What a difference a day makes...

Another week and another inbox full of questions from journalists wanting to get the lowdown on the growing interest in ethical and green weddings.

One of the questions I get asked most of all - and one you may well be asking yourself if you have just come across the concept of ethical weddings - is:

"Can one day really make a difference?"

According to The Independent it can. They reported that Liz Hurley's wedding "...has produced a carbon footprint so large that it would take the average British couple more than 10 years to contribute as much to heating up the planet as she and Arun Nayar have done in little over a week. It would take a typical Indian couple a massive 123 years."

Hmmm...! But we're talking about making a positive difference. And it is a valid question. In the context of global warming, cities being ravaged by fire or floods, famine and drought, a wedding day could seem a little insignificant.

However, there are a number of reasons for not giving up on the whole idea before you've even started.

You may, like us, feel that you want your wedding to be a cause of celebration for everyone, that you don't want people or the planet to suffer for your perfect day. So you choose fair trade products, support local suppliers, source organic fabrics, and make your own invites on recycled paper.

You will probably see this day as a new beginning, a chance to start as you mean to go on in your green and ethical married life (especially if you have a green gift list!).

If these values are already engrained in your day-to-day life, why would you have your wedding day any other way? Wouldn't you rather your wedding day reflected who you are rather than tradition and convention dictating the day?

And of course you shouldn't forget about your lovely guests either. This celebration, potentially the biggest party of your life, is a great chance to show your friends and family that a green lifestyle isn't just about being a 'hippy' and that there are lots of great eco and ethical options out there in everything from fashion to food. And if they tell their friends and they tell their friends etc. etc.... you get the picture!

Most of all, keep asking questions. Even if your venue isn't completely eco for your day, chances are your questions about energy efficiency and locally sourced produce will plant a seed that bears fruit for another couple's wedding. And if this spreads throughout the huge wedding industry, well, one day will certainly have made a difference!

I can't help thinking of Edmund Burke's quote: "No one could make a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little"

Or to put it in the words of one famous (notorious?) trying to be green grocer: "Every little helps"!

See you next week.

Katie
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