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Dropping everything to plan your wedding does not have to mean dropping your principles too. You've got your invitations printed with soy ink on recycled paper, you've got your locally grown food for the reception … But what about the dress?
Even if you've heard horror stories about what might go into the making of a bridal gown, you do not need to despair. More and more designers and bridal shops are offering options that are easy on the earth and easy on the eyes.
Something borrowed
The most eco-friendly choice is a dress that does not have to be made at all. If you can wear your mother's or grandmother's wedding dress, you let Mother Earth keep a bit of her birthday suit – and we all get to skip the dyes, bleaches, and chemical fabric processing. You also get the sweet symbolism of using something from a wedding that eventually produced you.
Not quite your style? If Mom or Grandma does not mind you cutting up the original, any dressmaker can help you alter your gown to suit your own taste – for a lot less than a new dress would cost. If you've just got to have that couture flare, check with small designers or wedding boutiques in your area – many ecologically conscious designers are willing to restyle an older wedding dress into modern couture, and some are even beginning to specialize in it.
Something old
You can find wedding dress sections at lots of vintage stores. You'll save a ton of cash over a new dress, and, again, you will not be using new materials or chemical processing. You may not even need to do much altering – silhouettes from the 20's, 30's, 40's, and 50's are all back in style. Each of these decades also had a different "ideal" body type, so if you choose your era carefully, you'll find plenty of dresses that make you look amazing.
Check resale stores for vintage silks too. Take a bolt to one of those friendly designers mentioned earlier, and you're well on your way to being eco-fabulous.
Something (almost) new
You can help the earth, your wallet, and a descripting charity all at the same time by choosing a designer sample or a "once-worn" gown. Brides Against Breast Cancer and the Making Memories Foundation both resell wedding dresses and use the procedures to help cancer patients.
OK, for real: Something new
If you've just got to have a new dress, you still have plenty of earth-friendly options.
Check the websites of designers and design houses to see if they are committed to working green. Check for "sustainable fabrics" and "fair trade" practices.
Avoid bleached-white fabrics if you can – off-white wedding dresses are much more in fashion now anyway. Organic cotton is a great, light choice, especially if you're having a summer or destination wedding – but you're by no means limited to that. Bamboo is sustainable, and makes a fabric that's amazingly soft and smooth to the touch. For a surprisingly luxurious option, try a silk / hemp blend. You'll get a cloth with a lovely shine and feel that moves like satin.
Just because the wedding's over does not mean it's something blue
When your wedding is done, you may want to keep your dress for your daughter or granddaughter to look fabulous in – the most fun kind of recycling. Or you can donate your dress to one of the many charities that resell wedding dresses, such as the two listed above. Your bridesmaids can share in the fun too – the Glass Slipper Project donates dresses to high school students who can not afford formal dresses for proms. What could be a better destiny for a dress than to be a part of two occasions that are so romantic? After all, it's what makes the world go round.
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Source by Unia A Griffin
