Green Bridal Shower

Here are a few pictures from reader Nikki, who threw a "green bridal shower" or her co-worker, Kristin. Her solutions were not only eco-friendly but also super-sweet. At the end of the party the bride was able to take home some very personal gifts- and I'm sure she'll treasure them for years to come, as they're from dear friends.

Here are some ways we tried to make sure our event was eco-friendly:
Rather than use paper invitations, we used a cute bridal shower template from evite.com. On the evite, we introduced the "green theme" and asked guests to "think digital, recyclable, reusable, and organic".

We served a light lunch consisting of an assortment of salads, bread, chips, dip, and fruit. Wherever possible, we made sure to buy organic and local. For dessert, guests had sorbet served in real orange and grapefruit cups. We used recycled napkins and all other tableware was re-usable.

After lunch, we had a great time painting terracotta pots and planting Kristin's favorite plants in them. We knew that she loves gardening and working in her backyard so this was a fun activity for guests to do together and it also provided the bride with lovely gifts to take home.

In addition to the potted plants, we all pitched in and got Kristin a gift card to her favorite cooking store. As an added touch, the gift card was enclosed in a recycled, plantable greeting card, which had basil and chives seeds inside.

We found this article to be helpful during our planning: eHow

Many, many thanks to Nikki for sharing!

Eco and Affordable Favors and Centerpieces

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These white orchids look so modern in classy white mini-pots, clustered onto a simple white dish. Add a few paper butterflies and you have an extremely modern, chic and usable centerpiece. To have this piece work overtime, print table numbers on card stock and mount on a white rod and have the centerpiece act as your table card. Finally, let each guest know that the plants are their favors, making the most from these three-in-one orchids. Not only have you cut waste by 2/3 you've also cut your budget and have a stunning yet elegant decor for your table.

Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart.

Inspiration Board 38: Farmer's Market (Centerpieces)

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I heard received so much great feedback about the Farmer's Market idea that I've decided it explore it more and to take a look at what Farmer's Market Centerpieces might really be like. The thing I love about the Farmer's Market concept is that each item is either recycled or can be reused in the future. I also like that the vintage/flea market/farm fresh feeling can help keep costs down. And it's good for the environment. And it looks great. And it's a sure to keep the wedding reception fun...actually there's a thousand reasons I love this idea for a wedding.

I would schedule an outing for you, your mom and mom-to-be, and your maids. Truck down to a Flea Market early in the morning. Break into teams and give each team a page of items (with picture clippings) to search for and acceptable budgets for each. Gather enough lanterns, vintage urns and vases, anodized buckets, jam jars, and vintage fabrics for each table.

Then work with a florist or visit a local flower farm and put in an order for your flowers. The best scenario would be to have a florist who's willing to work with a local farmer. If you are considering DIY to save flower costs, consider these pointers. First, don't do the flowers yourself! As much as you're tempted, get a whole team together, give them pictures of the desired result and get yourself out of there!

Because the flowers will need to be done the night before or the day of, the last thing you need are flower stained hands, a strained neck, sore shoulders and a stress attack! Trust me, I know...I did it for my own wedding. Your arrangements should be simple to meet the Farmer's market look, so your team should be able to do a marvelous job with your inspiration!

Images courtesy of Ritzy Bee Blog, Lisa Kae Photography, Elite Photography

Eco and Affordable Wedding Bands

(Matt and Sara)

Sara and Matt of the $2,000 Dollar Wedding Blog had plans to save money and the environment with thier wedding rings... and they created an amazing and touching memory from it as well.

Sara writes, "...we also had an unconventional approach to our wedding rings. We asked our friends and family to donate their old gold to an environmentally-friendly jeweler, Green Karat. The company melted the donated gold, credited our account with more than $1,000 and created new rings."

Green Karat can take "dormant gold" such as a broken chain, the one remaining earring and the unused class ring to recycle. Reusing gold means that you won’t create any demand for additional mining, plus you’ll create keepsake rings embedded with the love of your family and friends.

Eco and Affordable Bridesmaid Dresses

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I was the matron-of-honor is two weddings a few years ago, one in February one in May. Needless to say my stress was high, my wallet was empty and though I have no regrets I was exhausted and broke for some time afterwards. Though both brides selected amazing bridesmaid dresses for both weddings...I have yet to wear either of them since. They're sitting in my closet- looking amazing- but one is too formal to wear to anything less than a black-tie event and the other is fitted from before I lost a little weight so it's not quite as flattering as it used to be. Plus each dress cost a pretty penny, and after shoes, matching jewelry and dress jackets were purchased (as both were winter weddings) the total was astounding (not to mention shower gifts, wedding gifts and bachelorette party!)

When choosing your maid's dresses there are a few new trends that can help make your bridal party save money, save the environment and have more fun. Maids who feel extremely comfortable in their dresses are more likely to dance at the wedding and smile in all the pictures.

Kate Harrison of The Green Bride Guide: How to Create an Earth-Friendly Wedding on Any Budget says ..."Having perfectly matched bridesmaids is falling out of fashion. Today there are many ways to create a unified look for your bridal party that won't hurt anyone's wallet or the environment. Instead of asking your maids to buy a new dress, let them wear something they already own in a generic color...or encourage them to buy a dress that has been worn before. Either option will save them a lot of money and will reduce waste generated by producing and shipping..."

The best way to pull this off is to not pick one color for your theme. This works for any season. Winter = whites, silver, navy blue. Spring = light yellows, greens, sky-blues, pinks. Summer = yellows, reds, aqua-blue, moss. Fall = browns, oranges, goldenrod, reds. Make sure the bouquets also reflect a myriad of colors as well and even the most mix matched dresses will seem beautifully coordinated- and your maids (and the environment) will thank you!

Images courtesy of Faye and Greer Blog

Green Flowers

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Here are a few tips if you're planning to go green with your wedding.

First tip- don't think that going green means adding thousands of dollars to your budget! Especially with florists, there are some great, affordable options to go green with, you just have to know what to ask for. To help us, I've pulled my ultimate resource on the subject, "The Green Bride Guide."

The author Kate writes, "The easiest way to ensure your flowers are sustainable sourced is to find a florist who already has a relationship with local farms or wildflower merchants. Any good florist should be able to accommodate your request for seasonal, organically grown flowers... however, nature is not always cooperative in producing the precise shade or color of a specific flower. If you must have white flowers, pick varieties that only grow in white. Similarly, if scent is important to you, make sure to have the florist include herbs or spicy plant materials, such as flowering sage, scented clover, jasmine and lavender..."

She mentions too that many flowers are bred for their looks, so including organic flowers will bring back those beautiful scents. Many florists who use non-organic flowers actually spray them with a scented chemical, adding unregulated chemicals to your wedding.

Florist featured Fleuretica, Ariella Chezar, Rosenow Floral and photography by MiBelle Inc.