Ah, yes, in these days of eco-chic, even weddings can't escape the trend for all things environmentally-friendly. Which means 2008 is more about green - not white - weddings.
And that means looking again at everything from your dress to the dinner plans.
What about those invitations - did you use recycled card? Never mind the worry of finding a ring that's made from ethical gold and conflict-free diamonds. It's enough to make a girl carry on living in sin and call the whole thing off.
"In the last couple of years I have helped to arrange several weddings where my brief has been to ensure that they are not only fabulous, stunning events but also that these weddings are as eco-friendly as possible," says Manchester wedding planner extraordinaire Liz Taylor, of the Taylor Lynn Corporation (TLC).
"There's certainly a trend towards greener weddings - for example, wanting to know more about a potential venue's policy on sustainability."
But, if it all seems like just one extra headache to deal with, there is a silver lining to joining the green bride brigade. Not only could it be kinder on the environment but your pocket, too, Liz says, as you save money on using recycled or second-hand bits and bobs.
Chorlton bride-to-be Mary Chapman couldn't agree more. Planning an eco-friendly wedding with fiancé John Pegington at the end of August, she says it's not only been cheaper to go green, it's been less stressful, too.
"We're far from the ideal green couple, we've just been trying to do little things to make it more eco-friendly," says the most relaxed bride-to-be Style has interviewed so far this year.
"Basically, we've tried to make it as simple as possible - we wanted to make sure that we didn't destroy the environment on our special day.
"We also wanted to keep it to quite a small budget and the two things have tied together quite nicely."
Having met four years ago while volunteering for Oxfam, the couple already try to live as ethically as possible. So, finding a few eco ideas for their big day seemed the next step.
"Mostly, it's just little things, like the flowers - we didn't want them flown in to create a big carbon footprint," explains breast cancer researcher Mary, 28. "Instead, we've asked a community garden centre in Hulme to grow some plants in pots for us to put on the tables - plus people can take them away afterwards to save waste.
"As for the transport, we're not really into cars. John's just going to walk to the venue - and I'll get a lift with my mum and dad to save petrol!"
Other ethical touches include the dress, being made by a north west dress-maker to make sure no workers are being exploited abroad. While, instead of wedding gifts, the couple are asking for charity donations. And then there's the matter of the wedding and engagement rings.
"We really wanted my engagement ring to be ethical, so we chose one made of recycled palladium, an element close to platinum, with a man-made diamond," says Mary. "The wedding rings have been a bit more difficult to choose but it's definitely going to be fairtrade."
And, just to prove that an ethical knees-up can still be fun, Mary and accountant John, 29, have splashed out on plenty of fairtrade booze for the big day, too. "We stocked up during fairtrade week when there were loads of special offers," smiles Mary.
"But I have to admit we have already `tested' quite a lot of it! Overall, though I would say it's been really easy to go green. Plus, we can feel good on the day knowing we're not causing any massive environmental havoc by tying the knot."
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