Posts Tagged ‘Eco-Friendly Weddings’
Different strokes for different folks – is what I say about Etsy and Ebay. Personally, I do not have the patience to look though hundreds of dress listings online. What a nightmare. After the second page, I’ve moved on. However, Brides have found their dream dress on Etsy and Ebay, so it’s something to check out.
There are all kinds of dresses on both Etsy and Ebay. They have eco-friendly, vintage, gently used, new, and custom. Reuse is a good word to have in your vocabulary when you want to make aspects of your wedding eco friendly. It saves materials, processing, and labor – if you can find something in your size that you absolutely love – why not go for it?
Check out – just a FEW nice gowns that I found on the first two pages!
Happy Internet searching- and saving!
WeddingWire is working towards a better tomorrow and has partnered with The Carbon Fund!
Travel by car or air emits a large amount of CO2 into the Atmosphere, and for most weddings is the biggest contributor to your wedding’s carbon footprint. If you use wedding wire, the carbon calculator can be incorporated directly onto your weddingwire wedding website. It’s so easy. You can then use the carbon calculator to determine how much CO2 your wedding will emit into the air, and give your guests the opportunity to contribute to your Zero Carbon Wedding.
Cool, eh?
For those of you who do not have a weddingwire website, don’t despair. Go to The Carbon Fund, scroll down, and offset your wedding yourself. It’s so easy.
Happy offseting!
Every little step towards contributing positively to the environment – or enhancing someone else’s life – makes a huge difference. Just imagine if every couple took one small step. Magic!
I would say that I’m a relatively sentimental person. I have my Mom’s Tussie Mussie she carried at my wedding. My wedding gown is still in a box – in the basement – collecting dust. However, despite being in a deep dark place – having not seen the light of day in 8 years – I still cannot bring myself to give it away. Okay, I’m not saying that wedding gown donation is for everyone – but for some, it may be an option.
It’s the gown you wore on one of the most important days of your life. By donating it, you are giving another Bride an opportunity to have their dream gown – on the most important day of their life. By not leaving it in your basement, under your bed, or in your garage, you will be helping a multitude of people. First, you are helping yourself, you are helping another Bride, and most importantly, you will be helping to improve the life of someone else.
Check this out.
Check out the website for more information about the gown donation program. The website tells you exactly how to donate one of your most treasured possessions. Make sure to check the website prior to donating. Right now, they are not accepting vintage gowns due to an overstock, but that will change. Brides Against Breast Cancer accepts donations from individuals, manufactures, and dress shops. Proceeds from each sale goes to granting wishes to families dealing with terminal breast cancer – where there are no cures – only dreams realized.
Happy planning!
Eco-Couture Dresses made from Silk or Hemp Silk.
Amazingly beautiful!
Gorgeous!
Now, a few dresses for those who are expecting “Life’s Greatest Gift” on their wedding day – by Jessica Iverson
Jessica IversonLovely!
Happy planning!
You can have beautiful flowers – that are also Eco Friendly! Here’s how!
- As you interview florists – ask them if they work with local growers – or be willing to work with local growers. Also ask if they work with growers who are certified with Veriflora. Shipping flowers from Holland, or from other exotic places, creates a huge environmental impact.
- Consider silk. I wouldn’t recommend that you do the silk flowers yourself. Go to a professional florist who is an expert in working with and dying silk flowers. This way, at the end of the night, he/she can take the arrangements back and use them again at another wedding.
- Use arrangements that can be later planted in a garden or grown in a planter. Depending upon the time of year, you, your family or your guests can take home arrangements and plant them in their garden. Herbs or vegetables might be a nice choice.
- Take your flowers to a hospital or rest home and let the residents enjoy them!
There are a lot of ways that you can still have gorgeous and professional flowers – and still be environmentally responsible. There is a lot of room for creativity – so have fun!
Happy planning!
The lovely image is by Thomas Graves.
Thinking of forgoing that little RSVP card? It’s possible to save the paper (which just gets thrown out), saving the stamp, saving the money and saving the environment. Many free wedding websites, like…
will allow your guests to RSVP right on your website. It’s simple and easy.
Are you worried that guests will be able to write in guests? Don’t. The website only allows you to RSVP for the guests that you input. No fuss, no muss – and no worrying about the ever expanding guest list (on your guests’ part anyway).
The advantage to a website like Wedding Wire is that it’s clean, simple to use and is already done for you. However, if you want something more custom, and you are tech savvy (know HTML), you can build one yourself, or hire someone to build one for you.
