Article written by Pam Black of Celebration House, Cape Town’s unique wedding information centre. First published in Die Burger Leefstyle newspaper.
Photo: Jan Theron Photography
Since spring, the season that not only heralds the return of warmer weather but also the amazing rebirth in our gardens, is just around the corner, what better time to focus on flowers and greenery at weddings? And as more and more environmentally-conscious couples worldwide are looking for ways to ensure that their nuptials are kinder to the planet, this is also the perfect occasion to highlight how they can achieve this aim with minimal effort.
TABLE DÉCOR
When planning a ‘green’ wedding, the golden rule is to use locally-grown produce and locally-made items, as far as possible. For instance, ask your florist not to use imported flowers — or, better still, hire potted plants for your décor. Consider using small tubs of flowers or herbs as table décor, which could double up as gifts for your guests.
Candelabra have become very popular at weddings (not sure if Eskom had anything to do with this!) and these, combined with something like potted orchids, make very attractive table décor. The beautiful simplicity of an orchid always lends an air of sophistication to a table.
If you are using fresh flowers, try not to waste them after the wedding. You could donate them to a hospital or old age home, should you not be planning to give them to guests. (As you will probably be leaving on your honeymoon straight after the wedding, ask a friend or family member to organise this for you.)
‘WEDDING TREES’
I read a fascinating article about a town in the Philippines where couples were unable to obtain permission to marry until they had planted five trees. The authorities were concerned about the deforestation in their country, and wanted to do something positive about it, so they came up with this unusual concept. The idea has been a huge success and to date thousands of trees have been planted by couples in this town.
While I have no intention of working towards a law forbidding people to marry unless they plant trees, I thought that the idea of encouraging couples to commemorate their marriage in this way was an excellent one, so I approached Stodels Nurseries with the concept and we launched our exciting ‘Green Initiative’ with them.
Stodels have agreed to offer all couples a generous 30% discount on their purchase of an indigenous tree. (The discount vouchers are available only from Celebration House.) On our website www.weddingtree.co.za you will find useful hints and tips on tree-planting, provided by Stodels.
If you do decide to plant a tree to commemorate your wedding, please send us photos of the event, as we would love to share them with others on the Wedding Tree website. Where you plant the tree is your choice – whether in your new garden, at your parents’ home, at a school you attended, or in a public space that needs beautifying. What fun to watch the tree grow (like your marriage) and be a permanent reminder of your special occasion. And at the same time, you will be doing your bit to help ‘green’ the planet.
CONFETTI AT WEDDINGS
Showering newly-weds with confetti has long been a tradition, but today tossing paper confetti is severely frowned on and banned) by most churches and venues. As an alternative, many couples have resorted to using fresh or dried rose petals.
An option that has growen fast in popularity, is to use Heather Deliciosa, a member of the fynbos family. Michelle Moodie, of the farm Groot Vaders Bosch in the Heidelberg district, came up with the idea of using this in place of confetti, and started her business ‘Scatterlings – Nature’s own confetti’. In spring, the heather is picked on their farm and allowed to dry. The little flowers are then stripped from the stalk and put into confetti bags made by ladies from Suurbraak, the small mission station nearby, thereby providing employment to previously unemployed women.
TABLE GIFTS
A friend of mine who was planning her daughter’s spring wedding wanted to ensure that the gifts for the guests were environmentally friendly. She came up with the great idea of giving packets of wildflower seeds. You can obtain these from nurseries, or from Kirstenbosch, who supply seeds of indigenous plants (most of which have been harvested from the plants growing at Kirstenbosch). They offer a mail order service and I would suggest that you contact their Seed Room at Tel: 021 799 8899. You can find more information at www.sanbi.org/frames/kirstfram.htm.
