On April 22, the world celebrates Earth Day and reflects on their own personal environmental impact. Brides and grooms can make a conscious effort to reduce strain on the environment while planning their ideal destination wedding, too. Palladium Hotels & Resorts proves that a destination wedding doesn’t have to detract from the passion and plans of Earth’s beloved lobbyists. In honor of Earth Day, together with celebrity wedding planner Karen Bussen, Palladium offers seven tips for staying “green” on your big day at their all-inclusive beach-front resorts in Mexico, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.
Here are Karen Bussen’s seven tips on having an eco-friendly wedding:
1. Choose a venue for your celebration that embraces nature and actively shows respect for it. Maybe it’s a farm that grows its own organic produce or a loft space that gives part of its proceeds to an environmental cause you support. One of the reasons I chose to design a line of destination wedding packages for Palladium Hotel Group in the Caribbean is that they have a proven commitment to the environment. They’ve won numerous awards and are always looking for ways to conserve energy and preserve the natural environments that surround and sustain the resorts. They’re helping to replant coral reefs in Punta Cana and have a mission to save sea turtles, for example. Knowing that you’re celebrating in a place that celebrates nature is a great way to begin.
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2. Ask each of your potential vendors what their policies and attitudes are toward eco-friendliness in their work. Eco-friendly vendors will be able to demonstrate to you that they are eliminating waste wherever possible, and using local, sustainable materials. An example: Seek out caterers who source local (and hopefully organic) ingredients. Ask what they do to make the preparation of event food less wasteful. Brides who ask these types of questions are the leaders who will drive vendors to make eco-friendly policies a part of their business, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it’s good business.
3. If you’re having a big celebration, provide transportation for your guests. A bus or two emits far fewer gases than dozens of individual cars. Not only will you relieve friends and family of the possibility of drinking and driving, you’ll also be eco-friendly!
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4. Plan a 100-mile menu for food, wine, and cocktails. This means you strive to design your whole menu around ingredients that are grown and produced within 100 miles of your celebration. You’re supporting a local business, which is part of sustainability, and you’re eliminating the need for long-range trucking and shipping as much as possible. This idea works whether you are in Manhattan, Mexico, or Montego Bay! And by the way, serving authentic, local foods and drinks is the best way to give your event a uniquely memorable personality.
5. Go digital for some traditionally printed items. I DO believe you should print your wedding invitation — as in, send a real, printed invitation to the most important party you’ll ever host. It is a souvenir and a statement about your whole event. However, you can ask for more eco-friendly papers, such as ones that use recycled elements. And you can always request your RSVPs digitally, saving a card and envelope (not to mention stamps and postal trucks) for the reply. For satellite celebrations such as the engagement party, post-wedding brunch or the welcome party, I suggest using online invitation services, such as Paperless Post or evite. You can also deliver itineraries, accommodation details and other helpful info via a wedding website rather than printing a copy for everyone. I like www.weddingwindow.com a lot, but there are plenty of sites and apps out there.
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6. Use what you have wherever you can. By this I do not mean to settle for things you don’t like. But before you rent a bunch of items, take a good look at what your venue (and florist, for example) already has. By this I mean things like candles, plates, tablecloths and vases. It also includes things like heirlooms–instead of buying a cake cutting set or champagne flutes you’ll never use again, ask your grandma if you can borrow hers. It’s not just eco-friendly–it’s charming and meaningful too, and that’s the whole idea! This may also work for your wedding gown or some other elements. Try to use as many things as you can and rent and buy as little as possible. This will save you money and help to save our planet. Plan your decor budget to emphasize the WOW moments (an entrance, a focal point such as a fireplace, etc) and eliminate random flowers and decorations in transitional spaces. Cocktail hour is a great example — I suggest UNDER-decorating this space as you’ll only be there for, well, about an hour, and with folks standing and mingling, not much is required except a great bar and a hug.
7. Skip guest favors altogether. Part of being eco-friendly is just generally reducing your consumption of unnecessary goods. Guest favors require the item itself, plus packaging and sometimes a label or note. My experience is that most packaging (and frankly, lots of guest favors) is discarded at weddings, and that is just plain wasteful.
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For Palladium, being friendly to the environment doesn’t stop at weddings. Their core philosophy is based on being an eco-friendly and sustainable company. Part of Palladium’s policy includes using biodegradable products, recycling solid residue and re-using materials that can be utilized for other purposes.
Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa has the largest solar photovoltaic facility in Jamaica. Saving 15% energy annually, this instillation is also the largest solar power facility with these characteristics in the hotel industry throughout the entire Caribbean.
Newlyweds will sleep with peace of mind in a luxurious room knowing it is equipped with air conditioning units that turn off automatically if the door is left open for an extended period of time. Palladium properties are also outfitted with special lamps that use a reduced amount of energy.
More info: www.palladiumweddings.com