Wendy Dorsey, a recent graduate of Lovegevity’s Green Weddings Course and the owner of Essential Sage Wedding and Events, recently sat down with us to talk about her experience with Lovegevity and how weddings can be easily made more eco-friendly. Dorsey, who lives in Texas, decided to get into the wedding-planning business after her event-planning work slowed down, due to the economy. As she told us the move was a good one because “there will always be brides.” She had some wedding-planning training under her belt, but - and as we’ve recommended to Lovegevity’s certified wedding and event coordinators - Dorsey knew she needed to find her niche so she could “differentiate herself from the masses.”
“I started to look at what was important to me personally and professionally. It didn’t take long to land on my love of the environment and quest to be personally as eco-friendly as I could. I did some research to see what was happening in the movement and found that there was little attention being paid to the extraordinary amount of waste that conventional weddings produce in our country, Texas and certainly in Dallas. That’s when I knew, this was my niche. Albeit an uphill climb, I knew this was a business for me,” she said.
Dorsey, who had been following Kate Harrison and The Green Bride Guide for awhile, saw an advertisement for Lovegevity’s Green Weddings Course in one of Harrison’s e-newsletters. Dorsey says she especially loved communicating directly with Harrison through the course, and she calls Harrison “the godmother of green weddings.” When asked how the course prepared her, she said:
“More than prepare me, the course offered validation for how I aspire to participate in this industry. Many of the ‘lessons’ and ’strategies’ were familiar to me, but the content really drilled down farther, expanding my knowledge base. The resources provided have been a huge help in sourcing information. The course work also led me to be crystal clear that this venture would be a challenge in Dallas. There are a couple of vegan/all-natural organic caterers, but we’re very limited in terms of natural and organic florists. However, we do have many historical, arts and cultural venues that are just perfect for a wedding ceremony and reception. So right off the bat, we have an opportunity to cut back on the amount of transportation guests use as a result of attending a wedding. If a bride and groom are willing to have a morning or daytime wedding, there is additional opportunity to save on added lighting (form or function). For the more traditional couple, we have a few really beautiful hotels who have implemented a number of eco-friendly energy-based strategies, one recently receiving the Green Seal of Approval.”
Among Dorsey’s favorite eco-friendly trends for the upcoming fall wedding season and beyond is raising awareness. “Raising awareness, and doing it with grace, is one of the most meaningful contributions you and your groom can make. Consider that the U.S. wedding industry is a $70 billion a year business. Your event budget is part of one powerful lobby! Every time you question a product or service’s environmental and social impact, you send a strong message to Corporate America. When you buy locally, you are countering corporate dominance. You also have the ability to inspire. Your wedding is an outward expression of you and your groom’s inner values. Not only is your green celebration a promise to care for each other throughout your lives, it’s also a public commitment to nurturing the planet.”
Dorsey also likes such eco-friendly ideas as edible wedding favors, and those that “keep on giving” such as seeded paper notes or tiny terra-cotta pots with bulbs planted in them. Weddings with vintage elements, she said, are obvious “green” choices plus anything vintage is really hot right now. And wedding-party gifts made and/or wrapped in recyclable materials are another way she likes to send the “green” message.
Dorsey said she thinks it’s an exciting time to be a Green Wedding Planner because “the industry is ripe for change” and “target customers are on the cutting edge of environmental awareness.”
“The average bride, at 27 years old, has grown up exposed to environmental and social awareness. These are not foreign concepts to most couples, however, some couples may need to be shown how you can marry style and sustainability. Be sure you are choosing to be green for the right reasons. Being eco-friendly won’t be a trend for long; it will become a way of life. Your customers (seasoned and rookie eco-concious couples) will expect you to be their fearless leader, their green advocate with vendors.”
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