Green Weddings Part 4: Eco friendly jewelry

So we covered eco-friendly wedding dresses, invitations, receptions and ceremonies. Did you know that your jewelry can be eco-friendly too. According to nodirtyGold.org the production of one gold ring produces 20 tons of mine waste. That can't be very good. The waste can contaminate drinking water, destroy traditional livelihoods, and displaces indigenous communities.

Diamond jewelry can come from conflict plagued areas, where war and smuggling surround the diamond trade.

To buy eco-friendly jewelry look for websites and retailers that specify an eco-friendly process for their jewelry. They should have a mission to provide ecologically and socially responsible jewelry alternatives.

GreenKarat is committed to offering alternatives by using recycled precious metals in jewelry.

GreenKarat
GreenKarat, canary
GreenKarat,


CredJewelry aims to source all its precious metals and gem stones from small-scale artisan mining communities that have a concern for the biodiversity of their local region. They have a policy in place to help ensure that they have eco-friendly jewelry. In order to achieve this we aim to fulfil the following criteria with our primary source partners.









Sumiche Jewelry Company offers both recycled and sustainably mined, fair trade gold and platinum, recycled silver, conflict free diamonds and certified Canadian Goose diamonds and fair trade gems.




If you are looking for something unique as well as eco-friendly take a look at Touch Wood Rings they are a socially just and environmentally sustainable alternative to precious metals and gemstones. David's wooden rings are meticulously hand crafted, durable, warm to the touch & light to wear. Even in their use of wood they consider their environment by using birch bark which is discarded after the tree has been used for paper production and bamboo which matures in 6 to 7 years.




Remember the policy in eco-friendly living is Reuse, Reduce, Recycle. Keep the three "r's" in mind when planning your big event. Be inspired to protect our environment.

Green Weddings Part 3: Ceremony and Reception

Having an eco-friendly wedding is very important to many couples. There are alot of details that make up your special day. For each element that makes up your great day there is an opportunity to make eco-friendly decisions. Today we will explore eco-friendly decisions for your ceremony and reception.

Candles

The romantic impact of a candlelit ceremony or a table decorated with candles is hard to overlook, however you can lessen your impact on the environment by making the right choices.

Candles create a wonderful ambiance for your romantic day. However, some candles can also emit carcinogens and neurotoxins. Making an eco-friendly decision to choose candles made from palm oil, beeswax, and soy ensure you clean-burning illumination that’s also longer-lasting and petroleum-free.

Choose locally-made candles so that you can avoid the carbon impact from transporting the candles across the country or from overseas.

Reuse old candles, ask for old candles from churches. Some churches use new candles for every service, you may have the opportunity to reuse these candles and prevent them from being thrown out.


Beeswax:

Candles made with beeswax are naturally fragrant, nontoxic, soot-free, and non-allergenic. They’re completely renewable and require little, if any, additives. Candles made from 100 percent beeswax are easy to come by and burn longer than regular petro-based paraffin candles.

Soy:

Candles with soybean-based wax are generally vegan, soot-free, and biodegradable, and like beeswax, they’re renewable. They can burn up to 50 percent longer than paraffin candles and, if spilled, can be cleaned up with soap and water. Make sure they are 100% paraffin-free and have lead free wicks.

The scent of soy candles may not throw well. Which should not be a problem for a wedding, I generally would not recommended scented candles for a table setting or ceremony. Which leads to another tip, finding scentless candles can be a healthy choice since synthetic fragrances often added to candles have been identified as VOC-emitters.

Soy wax is soft, soy candles may usually be found in jars and tins, which might limit your decor options.

Palm oil

Palm oil wax comes from coconuts (the fruit of palm trees) so no plants die during harvesting. Palm oil candles are clean burning and long lasting.

Choosing soy, beeswax, or palm oil candles will get you burning more cleanly, but keep in mind that hidden ingredients sometimes sneak their way into natural products, so check labels before making a final purchase.


Flowers

Find a florist who uses flowers which are free of pesticides and herbicides.
Choosing a florist who uses organically grown, in-season, local flowers is an eco-friendly decision for your wedding flowers. You can also find some online sites that offer organic flower options.

Organic Bouquet
offers sustainably grown flowers fresh from partner farms. They have adopted social and environmental standards—developing the most eco-friendly floral packaging, initiating the industry's first carbon offset program, and growing flowers in a way that is gentle on the earth and that safeguards the ecology and the well-being of wildlife and farm workers.

Bamboo is a sustainable materials , it can grow up to two feet a day. Tall stalks of curly bamboo in centerpieces is a great and modern-looking and "green" option.



Buy fresh flowers at your local farmer's market.

Use dried or silk flowers as an eco friendly alternative.

Reuse the flowers used at the ceremony to decorated your reception.


