IDAHO STATESMAN

January 24, 2007

How green is your wedding?

Angel & Co. will help you put the hemp in your gown, the organic in your cake and the flower seeds in your invitations

When Al Gore, the greenest politician of our times, filled seats for his Boise speech faster than a rock star, Melissa Hawkins took it as a sign: Treasure Valley residents are ready to start taking environmental preservation to heart. That includes brides and grooms who are getting ready to take their wedding vows.

Hawkins works with her mother, Susan Angel, at Angel & Co., a new wedding planning firm specializing in organic, environmentally friendly, socially responsible weddings.

Angel grew up in the small Idaho town of Cambridge and was a social worker in California and Idaho for two decades. When she was ready for a change of professions, her social-work skills translated smoothly to wedding planning.

"I'm like a case manager for brides," she said. "Weddings are emotional. They deal with family issues, timelines, resource management ... ."

She planned her three daughters' weddings, which ranged from a formal evening ceremony with candles to a morning ceremony with the Tetons as a backdrop and a pig roast in the afternoon.

When she was doing research to start her business, she happened upon the concept of green weddings, a trend that started in California and has moved into mainstream wedding magazines, Angel said. The Web abounds with sites devoted to earth-friendly celebrations.

Angel is willing and able to plan any kind of wedding or commitment ceremony, traditional or otherwise, but the concept of the green wedding fits her own lifestyle.

"I'm not an over-the-top person," she said, but she recycles and eats organically. She redid her floors using earth-friendly tile. She composts, is hooking up a rain water catcher for her garden and chooses to live in a small house decorated with art by local artists.

Living with reason and balance, is a philosophy that brides and grooms can adopt for their wedding. They can "go nuts," Angel said, and wear hemp clothes, serve a banquet of raw vegan treats and email their invitations so they don't use any paper at all. On the less-extreme side, they can re-think one or two elements of their wedding plan and make a small difference for the environment. Buying organic food and flowers, patronizing small, local businesses rather than chains can be expensive, admitted Angel, but it's possible for couples to pick and choose and start small.

"Even very traditional people will be open to something," Angel said. They can commit to working only with caterers who recycle, or make sure their caterer or wedding planner is in contact with organizations, food banks and shelters, that accept donations of food left over from the reception.

"That's an easy way to give back to the community." she said. "Your wedding can be socially responsible, and you won't lose a thing."

As much as orchestrating green weddings, Angel finds herself educating people about them, dispelling ideas, such as if a cake is made with organic ingredients, it will taste like wheat germ and sunflower seeds.

At a recent Boise bridal show, among the booths for eyelash extensions, slenderizing body wraps and tooth straightening, Angel and Hawkins handed out packets of organic Bride's Bliss tea blended by local tea mistress Toni Hodge. They chatted with brides-to-be, such as Angela Watts, who got engaged over Christmas. Watts is considering an outdoor wedding, and likes many of the ideas Angel is advocating — donating food to charities, using local flora for her bouquet.

Go green with your greens ... and pinks and whites and lavenders ...

Flora is one key way to go green, Angel said. When you buy flowers, think of getting them from a local source. You can see how flowers are grown and harvested, preferably without harmful pesticides. Flowers will be fresher and won't require a lot of expensive, fuel-wasting transportation. Angel recommends meeting, or having your wedding planner meet with, local organic gardeners early to find out which flowers and greens will be available and when.

Even if you buy organic flowers, there will be leftovers. Donate flowers to nursing homes after the ceremony and reception.

Another option is limiting the use of cut flowers. Buy a bridal bouquet, but use potted plants or flowers and decorate with non-floral items (candles, ribbons).

Going local with your greens will work in the cold seasons, too, with a little extra thought and a clever designer. Consider evergreen fronds, branches, grasses, autumn leaves and berries as design elements.

Gina Bessire is one local floral designer who's adopted a green approach for her art form.

She's from the Bay Area where, she says, it's easy to absorb a green sensibility. She's been working with local organic gardeners and doing volunteer work at the Idaho Botanical Garden to teach herself about the Treasure Valley climate and which varieties of flowers grow well in our area.

She agrees that using local flora is not an idea limited to the warm months. She mentions ornamental millets and corn as possible decor for a "harvest wedding."

Send invitations that save trees

Traditional wedding invitations include "save the date" cards, layers of tissue, response cards and various envelopes. This harks back to the Pony Express days, Angel said, when mail had to travel long distances on dusty trails.

There's no need for such precautions anymore. Couples can opt for invitations with fewer pieces, or even send invitations with flower or vegetable seeds embedded in them. Guests can RSVP by phone or email — then bury the invitations in the garden.

Seed packets or seedlings can make nice table favors, as well. The National Arbor Day Foundation offers seedlings for weddings. Each seedling ($3 a piece) comes in a recyclable tube (with customized label) that converts into a bird feeder after the tree is planted. Take a look: www.arborday.org.

To contact reporter Anna Webb at awebb@idahostatesman.com or 377-6431.