About two months ago, I shared ways to have a green wedding. Well, while combing the web, I recently discovered a super resource for brides and I am very excited to share it. Recycled Bride is a new web store that helps brides (and grooms) sell their gently used wedding items. From dresses, shoes, accessories, décor items, bridesmaid gowns, jewelry and more, Recycled Bride is designed for those getting married, planning a wedding or even attending a wedding! I recently spoke with founder Tracy DiNunzio to learn more about Recycled Bride!
Elaine: How did you come up with Recycled Bride?
Tracy: After my own wedding, I was left with a closet full of stuff that I would never use or wear again. I had my dress, veil, shoes, decorations, gift duplicates (stuff that we got two of) and more. Everything from the wedding was in like-new condition, and it seemed wasteful to just let it all sit there unused. It was around this time that someone lent me a copy of One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding by Rebecca Mead. What an eye opener! The amount of money spent on American weddings is shocking, not to mention the use of natural resources to produce millions of one-time-use bridal items. There are 2.5 million weddings every year in the United States, and each has an average of 150 guests. Almost all of these weddings involve single-use bleached white dresses, chemically treated imported flowers, mined gem-based jewelry, individual packets of rice, disposable aisle runners, etc. It just seemed to me that there had to be a better, smarter, greener way to get married.
Elaine: How does Recycled Bride benefit brides?
Tracy: Recycled Bride benefits brides both before AND after their weddings. Soon-to-be brides can shop for everything they need on the site, and find luxury and designer wedding items for 50%-75% off retail. Brides who have just gotten married will find that Recycled Bride is the easiest place -- and also the only free site -- where they can sell their dress and other wedding items to earn back some of the money they spent while wedding planning. It's a win-win situation for bridal buyers and sellers.
Elaine: Why is Recycled Bride better than Ebay for example?
Tracy: People often ask me that exact question! Ebay charges a listing fee and a commission, while Recycled Bride is totally free. And although Craigslist is also free, they only allow you to post your ad in one city at a time, so you can't reach a national audience of buyers. Recycled Bride is viewed nationally and internationally by a targeted audience of brides. In addition, both Craigslist and Ebay's postings expire in about a week, while Recycled Bride's listings remain on our site until the seller removes them. So, we also benefit brides by giving them the most user-friendly marketplace there is.
Elaine: Is Recycled Bride just for brides? What about the groom?
Tracy: Recycled Bride is NOT just for brides! There is a section where grooms can sell their formalwear and accessories, and there are also sections for Bridesmaids, Mothers-of-the-Bride and-Groom, and a section for gifts (called Registry Redux) where anyone can buy or sell giftware.
Elaine: To date, what are the fastest selling items?
Tracy: Wedding dresses have been our most popular item. It seems that people buy and sell wedding dresses the most. And this makes a lot of sense to me. Wedding gowns are super expensive, and you only wear them for a few hours. It would be a shame to let such beautiful gowns live in garment bags for the rest of their lives!
Elaine: I know you recently got married yourself! Was "green" a big area of focus in planning your own wedding? Can you share some ways that you were "green"?
Tracy: When I was planning my own wedding, I wasn't as clued in about green wedding practices as I am now. The only thing I knew was that I didn't want a new diamond engagement ring because of the way that diamonds are mined, so my husband bought me a stunning antique ring and a "recycled" coordinating eternity band from Craigslist. But if I knew then what I know now, our wedding would have looked WAY different and way greener. That's part of why I think it's important for sites like Recycled Bride to spread the message about green weddings -- so that green wedding resources are more readily available to brides who are wedding planning.
If I could do it all over again, I would create my own e-mail invitations instead of using paper, using the fantastic templates on http://www.myinvitationlink.com/. I would also use soy candles, fruit, cacti or succulents instead of cut flowers for the centerpieces. All of the food served would be organic, local and sustainable -- that one's really important to me these days! And of course, I would purchase and then sell all of my attire and decorations on RecycledBride.com!
Elaine: How do you think Recycled Bride will impact the bridal industry?
Tracy: My hope is that Recycled Bride creates a significant impact on the bridal industry. If we could reduce the amount of new wedding items manufactured each year by even a third, the positive impact on the environment would be tremendous, and the carbon footprint of the bridal industry would shrink. I also expect that as brides become wiser and greener about their purchases, wedding vendors will have to work harder to earn their business by using green, sustainable business practices. It's my dream to create a world community in which luxurious, ethically produced wedding dresses and accessories are bought, sold and traded among stylish, eco-conscious women.
Thanks to green Spirited Woman entrepreneurs like Tracy, we are able to make a quicker transition into the eco-friendly marketplace. So whether you are recently married, single or celebrating your silver anniversary, I bet you ALL have something you should sell! So this week, make it your eco-homework to post a listing on Recycled Bride. And of course, let us know what it is !
- Elaine La Personerie - www.winkpr.com
Click here for more of Elaine's posts.
that is another inspiring story! and i agree its more about the marriage, not the wedding. very important point.
Posted by: elaine lapersonerie | October 20, 2009 at 10:00 AM
When I was married, I'd finished grad school - no money. Made my dress for $100 (a lot back in 81). But the hard part was the bouquet. No florist would talk to me unless I had a big order. "What's your colors?" they'd ask. I snapped: "I'm wearing white and I don't care what the others wear!" So I got a funnel, covered it with lace, went out to the prairie and cut big dried prairie grasses, sprayed them with varnish so the head's wouldn't drop seed, and made a beautiful bouquet. Mom cut dried teasel (a weed) and tied a bow around them for the bridesmaids (who wore whatever nice dresses they had). It's NOT about the wedding. It's about the MARRIAGE. Priorities count. (green before it was fashionable)
Posted by: Suzanne Arruda | October 20, 2009 at 08:59 AM