.
And on mortgage brokers, great if you Want to search for an ethical lender/possibly pay more for local/a specific company awesome, but that doesn't mean that mortgage company isn't going to turn around and seek your mortgage as soon as it's closed. One that you might not agree with.
Sure you can limit your carbon footprint by staying close to home, but doesn't mean your mere presences isn't causing issues on things you don't think about.
I don't think it's all that smart to reference celebrities when trying to write an article to the average middle class. The average person isn't giving wedding guests an engraved piece of marble. And if we aspire to live in our own homes (as opposed to condos or apartments that are joined together) that's already less "green" for the planet.
We can be smart about what we opt to do as hosts and as consumers. But I think trying to turn a wedding into a social platform isn't the time or the place.
1. Chain hotels are individually owned by local people and they employ local people. There is nothing different about them except that they share a website and standards. How does it impact the environment if I drive my car to a local travel agent, or if I choose to telephone my reliable on line travel agent, whom I have trusted for the last eight years?
2. You have just insulted me. I own a rather large block of oil stocks. They have been in my family since 1956. Thank you. The people in my town make a living from the gas industry. They are good, hard working people and they need these jobs. I think your "sustainable" ideas are full of it. I am done with you.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2014/11/141111-solar-panel-manufacturing-sustainability-ranking/
And you tell people on these boards they need a thicker skin?
I choose not to invest my money in banks that invest in fossil fuels. How is that insulting to anyone?
Anyways buzzwords or not some things in life are unavoidable. Clothing, travel (for me anyway as I have to travel for work), etc. I think it's good to just be aware of different choices we could make to lessen our impact.
Edited to clarify that I meant the author of the article, not OP.
Sorry how am I being holier than thou? I just thought it was an interesting article. I think it's good to think about choices you make in life. Not saying mine are better than yours, just that they're better for me. It's what I choose to do. Not everyone does make the same choices or think the same way. Same as everything else in life.
I didn't mean you, I meant the author of the article. My bad.
Yeah I have some idea. I work in the "social good" space hence I probably think about more than others. Also tend to research many of my purchases generally.
Now you're starting to sound self-righteous.
Starting to? Give me a break. I helped prepare my company for an environmental certification by researching the best GMP that were also environmentally friendly and it helped us stand out in the industry.
If you don't own zip lock bags, clothing with synthetic fibers, buy toothpaste or antihistamines or well...anything in a container or with a label on it then go for it and say that you are not supporting the fossil fuel industry.
But the entire premise of the article is overly preachy and attempts to be way too far reaching while making comparisons that are impossible.
And frankly, if you want to be more sustainable the ways to do it are by minimizing the extras. You don't need favors, special paper napkins, plastic utensils / cups / saucers or anything individually printed.
ETA: I should probably get off the phone and go to bed because I'm offending people I actually agree with and don't want to offend.
I'm thinking banana's "starting to?" comment was sarcasm, not directly towards you OWK.
Guess tone doesn't translate well on the internet. Because I work in the space I probably do think about it more than others. If I worked in pharmaceuticals or the disability sector I'd probably know more about that.
People usually have some expertise in the areas they work in? I don't even understand how that's self righteous to say that.
I'm not going around even saying I'm an expert in the space. Just that I think about it more than others because I have to. At least 8 hours every day for work.
Anyway this is not a conversation I need to have here considering its "insulting" people to make perfectly innocuous and sensible statements.
Thanks for the suggestions! I am doing all of those for my event, including no favours, and no plastic.
I know a lot of things are produced with fossil fuels, and there's definitely no avoiding a lot of things. But I like to minimise my use of plastics, synethic fibres where I can.
First, in my experience a charity favour isn't considered rude in Australia - I've 'received' this twice and also gone to weddings where they had us give charitable donations instead of gifts. It isn't rude in Australia, I know that in the US it seems to be.
I want to talk about this in the context of weddings only - I think otherwise people can think you're attacking them or their lives out side of that.
Second, I think this article is super judgy. It's talking about someone who arrived at the reception on a boat? I don't really think she's talking about regular brides.
I wanted to say the idea of keeping sustainable is great. We ended up choosing our venue because it had an ethical programme for staff - it's staffed by people being retrained to re-enter the workforce. The also offset their carbon footprint.
But I did get a couture gown, I work in fashion and it was important to me, and I'm making my own veil (side note everyone show do it them sleeves, even if you don't know how to sew it's just a square or oval hand sewn to a comb - you could hot glue it if you wanted!)
I've also done things like using the linen at the venue to not have to order any. Hiring a Makeup artist who only uses cruelty-free products and having an 80% vegetarian reception.
But my whole family is flying in from Australia.
I think it's give and take - both ethically and budgetly (is that a word?)
I would think that's what most of us are doing right? The best we can?
I'm kind of over being told 'oh you have to do this and that for your wedding' but also then being judged for what I do choose to do!!
Three CMGragain. I know what its like to come from a place that was built on mining. I don't think anyone (ever?) suggested that people who do that work are worth any less. However; we know now that 1 theses resources are running out, and 2 that the impact they have is less than desired. Small towns and countries that have previously replied on mining or oil need to think of new solutions. I'm Australian our entire economy relies on mining and you can already see the impact of the inevitable end. No one is trying to say that people who did the work are worthless. We're just saying its time to look for other jobs for these people.
Maybe try to remember that the internet can be a place where you misinterpret the tone and maybe wait 30 minutes before replying to something you thought offensive. You might come back and see it in a new light.