Top 5 ways to have a "Green" wedding

Having an eco-friendly or "green" wedding does not mean sacrificing on style. It just allows you to celebrate one of the most important days of your life with minimal impact to the environment.

Wedding dress

There are many designers who have made wedding style elegant and of course "green". There are so many products available that offer a "green" option with style. One such company is Jessica Charles formerly Jessica Iverson; her Collection from their Terra Amore line offers chic and elegant options for your wedding day. This Santa Barbara-based wedding dress designer Jessica Charles has set out to make eco-friendly gowns chic and even more luxurious and beautiful than traditional gowns. She has made "green" chic and elegant.



You should look for designers that are using sustainable fabrics such as organic cotton, bamboo, hemp, lyocell (made from wood pulp) and soy fabrics.

You could also consider options such as a pre-owned dress from a retailer, vintage shop or family member.


Wedding favors

The options for eco-friendly favors are limitless. Look for favors using sustainable materials, packaging and practices.



Eco-friendly flowers


The Cotton Candy Organza Button Bouquet by reallybadkitty on Etsy


When making eco-friendly decisions for your wedding you have to give extra thought to your selections. When making your flower selections consider buying from a local farmers market. Select a florists that uses organically grown flowers and utilizes "green" practices in their shop. Select flowers that are in season and will not require long distance transportation that will have a negative impact on the environment. Think about simple. Consider alternatives to flowers for bouquets and centerpieces. Things like candles (eco-friendly of course!), potted plants, feathers. Use your imagination and make it personal to your wedding.







Eco-friendly invitations

When looking at eco-friendly invitations you should look at materials and practices. Look for companies that 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




























Eco-friendly gifts

Involve your guest in your ecp-friendly endeavors. Requests that they make donations to one of your favorite "green" organizations. Remind guest of your desire to have an eco-friendly wedding and they may remember your wishes when purchasing a gift.

Green Weddings 2011: Green Centerpiece Ideas

The Best Green Centerpiece Ideas



Planning a wedding is one of the most exciting times in your life, but there are so many details to attend to that it can seem a bit overwhelming. One of the details that shows off your style the most is the type of centerpieces you use at the reception. Not only should they say something about you and your new spouse, but they should also be beautiful pieces your guests actually want to win and take home with them. Most brides plan some kind of giveaway with the centerpieces at each table, so opt for something with a classic elegance.

One of the most popular trends in centerpieces now is to go green with your centerpieces. If the rest of your wedding is eco-friendly, then it’s best not to skimp on the centerpieces at the reception hall.

Earthy and Green Centerpiece Choices



One of the simplest ways to incorporate green options into your centerpieces is to use candles made from an organic material like beeswax. Beeswax smells amazing, and by promoting organic materials in candles, you avoid all the petroleum products that are usually used in the manufacture of candles. If you can find locally made beeswax candles, it’s even better.
Another option (and sometimes the most expensive one) is to find a florist who specializes in locally grown, organic flowers. Most florists don’t pay much attention to what happens to their flowers before they receive them. They just want full color blooms that take your breath away.
It’s important to look for locally grown flowers first because you’re reducing your carbon footprint by not purchasing flowers that have been transported. Organic is important because it means you are not supporting the use of pesticides on flowers. Nature was turning out beautiful flowers before we ever started using pesticides, so there isn’t much reason to support their use now.
If you aren’t particularly interested in floral arrangements, then you could always opt for centerpieces made from organic, locally grown fruit. This is the perfect idea for fall weddings when harvest is often the theme of gatherings. Also harvest time means that local fruit is in season, which means additional points in the eco-friendly category.

Truly Green Centerpieces


There are also many green options for those who have chosen the color green as one of their themes. Green is a great color for spring weddings because it not only symbolizes new life, but also pays homage to all of the greenery that starts appearing during the spring season.

Wheat grass makes for a very simple and usually inexpensive centerpiece option. It offers simplicity while still showing off your eco-conscious lifestyle. Moss orbs are also very fashionable and provide a simplistic, yet elegant way to bring a bit of the outdoors inside your reception hall.

Guest post by Rebecca Parker from The Wedding Planning Guides, a site dedicated to sharing practical (but fun) advice to brides and grooms throughout the ups and downs of wedding planning.

Green Weddings 2011: Jessica Charles

Hosting a green wedding is definitely socially and environmentally responsible. One thing that "green" weddings do not have to be is dull.

There are so many products available that offer a "green" option with style. One such company is Jessica Charles formerly Jessica Iverson;
who has just unveiled their 2011 Spring Collection from their Terra Amore line. Santa Barbara-based wedding dress designer Jessica Charles has set out to make eco-friendly gowns chic and even more luxurious and beautiful than traditional gowns. She has made "green" chic and elegant.


As with her designs Jessica has gone above and beyond by donating 3% of the profits from each dress to Alma Terra, a non-profit children’s charity that provides an “oasis of happiness” to less fortunate children in Africa. How fulfilling to create elegant "eco-friendly" gowns and giving back at the same time. Jessica Charles definitely embodies the green movement.

Jessica Charles has created a Facebook page for brides to receive invites to exclusive sample sales, parties, and events. Like them on Facebook.

Be Inspired by "green" and fabulous.

Earth Friendly Couture

Trying to find ways to save on your wedding is a little intimidating for some. Deciding which areas will be saves and which will be splurges will be on the minds of many brides. Will saving money mean that you will have to sacrifice style? Absolutely not.

I discovered a site online offering new or nearly new bridal gowns. What does this mean to you the bride?

Encore Bridal offers a vast selection of sample wedding dresses and pre-owned new wedding dresses, in addition to gently used wedding dresses. I am a supporter of green practices in wedding planning and choosing this route for your wedding gown selection is an earth friendly decision. Let us not forget that you will be getting a couture gown for a substantial 30% - 70% discount. Gowns range in price from $1000-$7000 with the average price being $2000.

Gowns have been hand selected and thouroughly inspected to insure that you are getting the best quality in your gowns. The easy to navigate website offers excellent descriptions and pictures. They will even You can even find accesories.

To view frequently asked questions visit Encore Bridal

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).