One of the reasons I started Turtle Love Co. is because I was concerned (or maybe “fired up” is a better choice of words?) about the way that weddings and marriage had become commodified in our culture.

Getting married is a big deal, but you don’t get married by buying stuff, running from Zales to Macy’s to Williams-Sonoma until suddenly - poof! you’re married!

It’s great to have a couch, and kitchen appliances, and plates. So there’s nothing bad about going to stores and buying stuff. And nothing wrong with people giving you gifts when you get married.

But your life together starts at Crate & Barrel? This does not sound like a good life.

So here’s to the mountain path, the dingy diner, the park on the corner, the beach, the bus station. The regular places where we really do start our lives together.

A couple of months ago, Katelyn was doing a class presentation about Turtle Love Co. and wrote to ask: “Why is your company implementing a more sustainable business practice?”

Here’s what I wrote to her:

Hi Katelyn,

I got your email - I’d love to help you out with your presentation.

There are a lot of reasons to embrace sustainable practices, as you can imagine. Some are coldly calculated, as in “there’s a market for this,” and some are totally altruistic, as in “I believe that organic ____ is better for people and the planet, even though it will not be very profitable.”

At TLC, the way that I think about sustainable and responsible practices is this:

Business is a game, and each participant can be a winner. There need not be losers.

But it’s really only fun to play a game where you like the activities involved in playing the game.

And if there’s something about playing the game that harms other people, or that damages our homes or our environment, then participating in the game isn’t much fun at all.

In order to have fun doing what we do at TLC, we need to structure our participation in the game of business according to rules that we’re comfortable with - that’s what makes the game fun. So we use recycled metals, because by removing externalities associated with mining, the game of business is more fun. (You could summarize this as “because it’s the right thing to do,” but that’s what everybody says, and it’s hard to tell how that specifically relates to running a business rather than just living life.) The same goes for all of our sustainability and social responsibility endeavors, from using responsibly-sourced stones to supporting independent artisans.

There are lots of components of Turtle Love Co.’s business model that are based on creating rules of the game that make for a rewarding game, and this is just about the sustainability part of it. The whole business is really carefully crafted to support consumers and artists and us, as business people. Beyond sustainability, supporting artists, spreading art, presenting unique options for wedding jewelry, creating connections among people, and being active contributors to our local community are important parts of the way that we have crafted a business model that is rewarding both financially and as people.

I hope that’s helpful!

Adrianne

It’s kind of a tough question - basic and complicated at the same time. How do you explain your rationale for implementing more sustainable practices in your life?

We just got wind of news from A Practical Wedding (one of our favorite blogs!) that their editor, Lauren, is leaving her position for new adventures. We enjoyed reading about how much she loved her job there, and also why she chose a ring from Turtle Love Co. to wear as her wedding band (the luscious Water Lily Diamond Engagement Ring in gold). She says, “As I’m typing this I am rocking my Turtle Love Co. wedding ring—100% paid for because supporting artists is incredibly important to me.”

Hearing from others who share our passion for supporting independent artists is one thing we love about our jobs! We wish Lauren the best of luck in her new adventures.