Don't Be Cruel..

Here are a handful of ideas to help keep your dress selections eco-friendly!

Stay tuned for next week - we will be featuring eco-friendly designers and their gorgeous dress creations!

Trade in the traditional white – your wedding dress wasn't born that white!
Toxic chemicals (and a lot of them!) are used to achieve that blinding brilliance. Dresses made from natural, eco-friendly fabrics like soy, hemp and organic cotton are available to most designers for a fairly similar price point.

Fair is fair – do some research and find out if the manufacturer of your dress supports fair trade. Everyone deserves decent wages, adequate benefits and a healthy work environment!

Don't sweat it – sweatshopwatch.org can help you find out if your dress manufacturer is keeping on the straight and narrow when it comes to fair business practices!

Double the enjoyment - buy dresses (both for yourself and for your bridesmaids) that can be worn again, or altered into a flirty cocktail dress! Or, if you're in the giving mood you can donate your dresses to a local women's shelter and give a hand to those in need.

Clean up the clean up – check with your dry cleaner and see if they offer eco-friendly dry cleaning services. Make sure your gown is wrapped in non-dyed paper (rather than plastic!) and stored in a box that does not contain a viewing window.
Store in a cool, dry area of your home.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

Don't get stuck with white on your wedding day!

Adding colour to your dress isn't off limits - play peekaboo with your crinoline! If the dress you bought doesn't leave room for any punches of colour, or you don't want to get stuck with a massive seamstress bill, why not hand dye (or buy!) a crinoline.

Having a splash of vibrant colour (whether it matches your theme or personality) is an inexpensive and subtle way to pack punch! Plus, who says a girl doesn't feel a little saucy when she's got a secret!

Whether it peeks out below your dress during the party, or acts as your inner peacock for your pictures, a coloured crinoline is just what the doctor ordered to cure that wedding dress white-wash.
The most popular way to do this is using Rit dye, which sells for just over $2 per box and comes with easy-to-follow instructions right on the package.

The easiest technique is to fill your washing machine with hot water and dye and then follow the instructions on the box to add dye and rinse when necessary. The process may take a few hours, but can be done in one day. Just don't forget to clean out your washing machine so the leftover dye doesn't stain your next load of laundry. Remember: the longer your crinoline sits in the dye, the darker the colour will be.

If doing it yourself makes you a little queasy, you can always check out your local costume store to see what they have available.