Couple Reaches Goal, Recycles 400,000 Cans to Pay for Wedding

Back in January, Tonic reported on Andrea Parrish and Peter Geyer's rather ingenious goal for how they'd pay for their July wedding. Their plan was to collect and recycle 400,000 aluminum cans by this month in order to pay for their wedding, which they planned to be in the $3,500-4,000 range. At that point, they had collected nearly 100,000 cans, meaning another 300,000-plus cans to go. It was a lofty goal, but if you're going to dream, you might as well dream big.

Well, as Yahoo Green reported, the Spokane couple made good on their goal, reaching the 400,000 mark last week. Along with the WeddingCans.com website they built and letting friends know about their pursuit via social media, the couple also got some corporate help. Alcoa donated 150,000 cans and United Recycling Services chipped in another 73,000. According to the article, the official wedding budget is $3,800 for 150 guests, with $1,000 going toward the venue (Corbin Art Center), food and drinks being mostly potluck, the flowers being grown by the bride's sister-in-law and party music coming from "DJ by iPods." Clothing for the bride and groom should come in at less than $500, with the matron of honor's mother-in-law sewing the wedding dress.

And even though they reached their goal, that doesn't mean the can collecting stops. In fact, the couple continues to do so in order to pay for their honeymoon, as well as donate money to both Doctors Without Borders and Rim Country Land Institute. In addition, others have apparently been inspired by the couple's ingenuity and are doing the same, be it to raise funds for a wedding or give to deserving causes.

The happy (and eco-friendly) couple will be married on Saturday, July 31.

Photo courtesy of Andrea Parrish and Peter Geyer.