An eco-aware venue

It might make you cringe to think about how much from an event bypasses recycle bins and gets thrown straight into the trash, only to cease function as just another piece of waste in a landfill. In order to prevent your wedding from becoming an everywhere-I-look-I-see-trash event, ask each venue you’re considering if they recycle.

The Stillwell House is a gorgeous estate in downtown Tucson which is rented for weddings and parties almost nightly. It’s a perfect venue, not just because it’s beautiful (picture a bride making her way down a wide winding staircase to a beautiful outdoor courtyard), but because the folks at the Stillwell House recycle religiously.

After chasing down her runaway pug Louie, owner and planner Candace Flores gave me a list of why the Stillwell House is eco-friendly when I went to visit her on Saturday:

· They recycled everything they can
· They use organic ingredients in their catered food
· They donate leftover food
· The venue is cleaned with environmentally friendly cleaning supplies
· Only real linens are used (no plastic tablecloths)
· The staff encourages couples to give guests edible or recyclable favors to minimize waste
· Plastic use is minimized as much as possible
· They serve food and drinks in glassware, which is reusable
· They use environmentally friendly light bulbs
· Low-water irrigation systems are used

“It’s just some small stuff we can do to help,” said Flores.

An employee who helps set up for events showed me the back of the house where cardboard and aluminum resources are stashed away for recycling.

“It stinks back here,” he said. “But hey, we recycle!” he said proudly.

Find a venue like the Stillwell House, which will put eco-friendly practices to use to make sure the waste generated by your wedding is handled with good intentions.