Good and Green Honeymoons
By: Kirstin Kennedy
If you look to the wave of wedding reality television, it becomes very clear that the general conception of a bride is not always positive. In fact, the very title of a Bridzilla seems to imply that wedding-planning women care about one thing only: getting what they want. And why shouldn’t they? A wedding is your day to show off your beauty and dedication as a successful wife to-be. We say, you go girl! But of course, you are more than just a raging woman in white. You are a positive person looking to start your marriage off the right way, and what better thing to do than to spend your honeymoon as good and green newlyweds.
Green honeymoons can be tackled in very simple ways- camping, for example. If you are an outdoorsy type of gal, planning a romantic week in the woods can be a piece of cake. To keep things green, you and your hubby just need to focus on reducing what you take (and leave) in your campsite. By spending the time you have together in a secluded area you can build a great foundation for the rest of your lives along with a great campfire! Hiking, bird watching, swimming, and biking are all great ways to spend your camping adventure without compromising Mother Nature. Of course, if you and the Mr. feel ambitious, joining a clean-up crew during your trip will be a great way to keep your sacred spot special for years to come.
For those blushing brides who shy away from the campgrounds, there is still a chance for you to have some green, post-nuptial fun. You may want to look into eco-tourism. The concept of eco-tourism is simple. It focuses on giving the world as much as you are getting from your vacation. This means taking care of the environment in your travels and spending your time enjoying nature as . . . well . . . nature intended itself to be. The movement also focuses on volunteerism as well as travel to areas that respect general human rights. To honeymoon in good and green fashion, a bride and groom must choose to relinquish the idea of a lavish trip for the idea that they might start off their married life helping all facets of existence.
Recently released through bestecolodges.com is a list of the top five resorts that are both completely eco-friendly and totally awesome. All five of the locations are abroad in locations including New Zealand and India and, best of all, each of the resorts have honeymoon specials. For green travel within the United States, Greenconciergetravel.com is a great resource. This website helps you to plan your entire adventure, making everything, including travel, 100% good and green. Through these two styles, you will learn about green techniques and involve your time with service to others. Both of these sites provide pricing that will actually save you cash and time while planning your trip.
Eco-tourism is sure to save you money and, more importantly, satisfy your need to give back to the world. Having a green honeymoon is a great way to show the world your marriage values. In the time that you would spend shopping for overpriced knickknacks to bring home from a hotel gift shop, you will bond with your spouse and make Mother Earth a happier place. You are also sure to learn some great tricks to bring back and incorporate in your new found household. Have any great ideas to eco-travel the country or abroad? Post a comment letting us know!
Kirstin Kennedy, an undergraduate English major at the University of Pittsburgh, is an A&E staff writer for the Pitt News and the business coordinator for the Pitt Writers Club.