Because of the dangers posed by global warming, pollution and other environmental ills, there is an increasing clamor for green-themed or environmentally-friendly weddings.This is the case if you and your partner are cause-oriented or want to push your favorite advocacy.A case of dedicating your wedding to Mother Nature, to bring in good karma

Having a “green wedding” is not as hard as you think. It’s all in the details. Here are a few ways you can do so:

1. Choose a location that evokes the beauty of Mother Nature. A beach or a garden is a good example. Many people exchange vows in these venues without maximizing the good it can do to the environment, so think about how you can work around a motif that is “eco-chic.”

2. Wear vintage or your mother’s/grandma’s wedding gown. Aside from being budget-friendly, recycling wedding gowns promote conservation of the Earth’s scarce resources. You just have to think of having an old gown properly cleaned and altered.

3. Handmade paper invitations! Look for a supplier who uses recyled/recyclable paper and not one who opts for harmful chemicals, like dyes.

4. Choose your caterer. Those who go for the extreme will choose a supplier who will cater organic food. In all likelihood, this will be expensive. However, you can incorporate ‘green’ details like not allowing the use of non-biodegradable materials like styrofoam plastics in the whole catering process.

5. Educate your guests. If you don’t choose to go on an environmental overkill, nuggets of wisdom on saving Mother Nature can be incorporated in your place cards, menu and thank you cards. Eco-friendly quotations will give them food for thought while they savor the buffet.

6. Forget the bridal car, since this consumes gas. March on foot or use something more natural, like a horse-drawn carriage.

7. Use mineral make-up for the bride and the female entourage. THis kind of make-up is gentler to the skin and does not contain damaging oils and chemical additives.

8. Donate to charity. Among some couples, there’s a growing trend to forego of the usual cash gifts and bridal registry. Why not help a non-profit which works on protecting the environment?

At the just concluded Martha Stewart Bridal Fair, the audience had a chance to listen to the talk of Rajo Laurel, one of Manila’s in-demand designers. Would-be brides learned a lot about what wedding gown styles would flatter them the most, with the prime consideration being knowledge about one’s body type.

In the latter part of the talk, Rajo was asked about wedding trends for 2009 and his answer opened up our eyes to reality. We can’t disagree with these trends because they’re good!

The shift to “non-colors” for the wedding motif. Whereas in the previous years, motif colors were sunny and bright (think about lime green or even fuschchia), this year it’s going to be all tame. Gray and champagne, here you go!

Metallics rule! Different shades of silver will make your wedding up-to-date, with a touch of shimmer or without. Gold is more last season’s.

It is okay to wear your mom’s or grandma’s wedding dress! Vintage makes a resurgence and doing so is a welcome challenge. It’s just a matter of finding a good couturier or gown maker to make alterations, if needed. We are reminded of presidential daughter Luli Macapagal-Arroyo who wore her grandmother’s old gown for her wedding to Luigu Bernas last year. That spoke of the kind of simplicity we admire.

The ‘eco trend, and being “environmentally-friendly.” A recycled paper gown, anyone? By this we mean going back to nature, and eschewing materials that harm Mother Earth. Recycling is simply the way to go!