Tips for Throwing a 'Zero Waste' Wedding from RealSimple.com
*By Kate Gill*
Some millennials are vowing to protect the environment along with their relationships when they walk down the aisle ー with "zero waste" weddings.
Given the potential for waste ー discarded florals, trimmings, and food ー an eco-friendly wedding is a lofty goal, but it can be done, according to Rachel Sylvester, a lifestyle editor at RealSimple.com.
What constitutes "zero waste"? The goal, Sylvester said, is to orchestrate an event that doesn't produce any trash in a landfill. In other words, a wedding made from recyclable materials.
Sylvester shared her tips with Cheddar to execute a zero waste wedding:
**Communicate with Vendors:**
Be transparent with your vendors about your environmental needs.
"I think you just need to be very open with your vendors about zero waste," Sylvester said.
**Focus on Florals:**
Keep your floral arrangements simple.
"There's always a focus on florals, and there's this idea that you need to have a ton of them," Sylvester said. Simplifying your floral decorations will help cut back on waste.
Most importantly, she said, ask your florist to forgo using foam blocks to structure the centerpieces.
**Keep Your Guest List Short:**
Stick to close friends and family. (Don't tell your third cousins you're getting hitched.)
"One of the biggest things to keep in mind is you're able to achieve that goal of a zero-waste wedding if you kind of cut down on your guest list. If you get your guest list down to under 100, it is definitely doable."
**E-vites:**
Go paperless to save trees ー and time.
"I encourage you to embrace the e-vite. Paperless is more and more common and lot of people are taking that approach and ultimately it's easier to track your RSVPs."
**Shop Vintage:**
Go on a treasure hunt for a vintage dress.
"Check out your local consignment shops and ask around. Maybe your grandmother is just dying to have you kind of re-purpose her gown or your mother or even a best friend who says, 'Take my veil.'"
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/saying-i-do-with-sustainability-on-the-mind).
There's a new ETF designed to offer investors exposure to 'meme stocks.' Roundhill Investments launched it earlier this month and says the ETF is the first that is explicitly designed to track the performance of meme stocks. Roundhill Investments Vice President of Research Mario Stefanidis joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Mobile bill payment application Papaya recently raised $50 million in a series B round led by Bessemer Venture Partners.
Papaya lets users take a photo of any bill, and the app's AI-powered 'bill understanding technology' pays the bill in seconds. The company says its goal is to help people spend more time on things that matter, by making bill-paying as painless and quick as possible. Papaya CEO and co-founder Patrick Kann joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
According to the CDC, Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. The grim statistic is one of the main reasons why two organizations came together to do something. The Bump and the National Medical Association are partnering to launch The Black Maternal Health hub. The online resource will help expecting mothers feel supported, informed, and empowered throughout pregnancy and the early days of parenting. Jennifer Lee at The Bump and Dr. Rachel Villanueva, a clinical assistant professor of OB/GYN and member of the National Medical Association join Cheddar News to talk about the initiative.
If you're looking for a date, 2022 might be your year. Online dating platform Bumble is buzzing with dating predictions from its latest survey. Shan Boodram, sex and relationships expert at Bumble, joined Cheddar to discuss some of the findings and what people can expect from the future dating landscape. Some of the results showed that public displays of affection are back on the rise as more people get vaccinated and that more users are opting for alcohol-free first dates. She also explained the trend of "explori-dating," a way that users are attempting to get out of their comfort zone. "People are willing to date outside of their city to get to that," she said.
Cheddar is looking back at the 12 biggest buzzwords of the year leading up to Christmas. The seventh term in the countdown is Transitory. Definition: (adjective) of brief gratification, not permanent.
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: Omorpho Co-Founder explains the innovation driving gravity sportswear; Cool Beans CEO breaks down the science behind 'good mood food;' A look at Curiosity Stream's 'Building The James Webb Telescope.'
Stefan Olander, Co-Founder of Omorpho, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss how they are bringing innovation into athleticwear by creating 'gravity sportswear.'
Tyler Mayoras, CEO of Cool Beans, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss the science behind being a 'good mood food,' and what makes these burritos good for the environment.