A purchasing guide for a 'Green and Just' wedding

July 29, 4:57 PMDC Wedding Planning ExaminerLeslie Weekes

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A little booklet with a big mission - www.jufj.org

The Green and Just Celebrations booklet is a purchasing guide published by Jews United for Justice to help families integrate the values of social justice and environmental consciousness into all the purchases associated with bar/bat mitzvahs and weddings. While it's written with the Washington area Jewish community in mind, the vast majority of it is transferable to anyone, especially couples looking for ways to have an environmentally conscious wedding and are not sure where to begin. Having just read it, I have to say that it is packed with useful information. The following information (excerpted from the guide) is just the tip of the iceberg (my apologies for the cliché):

Look for a venue at a non-profit organization. For example:
Josephine Butler Parks Center
Glen Echo Park
Woodend Sanctuary in Chevy Chase, Maryland or
Rust Sanctuary in Leesburg, Virginia

Register for donations or non-material gifts:
Register for non-material, second-hand, homemade, Fair Trade, and green gifts all in one place at
www.alternativegiftregistry.org

Register Fair Trade:
Ten Thousand Villages with local stores in Bethesda, Rockville, Baltimore and Towson, MD; and in Alexandria, VA.

Register locally:
www.registerlocally.com

Use local or organic flowers:
To find a farmer’s market offering local flowers in your neighborhood, search by ZIP code at www.localharvest.org or if you decide to purchase cut flowers that aren’t grown locally, look to support organically-grown flowers:
www.californiaorganicflowers.com
www.organicbouquet.com

Consider edible centerpieces and soy-based candles:
www.ediblearrangements.com
www.greenpages.org, catergory: Candles

Hire an employment program caterer:
Two local caterers train and employ low-income people. Hiring these caterers supports people who are working to learn culinary skills and to lift themselves out of poverty:
Fresh Start Catering
Through the Kitchen Door

Serve a vegetarian meal:
Gail’s Vegetarian Catering
Geppetto Catering

Offset your transportation and that of your guests:
Terrapass
Carbon Counter

Nix the favors or, if you must, consider Fair Trade Certified Chocolate as Favors

After the event:
Donate or compost leftover food
Donate your used bridal gown
Drop off packing peanuts from gifts to reuse at your local UPS Store

Carry a Wallet Tallis or Wallet Buddy:
A Wallet Tallis is a sleeve that you put over your credit card. It includes a series of questions to ask yourself before you make a purchase:

• Is this something I need?
• Can I borrow one, find one used or make one instead of buying new?
• Was it made locally?
• Was it made with fair labor practices?
• Was it made with environmentally preferable materials?
• Is it made well enough to last?
• Will using it require excessive energy?
• Does it come in excessive packaging?
• Can I recycle or compost it when I’m done with it?
• Will this purchase enhance the meaning and joy of the celebration?

A print-out of the Wallet Tallis is available in the guide or by contacting Jews United for Justice  www.jufj.org

The Wallet Buddy (non-religious) is available from The Center for a New American Dream. Print a copy HERE.

Click HERE to order a copy of the Green and Just Celebrations guide.