In my opinion, Meryl Streep (thanks to her friend Livia and Green Carpet Challenge) stole the show at the Oscars on the weekend when she wore a first ever eco-friendly gown by Lanvin! A gorgeous gown on a fabulous actress!

Meryl Streep at the Academy Awards in an eco-friendly Lanvin gown! Photo ~ new.sky.com

Eco-friendly weddings are becoming more and more popular because many people today do take more care in their every day lives to reduce their carbon footprint and to live green; from reusable grocery bags when we go shopping to walking more and taking public transit or car pooling. So why not do the same with your wedding? There are a lots of options out there for the socially and environmentally aware couple.

Today my post is about eco-friendly wedding gowns, but I do plan to cover many different things people can do to make their wedding matter for the world.

Eco-friendly wedding dresses are made from organic fabrics like silk, cotton or hemp.  They are usually made locally or by local crafters in a developing country and traded at fair prices.  Since they are made of natural fibres, most of these dresses don’t come in true white colours.  They tend to be a more champagne or cream.  Eco-friendly manufacturers of clothing are attempting to heighten our awareness of the pollution caused by making fabric white. To make traditional dresses/gowns white, highly toxic chemicals are used and most often in the after process,they are released into the environment polluting the land, water and air around the factories.  They are also very dangerous to the workers.

Eco-friendly manufacturers stick with the true colour of the fibres or use natural dyes.

Here is a eco-friendly haute couture gown I found on The Green Girls Blog designed by Chris Kole of New York City. Photo ~ thegreengirls.com

These next two gowns are by designer Chrissy Wai Ching based out of Seattle, Washington. Photo ~ thegreengirls.com.

You can view more of these eco-friendly gowns at wai-ching.com. Photo ~ thegreengirls.com

Check local shops to see if they carry organic, eco-freindly or hemp dresses.   Here are some:

The Adele Wechsler Flagship Store and Boutique in Toronto has fabulous gowns and tips for a green wedding.

Photo ~ adeleweschler.com

If you are local to the Niagara area, Paula’s Elegant Bride in St. Catharines also has a lovely selection of eco-friendly gowns and can order from any designer.

Please send me your comments about eco-friendly gowns! Will you be wearing one at your wedding? Where did you purchase it? Share, share, share for a better planet!  All the best,  Jordin