Fall in Love with a Sustainable Wedding

Guest Post by Stephen Jeffery

Wedding planning is a stressful experience. You know it, I know it; anyone who’s ever been within earshot of “Here Comes the Bride” knows it.

From finalizing the guest list to organizing the photographer and choosing the venue, brides and grooms find themselves strapped for time, cash (the average wedding costs more than $30,000), and patience as the big day approaches.

Then there’s the equipment you need. Depending on the venue, you might need to bring your own tables, chairs, stereo, speakers, tents, or signs. Those are a lot of things you probably don’t have, and which you don’t want to have to deal with when you return from the honeymoon.

Sustainable Weddings are Here

2020 is expected to be the year of the sustainable wedding. Apart from the growing costs, couples are increasingly conscious of the environmental impact of their ceremonies. 

Making your wedding more sustainable can be as simple as embracing the sharing economy. Chances are you’ll never host a gathering on the same scale as a wedding again, so there’s no need to buy items you’ll only use once.

Reaching out to your community and renting items from others doesn’t just benefit the environment; you’ll save money, and you won’t be weighed down, figuring out what to do with the items once your special day is over.

But then the questions arise: who has these items? How can I find them? And once the wedding’s over, am I going to need to run across town to return them?

That’s where the sharing economy can help out. Just ask Jenna.

Meet Jenna

Jenna’s special day is coming up in July. She’s going to be spending the next few months deep in preparation mode.

She also had a long list of items she needed to make her day unique. The problem was, she didn’t know where to find them, and she didn’t want to fork out more money than necessary.

“I’m on a lot of Facebook groups and wedding groups and didn’t really find a lot of help,” she said.

Jenna told a friend about her troubles, who then sent her our way.

The Community Steps Up

Ruckify’s support team was able to put her in touch with people in her community who already had the items she needed. Through the Ruckify Marketplace, they shared lights, a tent, a dance floor, and a photo booth.

Not only did she save money by not having to purchase any equipment, but she also had peace of mind from not needing to worry about storing the equipment once the wedding was over. 

The verification of all Ruckify members added security and reassurance that the items would arrive on time and in great condition.

“It’s the easiest thing you could ever use,” Jenna said.

“The fact you can rent these items out for a fraction of the price was great.”

Plus, all of the items and equipment will be dropped off and picked up at the venue through RuckTrucks, leaving Jenna free to focus on spending time with friends and family and celebrating her love.

“I was worried I’d be racing around town, picking up all this stuff,” Jenna said.

“The process has just been so stress-free.”

Your Community Can Help

A day that’s meant to be the happiest of your life shouldn’t arrive only after weeks of stress and frustration. You can end up spending more time worried about what you’re going to do with all the equipment you’ve picked up than you do catching up with those you love.

Reaching out to your community and embracing the sharing economy is the first step to making wedding planning that little bit less stressful. 

If you’re interested in Ruckifying your wedding please reach out to Cameron Linke, the Territory Account Manager at clinke@ruckify.com.

Humboldt Broncos Tragedy rocks Canadians

The Humboldt Broncos tragedy has rocked Canadians this week. Regardless of whether you are a fan of hockey, this story cannot help but move you. The accident between a bus loaded with young hockey players and a truck loaded with peat moss was a hockey parent’s worst nightmare. The parents, families, and friends of the 15 victims of the accident are all currently living that nightmare. The rest of us can only shudder in horror imagining how unbelievably awful this past week must have (and continues to be) been for them.

Whether you live in a large city or a small town in Canada, hockey cannot help but touch your life. After all, hockey is Canada’s sport. Whether you play, watch, coach hockey, serve as team trainer or manager, your involvement in hockey means you love the sport and cannot help but get emotionally involved with your team.

The hockey community is very tight across Canada.  Whether we know them personally or not, we all cheer for and keep track of our hometown kids as they grow up and follow their dream to play in the big league.  We celebrate and share their victories and achievements.  This week we mourn the loss of these talented, hard-working, ambitious, young athletes and the adults with them as the Humboldt Broncos team traveled together on their final hockey road trip.

As the country watches, listens, and mourns, Canadians and others around the world have stepped up to show their support for the Humboldt Broncos team.  A Go Fund Me account has raised over 9 million dollars to date to help the families of the victims.  Professional hockey teams and players have offered their condolences. Families are leaving hockey sticks and lights on at their front doors.  Students and parents alike are wearing jerseys to school and work.

Humboldt Broncos tragedy
Nokia Kanata on Jersey Day

As difficult as this Humboldt Broncos tragedy has been to watch unfold, the heartfelt response has made me (even more) proud to be Canadian!

Sesquicentennial Medal for Community Service

Sesquicentennial Medal

My nephew, James Sliter, was recently awarded a Sesquicentennial Medal from the Senate of Canada for his volunteer role in making our community a better place to live.  He was nominated by the current Senator and former police chief of Ottawa, Vern White.

James has shown dedication and commitment towards the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Ottawa organization (BBBSO) for many years.  He is a former big brother, a former Board President, and currently sits on the business development committee.

Unfortunately, there was controversy swirling around the dispersion of the rest of these medals. These awards were supposed to honor community activists and volunteers or unsung heroes.  The Canadian Mint created the medals as part of our 150 birthday celebration.  That’s where the name sesquicentennial medal comes in.  Our 93 Canadian Senators were each supposed to nominate 12 deserving individuals to receive the 1500 medals.  However, many of the Senators, 47 to be exact, kept the medals for themselves or gave them to former senators.  The last time I checked no senators can be termed volunteers or unsung heroes.  This is pure greed on their part.

Regardless of the controversy, Vern White got it right with his nomination of James.  The rest of my family and I are extremely proud of him!