This philosophy is echoed by Essell Hoenshell-Watson, owner of The Alternative Baker (www.lemoncakes.com) in Kingston, which uses local ingredients as much as possible. When it comes to wedding cakes, Hoenshell-Watson’s view is substance over style. Slabs of uneaten, tasteless cake are simply wasted effort—a wedding cake should be a joy-filled, epicurean treat, he says, whether it’s made with traditional ingredients such as white flour, eggs, and sugar, or is vegan or wheat-free. Some clients request vegan cakes for health reasons, and others out of environmental concern. One of his most memorable creations was a completely organic cake, covered in organically grown flowers, which proved that environmental consciousness and elegant simplicity are often natural partners.
The at-the-source approach applies to floral bouquets as well. Purple orchids from Singapore are certainly beautiful, says Melissa Bruce of Stem Life by Stephen Bruce Designs (www.stephenbrucedesign.com), a Stone Ridge-based floral art company. As with the menu, it’s important to consider not only the shipping costs, but also whether nonlocal flowers are truly a necessity when there are so many wonderful options just down the road. Bruce says the company always tries to encourage couples to consider more environmentally friendly options. Instead of a rigid floral checklist, Bruce says, for green weddings it’s ideal when a couple says, “Give us what you can get.” Melissa and her husband, Steve Bruce, strive to combine their innate creativity with the environment in order to sculpt centerpieces, bouquets, and decorative arrangements that bring the beauty of the Hudson Valley area into the ceremony and reception. Their goal is to “work with nature, not against it.”
For example, when working on a Tuscan-themed wedding, the pair designed vegetable-filled arrangements of edamame, scallions, green tomatoes, squash, and grapes, and incorporated organically grown sunflowers from a friend’s farm in Roxbury. And for a recent wedding, they filled metal tubs with succulent plants, ferns, lavender, herbs, and river rocks to create a lush, forest-rich effect, like “cutting a square from a stream,” says Bruce. Favors can also be environmentally friendly. For several weddings, Bruce created potpourri from local woodland flora, so that “guests could take a little of the Hudson Valley home with them.”
Waste not
What about afterward, when those hormone-free filets and organically grown roasted asparagus have been gobbled up, and all that’s left are dirty plates and smudged silverware? Yes, china, crystal, and silver may be more ecofriendly than toss-away paper plates and plastic forks, but it takes a lot of hot water (and effort) to wash all the dishes. A more casual option, Kazan suggests, are disposable plates made of paper pulp, and “silverware” crafted from potato pulp. Both are quick biodegraders that can be easily composted, fitting perfectly in line with the philosophy behind green weddings. As Hudson Valley Weddings’ Lewis says, “Ideally, the trash bin in the back of the catering hall needs to be empty.”
Kazan’s group recycles as well, and couples can always inquire into donating leftover food to local charitable organizations. And consider the business’s commitment to recycling as well—Hoenshell-Watson’s bakery generates only one bag of garbage a week.
Locale
Many couples planning a green wedding in the area envision an outdoor ceremony, with the Hudson River or Catskill Mountains as a backdrop. One gorgeous site to consider is the Wilderstein Preservation (www.wilderstein.org), a private nonprofit historic site in Rhinebeck. “It’s a very naturalistic, romantic landscape,” says Gregory J. Sokaris, executive director of the preservation. Steeped in history (renown American Romantic landscape designer Calvert Vaux designed the grounds, and Joseph Burr Tiffany designed the interior of the mansion), the pathways and lawns are arranged to guarantee maximum appreciation of the river views. But what makes this site an even greener location for an ecofriendly wedding is the fact that all money raised by the organization of 200 volunteers goes directly into maintenance and restoration. “A little money goes a long way for us,” says Sokaris.
So booking a wedding ceremony and reception on the property is a way to take advantage of the Hudson Valley’s picturesque scenery while creating a social impact that will last long past the ceremony. And it eliminates the transportation pollution generated by traveling between two sites.
Other resources and ideas
There are, of course, other things to consider. The digital age has made wedding photography much more Earth-friendly, says Lewis. Instead of multiple paper proofs that will be discarded after the perfect shots are chosen, couples can now view prints online and select their favorites that way. And while there’s no arguing their convenience, it’s probably best to forego the disposable cameras, she says, as they go directly into the landfill after processing.