Posted by Shira Savada, Real Weddings Editor
It's Earth Day today, so I’d like to share a little something you can do to make the world you’re entering as newlyweds a little bit better.
I'm sure you've all spent countless hours thinking about the setup for your wedding, but why not consider what you can do to help the planet after the wedding? Special E (the “e” stands for environment, events, and Earth) repurposes many of the leftovers and excess from corporate events, galas, and weddings. They cover everything: Leftover food goes to churches, shelters, and soup kitchens; flower arrangements find new life at hospitals and nursing homes; and bridesmaid dresses go to organizations that outfit underprivileged girls with dresses for special occasions, like their high school prom. The company also makes sure items are recycled properly or donated to artisans that can repurpose the goods (think those cool recycled glass carafes and glasses we're seeing everywhere, including in the eco registry story in our current issue).
And whether or not green is in your color palette, being “green” is definitely something that can be in your cards. Creator Robert Kalt (a former event planner himself) suggests contacting the organization about a month prior to your big day. From there, all the details get worked out as far as what the “rescue squads” can recycle and the logistics of picking everything up from your venue and making the necessary deliveries. Brides can request specific locations for their donations, which Special E will work to honor.
There are minimums, because for the smaller events they still have to dedicate the manpower, but it usually ends up costing about $2.50 per guest. Most weddings cost between $400-$500—a small price to pay for such a big payoff.
