A Match Made on Earth
Meghan Meyers, founder of green-wedding mag Portovert, answers readers' questions
13 Apr 2007
I am vegetarian and would really like to have a vegetarian wedding. However, my family and my fiancé's family are very non-vegetarian. My fiancé thinks that people will not enjoy the wedding nearly as much if we do not have meat at dinner. Is it only fair to serve some type of meat to account for different preferences? -- Jenny Raye, Indianapolis, Ind. 
Meghan Meyers, Portovert Magazine.
You've invited your friends and family to celebrate your union, not your menu selections. There will be dinner, dancing -- and you and your new groom -- to rejoice over. Guaranteed, your guests will enjoy themselves no matter what decision you come to about the table spread. Consider fresh pasta tossed with local vegetables and herbs; it's guaranteed to please everyone's palate. Still a no-go with the parents? Most caterers will create his-and-hers platters for the bride and groom, so indulge in your favorite vegetarian dish.
I have some friends getting married at the end of May. They have everything they need at the moment so are not registering for wedding presents, and are getting a lot of negative pressure from family and friends for this action. Any advice on how to make everyone happy? -- Deanna Greenwood, Valparaiso, Ind.
Friends and family naturally want to mark this momentous occasion with a gift. Your friends might consider registering for their favorite charity with JustGive.org. They could support a local farm and enjoy fresh monthly produce by registering for a local co-op or an organic fruit-of-the-month club. For more registry ideas, check out Portovert's Wish List.
I am a bride-to-be that is trying to have a wedding that is both "green" and inexpensive. What are some important things I can do? -- Melody Esquer, Berkeley, Calif.
Going green saves green! You pay a premium for extra packaging and fuel when goods travel distances -- buy on a local level and you'll save up to 40 percent.
Is your magazine itself printed on 100-percent recycled paper? Is it made from post-consumer waste or from renewable forests? Is the ink used to print the magazine made from soy or other eco-friendly products? -- Sarah Anderson, Winthrop Harbor, Ill.
Portovert Magazine is an online, monthly magazine (for environmental reasons!). Our Winter Special Issue 2007 will be printed with a soy/vegetable ink on New Leaf paper, a blend of FSC-certified paper and post-consumer waste. We also offset 100 percent of our carbon emissions with NativeEnergy.
I've been planning a green wedding: a smaller, outdoor, minimally wasteful affair, using organic, local products. I want to make a tasteful statement that reflects why we chose to go the route we did with the vendors, food, decorations, etc. What is the best way to present this? We want to give a taste of why this cause is important to us, and maybe get guests thinking. -- Eileen Lambert, Seattle, Wash.
The program is the most appropriate place to share intimate information about your wedding. However, there are other creative ways to incorporate your eco-message. For instance, providing a menu for each table lets you note foods that are local or organic.
I'm glad to see you speak out against greenwashing. My question is somewhat related to that -- in reading through your magazine, I saw a lot of recommendations for "eco" products and wedding services, but wouldn't it be more eco-savvy to minimize consumption and the scale of events overall? -- Mabel Unee, New Providence, N.J.
Portovert helps make "going green" a little easier. Our mission is twofold: to inspire the "eco-curious" to make better, greener choices, and to provide those in the know with inspiring ideas for their upcoming nups. It's a balance. Personally, my favorite column in our magazine is "Something Old, Something New," where we provide DIY instructions on ways to repurpose vintage or found objects. Ideally, we'd like to see everyone minimize their overall consumption, but we understand people celebrate life's important milestones in their own, personal way.
I've had a green wedding-planning business for almost three years now. I'm looking for more ways to network and build my business. Any ideas? -- Jessica Rios, Chico, Calif.
Think beyond the "greenies." Weddings, first and foremost, should be personal. I tend to dislike the word "green" to describe weddings because it suggests there is a look, feel, and tone to the event. Anyone could (and should!) have a "green" wedding. It's all about cultivating your personal style and finding the right purveyors to source your look sustainably.
It seems to me that the biggest impact of most any wedding is that guests fly from all over the planet to attend. In my peer group (25- to 35-year-olds), people are often flying to several different weddings per summer. Do you have a vision for a tele-wedding, or everyone-get-married-in-one-place-at-the-same-time, or any other cool ideas? -- Kipchoge Spencer, North San Juan, Calif.
I got a lot of questions about travel and destination weddings. To note: the average wedding has over 50 out-of-town guests. Post-nup, more than 90 percent of couples jet off to honeymoon. How do you reduce your cloud-choking carbon emissions? If you've migrated far from the family, we suggest flying to them. Extend your visit and turn your celebration into a "weddingmoon." Have over 500 relatives? You can choose to chop the guest list and have a small-scale reception, with only close friends and family. Or live it up, and include the masses -- but forego the gifts. It's more taxing to ship that new 200-pound grill than it is to seat grandma in coach.
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