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| GREEN WEDDINGS
GREENING YOUR WEDDING

Tips for planning your wedding can be the best time to be eco-friendly. Just make sure if you are planning a green wedding that you are not falling for a marketing ploy from a company that is just using the new buzz words like green, sustainable living or environmentally friendly. Do your research and check out your sources online before you make any decisions or sign contracts.

The Eco-Chic Weddings book includes quick, simple, and easy-to-follow tips to make your wedding socially responsible. The book provides environmentally friendly tips such as:
* Use in-season flowers to save on price and reduce the environmental cost of shipping in non-local flowers.
* Skip the save-the-date card and save some trees–and a lot of hassle.
* Don’t purchase items you will only use at the wedding; instead, invest in dresses, shoes, or glassware you will alter and reuse.

The book chapters are very well constructed and include the wedding basics, engagement and wedding rings, attire, registries, invitations, flowers, style, favors, health and beauty, menus, transportation, honeymoons and married life. The Appendix lists several eco-chic resources.

Eco-Chic Weddings Simple Tips to Plan an Earth-Friendly, Socially Responsible, Affordable Green Wedding by Emily Elizabeth Anderson (Hatherleigh Press ISBN: 978-1-57826-240-3 (1-57826-240-2) US$16) visit www.randomhouse.ca. - SW
A REAL GREEN WEDDING


Stacie Wickham and Joey Shepp at their wedding.

MENDOCINO COUNTY, CA
Couples who are choosing to go the green route when tying the knot sort through an array of green choices that can be overwhelming -- from making smarter selections that are still luxurious, to staying in a place that is completely off the power grid.
   This is the real wedding story of Stacie Wickham and Joey Shepp, who met in a Green MBA program, fell in love, decided to get married in the most eco-friendly way possible and found a place, the Shambhala Ranch Retreat Centre and Country Inn (www.shambhalaranch.com), that helped them to realize their dream.
  The ranch is a truly green, off-the-grid place near the coastal town of Mendocino, in Northern California where you won’t see any electrical or telephone lines, as the center is run completely on solar power.
  On July 7, 2007, Stacie and Joey exchanged vows at ranch. “We strive in our daily lives to conserve energy, reduce waste, and save water so when we started planning our wedding our first objective was to host an event that was in alignment with our values and with the complete assurance that their wedding would leave no harmful environmental “footprint” behind.,” says Stacie.
 Their wedding incorporated environmentally friendly practices: paperless invites, Carbon Offsets for all travel, organic, local and in-season food, re-usable table settings, biodegradables, organic clothing and recycled rings.
  The food at the wedding was organic and prepared onsite by a local caterer. Organic wine was provided by local winery and they served fair-trade coffee.
  Instead of printing paper invitations with reply cards, they invited people through their website (www.ecowedding.org) which is hosted by a provider company that is powered by wind energy.
  The couple purchased carbon credits to offset the transportation energy used by their guests. Whenever possible, tables were set with re-usable table settings.
  The Bride, who is part owner in an organic leather design company, had her dress custom-made from buckskin and recycled materials.
  Their engagement and wedding rings were created by local artists from recycled platinum and emeralds.
  Instead of creating a registry for physical gifts, the couple requested guests bring a “gift” in the form of spoken words or a shared song.
  Guests participated by taking photos and videos of the event, assisting the bride and groom in getting ready, or bringing handmade art.
 The couple “gifted back” to their guests and to the earth, by providing each with a tree cutting, carefully prepared so that it would be ready for planting on their return home.
  The newlyweds went off to enjoy an Eco-Honeymoon at the Maui Retreat. They own environmentally- friendly businesses, including their green wedding planning site.

MENDOCINO COUNTY, CA
A pioneer in solar energy, organic wine production and conservation, Mendocino County was the first county in the United States to ban genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Many of the B & Bs, inns, hotels and rentals in Mendocino County have been designed for the environmentally-conscious visitor, combining modern amenities with eco-friendly products and services. Several of the properties have organic bedding, water filtration systems, non-toxic, biodegradable and non-allergenic cleaning products, energy and water conservation systems and low impact waste practices.
  For more information about accommodations and restaurants and help planning your Mendocino wedding, call (866) STAY-MENDO (866-782-9636) or visit www.gomendo.com and search for the word “green.

HOW TO OBTAIN A MARRIAGE LICENSE IN CALIFORNIA
You  do not need to be a California resident  to marry in California.

Only  an unmarried male and an unmarried female may marry in California.

Marriage  by proxy is NOT allowed in California. The Family Code, Section 420(a) requires the bride, groom, marriage  officiant and witness if applicable, be physically present together in  the same location for the marriage to be performed.

Blood  tests are NOT required to  obtain a marriage license in California.

Both  parties must appear in person and bring valid picture identification to  the County Clerk’s Office to apply for a marriage license  in California. Valid picture identification is one that contains a photograph, date of  birth, and an issue and expiration date, such as a state issued identification card, drivers license, passport, military identification,  etc. Some counties may also require a copy of your birth certificate.
If  you have been married before, you will need to know the specific date your last marriage ended, and how it ended (Death, Dissolution, Divorce  or Nullity). Some counties may require a copy of the final judgment if  your previous marriage ended by dissolution or nullity.

Marriage  licenses are valid for 90 days from the date of issuance. If you do not  get married within 90 days, the license will no longer be valid. You must purchase a new license.
Many  County Clerks  in California  perform civil marriage ceremonies in their offices. For further information regarding civil marriage ceremonies, please contact the County Clerk’s Office directly to see if  they provide this service.  

California  Family Code, Section 400 states the persons authorized to solemnize  marriage
All fees and hours of issuance for a marriage license may vary by  county.
The  person solemnizing the marriage must return the original marriage license to the County Clerk or County Recorder as applicable within 10 days of the date  of the ceremony. Addresses should be on the county site.

The marriage license fee is US$50.00 to $80.00, depending upon which county you’re in. Most places only accept cash as a form of payment. For more information visit http://www.weddingvendors.com/marriage-license-laws/united-states/california/

You  will NOT receive a copy of  your marriage license after you have been married unless you request and  pay for a certified copy from the County Clerk or County Recorder as applicable. For online information visit
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/birthdeathmar/
Pages/MarriageLicenseInformation.aspx.

Photo: Arttemis Keszainn

www.WeddingsHoneymoons.com | May 1, 2008
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