Going Green – Weddings AND Bar Mitzvahs

Recently, I attended an event held by The Society of Wedding Planners where the topic of discussion was ‘green weddings.’  If you aren’t exactly “in the know” (as I wasn’t), a green wedding is, in theory, ecologically correct.  In essence, it is a wedding/event trend where through careful planning the bride and groom or party hosts try to avoid using products and/or services that are harmful to the environment.  Apparently this even boils down to food choices and natural sunlight vs. lighting provided through electrical means.  One of the wedding professionals on the panel, Mark Kingsdorf of Queen Of Hearts Wedding Consultants (One of the biggest names in wedding planners in Philly) put it simply when he said “Going green is really as simple as using cloth vs. paper napkins and using local vendors” (I’m paraphrasing here, but it’s hard to quote one of the greatest minds in the industry).

After the event, I drove down the street to the gas station and filled my tank for $4.20 a gallon.  Let’s just say that didn’t leave me feeling very green.

Several weeks have past since attending that event – needless to say I have been doing lots of thinking – and after taking a closer look at my own company, I see lots of ways in which we are already going green…

Music– Slowly but surely (inevitably) we are moving from CD to all MP3.  Certainly CDs may continue to provide backup in case a hard-drive goes down, but less CDs still means less fuel, less space as well as less plastic & paper. 

Lighting – L.E.D. Technology (although more expensive) uses less energy, as a matter of fact in most cases a small fraction of the energy and more light.  The days of elaborate lighting rigs needing a generator for additional power will soon be a thing of the past, which avoids additional costs for generator rental and gasoline. 

Paper – I’m proud to say that 85% of our packages, proposals,  literature, contracts and just about every other correspondance that was once done on paper is now done through email. 

So what’s next?

Well, how about those party giveaways like leis, marracas, sunglasses, hats and inflatables (all plastic and rubber petroleum based products) which now have increased shipping fees due to current fuel prices.  Do we really need them?  I sure don’t, and I’m not even sure if they are essential to a party!  All of our Bar/Bat Mitzvah packages include them and I’d be happier than a pig in… well, let’s just say I would be more than willing to exclude the giveaways upon request for a fairly significant discount.

If you are interested in finding out how to “get more green” at your next event feel free to contact us at Cutting Edge Entertainment or one of the following people who were amongst the many  wedding professionals in attendance.

Karen Pecora (Wedding planner) –  http://karenpecora.com/

Mark Kingsdorf (Wedding Planner) – http://www.qohweddings.com/index.shtml

Vedika Webb (Pastry Chef) – http://www.lotuscakestudio.com/

Tim Sudall (Videographer) – http://www.videoone.tv/

Always remember the immortal words of Kermit… “It’s not easy bein’ green”

-Craig