Candlelight Romance
Love is in the air, and nothing says elegance and romance like the soft, mesmerizing glow of candles. Choose candles made from natural soy or vegetable-based wax or natural beeswax. Regular wax candles made from paraffin are not a very green option because they are a petroleum-based product.
The tradition of using an aisle runner for the bride originated when roads were unpaved and often muddy. The aisle runner was used so the bride did not get her gown dirty. If you do not want an aisle runner that will just be thrown away at the end of the ceremony, consider outlining the aisle with reusable ribbons.
Many natural and health food stores — not to mention boutiques, craft stores, and malls — carry candles made from soy and beeswax. The concept has caught on quickly and now many online retailers offer wide varieties of soy candles. You can find a variety of soy candles at www.beeswaxcandles.com. For other environmentally friendly candle choices, check out www.greenspacecandles.com and www.wayoutwax.com.
You could even make your own soy candles. The popularity of soy candles has grown so much that many craft stores such as Michaels and JoAnn's sell soy wax and candle-making supplies and Amazon.com offers several soy candle-making kits. Container candles are the easiest to make, and you can put them in just about any container that won't melt or catch on fire. Glass, metal, or heat-resistant ceramic are the best choices. If you choose to use glass, it is best to select glass made for food, such as canning jars, sauce jars, and baby food jars because they can withstand heat. Avoid antique and very thin glass, which can break from the heat. Some great objects to recycle into candle containers include glass baby food jars, coffee mugs, and tea cups. Scour the thrift stores and see what you can come up with if you decide to make soy container candles.
Other soft lighting options include olive oil and hemp oil lamps. Not just any old oil lamp can be used with olive or hemp oil; they have to be designed a certain way and made for use with that specific oil. However, they can be rather hard to find. Some “green” home goods stores carry them, including Lehman's (www.lehmans.com) and Phoenix Rising (www.phoenixrising-pt.com).
When choosing to use candles or oil lamps to light up your event, make sure that the location allows them; some places do not allow any open flames. Also be sure that fire extinguishers are easily accessible, especially if alcohol will be available. You never know when someone might get a little tipsy and clumsy.
If your location does not allow the use of open-flame candles or lamps, you can get the same effect from beautiful battery-powered flameless LED candles. Many can be found in grocery stores or online. You can find a wide variety of flameless LED candles — even some that are rechargeable — at www.smartcandle.com. Strands of LED lights also offer beautiful energy efficient lighting. Get great deals on them right before or after Christmas when they go on sale.
