Green Wedding|Celebration|Alternative Weddings|Eco-wedding

Green Weddings -
Adding an element of "sustainability" to your relationship.


It doesn't have to be New Age, or involve dances before Gaia (although it could...). Making a commitment to becoming life partners is a statement of relational integrity. An engagement or wedding is or should be an affirmation of what each individual in the union has become in her/his life and for what they can become for each other, together, in the future. It makes sense that the symbols and rituals incorporate the best elements of the beliefs and values that the couple hold in common.

Many couples are foregoing diamonds as a symbol of engagement, based upon the diamond trade's roots in civil war and destabilization in Africa. Others are refusing to enter into the "gift registry" merchandizing bonanza promoted by the big department stores. Folks we know, who are concerned about the suspect pedigree (and expense) of imported cut flowers are using flowers and foliage they have grown themselves or are buying from local farms - a practice we heartily encourage.

We offer a sustainable alternative to couples who want their weddings/celebrations to reflect their beliefs: the Green Wedding. We are very happy to sit with you and discuss the amazing assortment of locally grown and/or Fair Trade organic cut flowers or plants that can be used in our designs. Our consultations become a brainstorming session on the ways that a celebration can make use of (elegant!) recycled or recyclable products - from Fair Trade certified and/or organic flowers to paper goods to the wedding dress itself.

Give us a call at either shop, Encke or Tiger Lily, and we'll be happy to talk "green".
201-836-1276 or 201-287-1800
http://www.tigerlilyflowershop.net/

Why Buy Organic Flowers?|Organic Alternatives|Green Weddings

There are many reasons to buy organic flowers and plants when you can. Let's take a look at some of them:

1. The same reasons you would buy organic milk or vegetables applies to flowers. Maybe even moreso. Along with the reduction in toxic pesticides in the food chain (and our bodies), organic cultivation practices reduce the amount of petroleum based inputs used in farming. Petroleum is the primary source for pesticides and fertilizers.

2. Organic flowers address the core purpose of organic production: to enrich the earth rather than deplete it. Your purchase of organic flowers and food encourages more growers to convert to organic practices and to reduce toxic chemical usage in the world!

3. Pesticides and other toxic chemicals used on flowers can affect the health of farm workers and florists. Without the proper protection, the toxic chemicals can spread onto the clothes and into the bodies of farm workers which in turn can increase exposure to their children. Cut flower workers in Colombia and Ecuador (the principle floral export countries) are subjected to toxic doses of pesticides on a routine basis. Lax environmental and health controls in these countries is part of what makes their export business profitable. Florists on the other end of the producrtion chain who handle non-organic flowers have been known to develop dermatitis on their hands.

4. Buying organic flowers helps support local organic farming communities and organizations, which often have charitable, philanthropic motives for selling their flowers.

5. Organic flowers, according to many people, are more fragrant and last longer than non-organic ones.

6. The toxic chemicals used on flower farms can poison groundwater and the soil. These chemicals also become part of the food chain, as animals such as birds will eat the sprayed plants.

7. Through evaporation, toxic pesticides and fertilizers that are sprayed on flower farms end up in the atmosphere. They then travel to other global areas to fall as rain or snow.

8. Every flower counts: Increasing sales of certified organic flowers gives the market notice that more organic flowers need to be grown, which makes more flower farms convert to using organic agricultural methods.

A Green Wedding?

If you are planning your wedding, why not make it a "green" wedding? Make it organic! If you're in New Jersey or the New York City area, we would be happy to consult with you on how to do this. Call us at 201.287.1800 or visit us on the web at http://www.enckeflorist.com/.