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Organic isn't just for food anymore
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Pam Jung, pamj@theunion.com
January 20, 2003
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For eons the word organic applies to things we eat, but to weddings?
Yes,
indeed, as Kathy (nee: Hempel) and Brett Dotson just proved this last
October when they had a totally eco-friendly organic wedding—from the
natural fiber clothes they wore to the tree-free invitations they sent
out—in Nevada City.
This phenomenon is becoming a trend, says Michelle
Kozin, 33, the creative force behind a year-old online business called
Organic Weddings, that provides advice and products for the
eco-conscious.
After
finding out that a totally organic wedding cake commercially made would
cost $1,000, a bunch of Dotson’s friends each made an 8" x 8" cake out
of organic ingredients and laid them out together like a glorious
edible quilt.
Submitted photo/Kathy Dotson
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The wedding with reception took place at the Sierra
Friends Center, Nevada City, the site of the former John Woolman
School, a beautiful environmentally friendly place itself.
The
14-member wedding party wore natural fiber clothing. The cotton in the
men's shirts was organic. The girls and women's dresses were made out
of hemp, which says Dotson, feels like raw silk and comes in everything
from neutral to vibrant colors. She wore a dress sewn for her by a
seamstress friend in part out of recycled white eyelet lace.
Kathy Dotson enjoying Wolavers Organic Beer that was served at the wedding reception.
Submitted photo/Kathy Dotson
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The food, of course, was organic, and it was
potluck, in keeping, says Dotson with local tradition (“Nevada County
is famous for its potlucks.”) Included was free-range chicken and
Wolavers Organic Beer. The cake was a stroke of genius. After finding
out that a totally organic wedding cake commercially made would cost
$1,000, a bunch of Dotson's friends each made an 8" x 8" cake out of
organic ingredients and laid them out together like a glorious edible
quilt.
Her mom, who was more than a little nervous about the
food scene coming together, was later heard to say it was beyond her
expectations: “not only delicious but good for you too.”
Why
were Kathy, 31, and Brett, 33, so sure they wanted such a wedding? How
could environmentalists involved with the South Yuba Citizens League
(SYRCL) not? They understood their power to "vote" with their dollars
in having their wedding expenditures both reflect their style and
values and still help the environment. Dotson wasn't attracted, she
says, to the commercialization of weddings. “I wasn't interested in the
ways weddings were usually put on. They're so throw-away, and that's
not me. I wanted a wedding that would reflect not only our values but
also the style of Nevada City.”
At
the reception recycled vases from thrift stores; napkins made out of
recycled paper; rented china and glassware, not throw-away paper
products; and organic flowers all contributed to this unusual wedding.
Submitted photo/Kathy Dotson
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After doing some research locally and on the
internet at sites such as the wedding channel and finding them wanting,
Dotson stumbled onto Kozin's web site (out of Boston) and fell in love
with it. Not only did Kozin give advice but also delivered product,
such as hemp paper, from which Dotson made her invitations, programs,
and thank yous.
Recycled vases from thrift stores; napkins made
out of recycled paper; rented china and glassware, not throw-away paper
products; and organic flowers all contributed to this unusual wedding.
Dotson even made a point of not registering at a big corporate store,
but rather at local stores, such as JJ Jackson's in Nevada City. She
also told friends about Kozin's web site from which guests could order
anything from hemp rugs to recycled glassware.
“Every single
element of the wedding reflected me and being true to myself,” says
Dotson. “It was perfect.” She says the 300+ guests thought so too,
telling her it was the most special wedding they had ever been to.
Will
she herself become an eco-friendly wedding consultant? “I should, “ she
laughs, “because I found this whole new niche and have been through it
myself.”
More Info:
www.organicweddings.com
888-267-2814
info@organicweddings.com
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