Are you worried that Grandma is not web savvy? Well, the “good ole’ personal note” or even via phone – all possible ways for her to tell you she’s delighted to attend!
Happy planning!
Couples are tending to reduce the amount of paper used by excluding programs and menu cards from the festivities. They are also opting for scrolls/charts instead of using place cards. I advise my clients to forgo expensive and wasteful favors that often get left behind and end up in the garbage, in exchange for donations to charities that are important to them. In the weddings that I have done, I have seen couples donate to Breast Cancer Foundations and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, just to name a few. Some of my couples opt to cut out the favors all together. After treating their guests to the most fantastic day, the favors are not at all missed.
Washington DC has seen a number of wedding vendors go “green” in recent years. Jennifer Hughes, a top photographer in the Washington DC and Baltimore Metropolitan areas offers a “green” wedding package. In the package, she offers a photo album made by Couture Books, which is press printed on 100% post consumer recycled, acid free, archival paper. The entire process is powered by green-certified wind power and carbon offsets. Trees are planted with a portion of the proceeds from each book. She also offers Cypress albums, which are completely eco-friendly, with no harm done to trees in the process. She is also looking into purchasing carbon credits to offset her use of electricity and transportation to all of her weddings.
Mydeejay has also taken steps to become eco-friendly. Mydeejay.com is the nation’s first 100% carbon neutral wedding entertainment company. They have achieved this by purchasing carbon offsets for all of their electricity use (both in the office and at events) and all the travel to and from meetings and events. At the wedding, the DJ’s use state of the art digitized systems, which eliminate the need for wasteful CD’s. They have severely reduced their paper use, relying on electronic contracts, planning documents and eFaxes. All the paper that they do use is 100% recycled and their marketing materials are 100% recycled and have environmentally friendly, soy based inks.
Décor is always a fun a
spect of the wedding planning process. There are many ways to “green” your décor, says Emily Elizabeth Anderson – Author of Eco Chic Weddings. Some of these ideas include, using paper, fabric and ribbon for color. You can green your décor by utilizing branches in creative and dramatic ways, lighting candles, or using lamps for mood lighting. Utilizing organically grown local florals offers a floral solution. You can also feature edible arrangements for a different touch. Simplicity is key if you want to go green. Try floating a few blooms in shallow vessels or using smaller vases with one bloom for centerpieces. Herbs also are impressive in bulk, or might serve as a great favor, that guests could plant in their gardens.
One common method of saving is utilizing an arrangement more than once; i.e, use ceremony arrangements at the reception. Instead of throwing your flowers away, let others enjoy the blooms, by donating to local hospitals, hospices, homeless shelters, and the like.
So whether you are looking for a sustainable reception site, organic cuisine, recycled paper products, ideas on ways to reduce and reuse, or eco-friendly vendors, there are many options to make your ‘green” affair a raving success!
Happy planning!
Not really what I had in mind when I titled this blog, but they are pretty!
Last week, I spoke about sandals for Brides’ with pretty feet. Well, since I like to include everyone, this week I have a footwear option for those brides with less than pretty feet, for those who do not like to have their toes and heels showing – or anyone who just wants their feet covered on their wedding daze.
Finding a white shoe that’s not a stiletto sandal is not easy. Whew!
Good news for you that I’m determined.
Take a look at these vegan and Jelly options for the foot conscience Bride.
Even the foot conscience – Eco Friendly Bride has options!
Happy planning!
Check out these shoes and more at Beyond Skin and Melissa Ultra Clear
If you have pretty feet, you are really going to love this Eco-cool option.
Are you ready?
Use a ribbon of your color choice to tie these wooden babies in many different ways.
Cute, eh?
You can get them in Maple, Cherry and Walnut – in different cuts (flat, rounded, pointed) and widths.
Happy planning!
I am forgoing my regular routine for this special day. After all, it’s the day we celebrate our wonderful earth. Our earth should be revered – after all – it’s where we live, breath, and eat. She gives us life.
So, in honor of her, we are going to share with you how Elegant Event Planning and Design (with and without our clients) celebrates the earth not only today – but everyday!
Happy conserving!
Resources:
Soy Candles from Dream Green Weddings, Eco Friendly Bracelet from Nimli, 100% cotton invite from Dream Green Weddings, Plantable Seeded favor from Dream Green Weddings, Eco Friendly Honeymoon Destination, Eco Friendly transportation, Peanut Butter and Ellie Cloth Diaper, Plantable Seeded Favor by Dream Green Weddings