Catering

Choose a caterer who uses locally grown organic food where possible. If fish is on the menu, the caterer should choose them from sustainable sources and is MSC certified.



Organic Catering Directory:

CA - http://www.organiccatering.com/



NY - http://www.peteseats.com/celebrate-food/About-us.html

NY - http://nymag.com/weddings/listings/caterers/

Wine lovers consider having organic wine at your reception. If your venue does not offer this option, they might allow you to bring in your own wine. Keep in mind that the venue might impose a corking fee for wine brought into their establishment.

Venue

Choose a Site with Significance

The money that you spend on your wedding venue can also be an eco-friendly decision. Locations such as botanical gardens, arboretums or non-profit sites that will use the money gained to offer programs that will maintain and support eco-friendly ideals.

Remember the key to an eco-friendly wedding is to simplify. You can save money and resources by reusing accents. You can be confident of your "green" efforts by choosing to work with what you've got nearby (and in season).

Green Weddings Part 2: Invitations

Bella Figura




When creating a "green" wedding you want to keep a certain principle in mind, how to create an elegant affair with the least amount of impact to the environment. This principle can help direct your every step as you plan a great, elegant and eco-friendly event. There are several areas in which you can incorporate environmentally friendly elements.

Part one of my "green" weddings series introduced you to eco-friendly options for your wedding dress. In this post I would like to show you different options for your invitations. There are many options for eco-friendly invitations. You can consider 100% recycled paper, partially recycled paper, or completely tree free paper for your wedding invitations and other stationery.











Earthly Affair is company who grew out of the lack of environmentally friendly invitations that were also stylish. This company is "green" not only in the finished product, but also in their production methods, shipping methods and other recycling efforts. They offer two options for their invitations. One is a 100% pcw, which means it uses no new trees and averts waste from landfills. The second is a cotton paper, FSC certified for responsible forest management and consists of partially recycled content.




Sweet Invitations offers an elegant line of handmade papers, made entirely from tree-free and recycled materials. These handmade papers are made from discarded cotton cloth. Visit their site for additional recycling fun facts. Primarily a handmade paper supplier, they will provide printed invitations at an additional cost.



Bella Figura

Bella Figura has an exquisite line of invitations. They use environmental papers, either tree-free or a high recycled content and soy inks. 100% cotton paper made from reclaimed fibers is used for their invitations and envelope liners are made from 30% recycled paper.They also support various environmental causes, they donate 1% of sales to environmental organizations.

Botanical paperworks creates plantable paper (called Garden Greetings™) is "tree-free", so that no trees were cut down to make this plantable paper. The base fiber is cotton or 100% post-consumer waste. And the paper is made with pure North American wildflower seeds by skilled papermakers. Not only will you send of a wonderful eco-friendly invitation but, you're giving the your guests a lasting memento of the event. As the flowers bloom in their garden, they'll remember you and the special day of which they were a part.

Botanical Paperworks





Your wedding announcement or invitation can set the tone for your environmentally friendly wedding. There are many options for you and you do not have to compromise on style. Be inspired to create an elegant affair while minimizing your impact on the environment.

Green Weddings Part 1: The Dress

Living in a new environmentally conscious age, we try to incorporate being "green" in every part of our life. How can you create a "green" wedding? Now if you have not currently pursued green alternatives, the idea of introducing "green" elements on your special day might be scary. Fear not for going green is not only easy but it is elegant and affordable.

Wedding Dress

An eco-friendly wedding dress should be made of sustainable materials. There are many choices for wedding dress fabrics which include cotton, peace silk, hemp, bamboo, lyocell, soy and milk. Various styles can be found on the Internet and various wedding publications.


by Threadhead Creations

The above dress is made from Floral Hemp and Silk, with 100% silk lining. This dress features a low cut sweetheart neckline that plunges to the empire waistline. The bodice is gathered under the bust for a flattering fit. The elegant low cut back is accented with a charmeuse drape. The skirt portion of this dress is fitted through the hips then flares at the hem, ending in a sweep train. Fully Lined. Back zipper.

Designers like Adele Wechsler and Jessica Iverson with her Terra Amore line have combined couture with eco-friendly materials. Jessica Iverson's line consist of earth friendly silk fabrics. They are vegan friendly and uses eco-friendly dyes. 100% sweatshop free. The company also plants a tree for every purchase made.


Adele Wechsler Hello Africa


Adele Wechsler Sunray


Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

You can also make an eco-friendly decision to purchase a gently used gown instead of buying a new one. You can visit local consignment stores and organizations, vintage boutiques that can also be found online. Choosing to wear your mother's or grandmother's gown is another eco-friendly decision.

What makes a dress eco-friendly?

Choosing an eco-friendly wedding dress consist of finding a dress that is made from natural and organic fibers that are not animal byproducts. Dress that has been made using eco-friendly options, such as eco-friendly dyes. A dress that uses recycled fabrics will qualify as an eco-friendly dress. Or simply your dress can be reused.

