Guest Guru: Amity Hook-Sopko of Green Gifts Guide

Being the “Queen of Green”, Amity loves to share her eco-friendly tips and finds on her site Green Gifts Guide. Along with sharing her eagle-eyed finds, her site is a great resource for entertaining and being generous to people and the planet too.

Amity is a regular contributor to Green Child Magazine and was voted one of the 2011 Top 25 Eco-Friendly Moms at CircleofMoms.com. When she’s not blogging, you can find her hanging out with her husband and two sons, volunteering at the local Humane Society.

Since eco-weddings are such a big trend these days, we asked Amity to share with us a series on Green Weddings.

How To Host An Eco-Friendly Bridal Shower 

Much of what makes it a green bridal shower also makes it a stylish occasion. After all, how elegant is a big black garbage bag full of styrofoam plates and wadded up wrapping paper? Less waste not only looks better, it saves you money… which is probably handy if you’ve got a bridesmaid dress and shoes to buy!

Create an Eco-Friendly Atmosphere for your Bridal Shower

There are ways to set a beautiful, celebratory tone for your sustainable bridal shower without coming off as crunchy.

Skip disposable decor

• Instead of streamers, balloons, and confetti that will just be thrown away when the party is over, use decoration items that are re-purposed and can be reused once the party is over. Things like pretty fabrics, strings of homegrown flowers, or kitchen towels strung simply with clothespins, that double as gifts.

Table linens and dishes

• Paper tablecloths and disposable dishes can not only come across as tacky, they’re also wasteful and resource consuming. Instead, use cloth linens, real serving dishes and utensils, and washable dishes and glasses.

Display rather than wrap gifts

• Encourage guests to bring unwrapped gifts and display them (grouped by function, etc.) on the gift table. You’ll be saving resources, the bride’s manicure, and your guests’ time and money by not wasting a bunch of wrapping paper.

A Healthy Bridal Shower Menu

• Good food helps people feel comfortable and gets the conversation going. If you serve local or organic options, be sure to TELL everyone. You might even help drum up some business for your local farmer’s market. Serve organic, local, or Fair Trade. Make a fruits and veggies tray; create your menu based on what’s in season.

Stay tuned for more tips and picks from Amity.