You Don't Have to Sacrifice Your Style
Gone are the days that equated being green with hippie clothes and Birken-stocks — though you are still welcome to those if that's your style. Today's green brides can walk down the aisle in eco-couture fashions. They can be glamorously green or revel in simple eco-elegance.
Your style is all yours and you don't have to sacrifice it to have a green wedding. You could wear something you or a stylish friend already have hiding away in the back of your closet or you can splurge on a fabulous gown you know you could wear again to an elegant New Year's Eve party or other event. You don't even have to wear white. New bridal trends feature gowns in soft colors other than white and ivory or have bold color accents on a white gown. The more color you have in your dress, the more likely you are to wear it again. Give yourself time and you will find the perfect dress — a beautiful gown that will fit your style, your green values, and your budget.
Before Victorian times, wedding dresses were not always white. Blue was the earliest color that symbolized purity, and it's probably where the “something blue” line in the old rhyme came from. In other cultures, white has never been a common wedding dress color. Norwegian brides traditionally wore green, while Icelandic brides wore black. Red is commonly worn by Asian brides.
Rich and sumptuous natural fabrics can be turned into fabulous gowns. There are many eco-conscious bridal designers and retailers that offer ready-made bridal gowns or custom made-to-order gowns. Conscious Clothing (www.getconscious.com) offers high-fashion wedding attire made from hemp and hemp blends. René Geneva Design (www.mycorset.com) offers high-fashion gowns and corsets made from hemp and hemp/silk blends at designer label pricing. Rawganique (www.rawganique.com) offers hemp and linen fabrics. Rawganique also has hemp gowns that can be used for bridesmaids' dresses.
The bridal gowns that are available in natural, sustainable, and organic fabrics range from simple to stunning and can rival the beauty and elegance of any synthetic gown. Many synthetic fabrics may cost less than natural and organically grown sustainable fabrics, but they are often made from petroleum-based products such as polyester that are terrible for the environment. Several retailers offer gorgeously green earth-friendly gowns at approximately the same cost — or less — as designer gowns. Threadhead Creations (www.threadheadcreations.com) offers many midrange gown prices. Its average gowns retail between $400 and $800, and it offers off-the-rack designs and unique custom dresses.