Sustainable, recycled and reused are characteristics to look for when shopping for a "green" wedding dress.

Be Inspired to make earth friendly decisions!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kathy

Wedding Registries

You have booked your venue, bought your dress, picked your favors. Have you registered? Wedding registries today have gone beyond china and bed linens. See what is new in the world of wedding registries.

I searched online for unusual wedding registries this is what I found:

Honeymoon Registry

It might be rude for a couple to ask for money, however on this site couples can register for a honeymoon. Couples can create a page with honeymoon details to a specific destination and they place a specific amount for guests to contribute.


Charitable Registry

If you are more interested in giving than receiving, you can check out this site. You can create a customized web page and encourage your guests to give. Go to the JustGive.org's Wedding Center to create your registry.

Spa certificates

If you're honeymooning at a spa (or having a destination wedding at or near a spa), consider asking for spa gift certificates.



Green Registry

Rawganique.com allow your guests to support your commitment to the environment.

They allow wedding couples to register their hemp gifts here so that family and friends may purchase hemp gifts that truly reflect the couple's commitment to the environment and our planet's future.



Here are some sites where you can register and they offer great management tools:

Myresgistry.com

Felicite.com

Felicite is a unique registry service that allows registrants to list any gift for any occasion.
Felicite even allows registrants to gifts such as a house down payment, a donation, a honeymoon fund, or items that you would rather buy from a merchant yourself. For physical gifts Felicite will place orders for you for items from member merchant or approved merchant stores.

Remember to register and be inspired by the unconventional.

Kathy G

Win a $5000 Photography Package

Pink Initiative founder Emilie Sommer of emilie inc. photography is running a raffle now through Valentine’s Day for 5K of wedding photography coverage for a $50 raffle ticket to benefit the Pink Initiative! Read below for more information! Check out pinkinitiative.org to purchase a raffle ticket or make a donation.






Pink Initiative is a collection of wedding industry professionals and private donors dedicated to funding awareness, outreach, education and research for breast cancer

Happy New Year!!!!



Congratulations to all newly engaged brides. Undoubtedly you are very excited about your engagement and hopefully you are equally excited about planning your upcoming wedding. Here is a wedding timeline for the first "to-do's" on your wedding planning list.


10 To 12 Months Before
Determine who will officiate at the ceremony.
Select a wedding date and time.
Announce your engagement in the newspaper.
Determine how many guests may attend.
Determine the type of wedding you want (size, formality, style, color scheme).
Select and order the bridesmaids' dresses.
Establish a preliminary budget.
Select and secure a photographer.
Select a caterer if not already provided by the reception.
Select and secure your reception location.
Select and secure your ceremony location.
Select and secure your DJ / MC.
Begin choosing your wedding cake baker, videographer, and florist. Sign necessary contracts.
Pick out engagement ring with fiancé


If you are a bride who will marry this year, it is time to fill in the details of your wedding plans and make bookings for any vendors you have not booked yet.




Here is a wedding checklist for the upcoming months

6 To 9 Months Before

Start compiling the guest list (inform your families to do the same).
Select the attendants for your wedding party.
Shop for the wedding dress, headpiece, veil, etc.
Start planning for honeymoon.
Register with a gift bridal registry in your favorite store.

4 To 6 Months Before

Make appointments for a physical exam with your doctor/dentist.
Check requirements for blood test and marriage license in your state. Click here to check requirements in your state
Shop for wedding rings.
Select and order the invitations and stationery.
Decide where to live after the wedding.
Complete the guest lists.
Begin shopping for trousseau.
Send your engagement announcement to the newspaper.
Inform mothers to select their dresses.
Select and order the men's attire.
Finalize honeymoon details and make the necessary reservations.

Bridal Show are great places to get information and possibly find your needed vendors. Here is a list of upcoming events.

January 11, 2009 - J & B BRIDAL SHOW 2009, Chambersburg, PA, Details

January 11, 2009 - Holiday Inn, Downtown Stamford City Center Bridal Show, Stamford, CT, Details

January 11, 2009 - East Wind Caterers Bridal Showcase, Wading River, NY, Details


January 14, 2009 - Winter Bridal Showcase, Carle Place, NY, Location: Chateau Briand Date: January 14, 2009 Time: 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm For reservations please call: 516.625.1777 For directions please call: 516.334.6125


January 16, 2009 - 2009 BRIDAL EXTRAVAGANZA, Ellicott City, MD, Details

January 18, 2009 - HAGERSTOWN BRIDAL SHOW, Hagerstown, MD, Details

January 25th 2009 - Kern County Bridal Association, Bakersfield, CA, Click here for details


For other states click here

Enjoy the planning and be inspired!!!!