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Pair recycles cans to fund wedding |
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Monday, 05 April 2010 |
By MELANIE MOORE
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BLACKFOOT — Andrea Parrish and Pete Geyer got engaged last year, then decided to pay for their entire wedding by recycling 400,000 aluminum cans.
They began their project in December. Today they are just 58,698 cans shy of their goal.
“It’s been amazing,” Parrish said. “We’re doing a lot better than we ever expected.”
Parrish and Geyer try to be environmentally responsible in their regular lives, so when Parrish had the idea to fund their wedding by recycling, they were already sold.
Their idea hit the mainstream after Offbeat Bride, a blog about unconventional weddings, posted their plan. From there, Parrish said they were interviewed by more than 200 different media outlets.
Parrish was born and raised in Blackfoot, and her parents Angelen and Eugene own The Shilling House. Parrish and Geyer currently live in Spokane, Wash.
Angelen said she was not surprised by her daughter’s idea of collecting 400,000 cans to pay for her wedding, but was not expecting the massive response they got to their idea. They have collected 224,213 cans, and have received the equivalent of 117,089 cans in cash donations in just over three months.
Pittsburg-based aluminum producer Alcoa Inc. donated 150,000 cans to Parrish and Geyer in January. People in Spokane and Couer d’Alene have contributed cans, and they encourage those in other areas to recycle cans and either take the cash or donate it. Those interested can donate on their website, www.weddingcans.com, via PayPal. They have a link on their website to locate places that recycle.
Their goal is to raise awareness and encourage recycling while raising money for their wedding.
The couple has decided they will continue collecting cans and donations after they reach their goal. They will donate 60 percent to two charities: Doctors Without Borders and The Rim Country Land Institute. The other 40 percent will go toward their honeymoon.
Between media interviews and can collecting, the couple has managed to make plans for their wedding, which is slated for July 31.
Parrish said their wedding is unique, especially in the fact that their budget is only $3,800. They have rented the Idaho Castle in the small town of Hope in northern Idaho and plan to have a medieval theme wedding, complete with a roasted pig.
Their wedding will also be eco-friendly. They will be using compostable dishes, flatware and cups. Parrish’s matron-of honor’s mother-in law is making her dress, and Geyer is sewing his own outfit.
Parrish’s parents are also helping. Angelen is making the cake, and Eugene is custom-building a roasting pit.
“We are all kinds of excited,” Angelen Parrish said. “It certainly will be a wedding to remember.”
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 06 April 2010 )
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