For Immediate Release
April 8, 2010
Almond Tree Bridal Boutique Helps Brides Have a Green Wedding
Valley brides can be green and save green in time for Earth Day; Portion of each gown sale on Earth Day is donated to local Sierra Club chapter
(Phoenix, April 8, 2010) – When Haley Paul, graduate student at Arizona State University’s School of Sustainability, became engaged, she did not want the biggest event of her life to generate big waste. As such, the 24-year-old sought “green” invitations, “green” centerpieces, re-usable tableware, and a natural setting for the wedding venue. When it came time for the wedding dress, buying a brand new gown shipped from halfway across the world with a giant carbon footprint was not an option. So, what was her solution? Consignment!
“Like any bride, I wanted to find a wedding dress that looked great and matched my style, but also fit within my budget. I thought buying a wedding dress on consignment would be a great way to cut down on my wedding’s impact on the Earth,” Haley said. “When I found the Almond Tree Wedding Boutique, and all of the variety and options of gowns, I was sold. Everything about the gowns at Almond Tree fit – they’re green, well-priced, and beautiful” she said. Stumbling upon Almond Tree Wedding Boutique, who opened their consignment, ‘glammed-up’ warehouse just days before Haley went looking for a gown, couldn’t have been better. She literally had hundreds of gowns from which to choose.
Located at 2660 E. Mohawk Lane in north Phoenix, near the 101 and Cave Creek Road, the 1500- square foot boutique and warehouse is open by appointment only, and on Earth Day, April 22, the shop will celebrate with 5% of the proceeds of each gown sold donated to the Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club. Private gown appointments can be made calling 602-606-9565.
Consignment Doesn’t Always Mean Previously Worn
While most people think of consignment as old clothes that someone pulled out of a dingy closet to squeeze a few dollars out of, Almond Tree founders decided that they would acquire brand new wedding merchandise from shops that were closing, sell them at half of what they would sell for brand new, while still allowing brides to consign previously worn gowns. The result is a huge variety of gowns, 95% of which have never been worn down the aisle.
Green wedding planning sounds more practical than romantic perhaps, but according to Pam Hardy, Fashion Director and one of Almond Tree’s co-owners, there’s no compromising with the dresses they carry. The inventory is the latest brands, styles and designers. “We have everything from Maggie Sotero to Casa Blanca to one-of-a-kind couture gowns. The only difference is that our prices are half of what the traditional, expensive bridal salons charge. We cater to every kind of bride – small budget, big budget, environmentally conscious, young, mature, second marriages, third marriages – you name it; we have a dress for it,” said Hardy.
“Traditional weddings are typically wasteful events – from the complicated and multi-papered invitations to the use of cut flowers and wedding dresses shipped from China,” said Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter Director Sandy Bahr. “In all we do, we need to find ways to be more Earth-friendly. Almond Tree has the right idea – buying local is one of the best things we can to reduce energy use and pollution related to transportation. Why special order gowns from thousands of miles away, causing needless pollution when the gown you will love is probably close to home?”
About the Sierra Club, Grand Canyon Chapter
The Sierra Club’s mission is “to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; to practice and promote the responsible use of the earth’s ecosystems and resources; and to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environments.” The Grand Canyon (Arizona) Chapter works to protect the Grand Canyon and other public lands, but also focuses on clean air and clean water, and keeping our rivers flowing. A key priority is promoting a clean energy future for Arizona by investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Buying local food and products and reducing waste by reusing what we can are important steps in reducing our energy footprint. For more information go to http://www.arizona.sierraclub.org/
About Almond Tree
Almond Tree Wedding Boutique is a first-of-its-kind retail outlet specializing in consolidated, close-out wedding gowns and formal wear from upscale bridal stores, as well as offering privately-consigned merchandise at prices 50% below retail. Located in a warehouse district at 2660 E. Mohawk Lane in north Phoenix, near the 101 and Cave Creek Road, the 1500-square foot boutique and warehouse is open by appointment only. For more information about Almond Tree go to www.almondtreeweddings.com.
Filed under: Press Releases by Pam
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