Last week, one of my brides ordered this lovely “Bucket of Love” filled with wedding seed favors that grow wildflowers when planted. Instead of using them as eco-friendly wedding favors, she’s using them as escort cards. How creative! She inspired me to provide some more ideas on wedding favors that could be used as eco-friendly escort “cards” (none of them are traditional cards!). Enjoy & please share your ideas with us!

Escort “Card” Ideas

Recycled Wood Circles-Made from reclaimed cherry tree branches (no trees were harmed in the making of these conversation starters!)

100% Beeswax Candle Tapers-Add a piece of raffia and a tag with the guest’s name and table number. A favor and escort card all in one!

Handmade Birdseed favor in shape of heart. Write guest’s table number on the tag it comes with. Another favor and escort piece all in one!

Beautiful & earth friendly! Your guests will love these butterfly escort cards . . . they can plant them to grow wildflowers.

Talk about love in full bloom! This “”flower pot” seed packet can be personalized, & also used as an escort card with space to write name/table #s.

Brides Magazine lists 5 things to know about escort cards:

1. Often confused with placecards, escort cards indicate the guests’ table assignments (placecards are found on the tables and tell the guests where to sit).

2. They are often called “table-assignment cards” or “seating cards”

3. Arrange the cards in alphabetical order of the guests last name. Position them near the entrance (but not the door) where guests can approach them on all sides.

4. For a couple, you can use one escort card assuming they will sit together; otherwise, write a card for each guest.

5. Use titles at formal affairs (Mr., Dr. John Smith). For casual weddings, you can go with first and last names only (John Smith).

One look at these elegant moss decorations and I couldn’t resist adding them to our collection of eco-friendly wedding decorations. They are hand-made in Georgia using real moss and other natural materials. Talk about adding a beautiful touch of green elegance to any organic, garden or outdoor wedding!

The inspiring photo above shows a creative application of the single table number hanging from the tree branch centerpiece. Wow! Special thanks to Mulberry Photo for the beautiful photo above!

Let the creative ideas begin . . . cake toppers, table numbers, placecard holders, letter initial door wreaths, candle holders, centerpieces, wedding card box. Create your own dream green wedding with these eco-lovely wedding decorations!

Imagine a picturesque 1830s antebellum farm estate with a historic home, vintage barn, rolling meadows, flower gardens—all surrounded by the picture-perfect beauty of nature. When I discovered Cedarwood, an eco-friendly wedding venue in Nashville, Tennessee, I wanted to rush off with my husband of almost 13 years and renew our vows here. So country-chic, eco-chic, nature-chic, vintage-chic . . . shall I go on?

Not only am I amazed by the natural elegance of this special place, but I was impressed to learn of Cedarwood’s green wedding options as part of their all-inclusive designer wedding packages which include design, planning, floral and décor.

• Farm fresh flower bouquets, picked from the estate gardens or neighboring farms
• Cedarwood’s optional “Love Grows” planting ceremonies can replace traditional unity candle or sand ceremonies
• Naturally organic setting for both the ceremony and reception reduces carbon emissions from guest travel
• Cedarwood incorporates its limited plastics policy and recycling in all wedding celebrations
• Locally-grown food options using organic produce, community supported agriculture and local vineyards

Come with me on a virtual photo tour Kate & Matt’s organic farm wedding at Cedarwood!  Special thanks to the amazingly talented photographic artists at Mint and Sage, who captured the natural elegance and glory of this eco wedding with the photos below.

Kate and Matt is a special couple who wanted to create a wedding that would have a minimal impact on the environment. Love to hear that! Choosing a green venue like Cedarwood and using mostly recycled and eco-friendly products, they can feel good about their choices.

Essential to an eco-friendly wedding, Kate and Matt requested seasonal locally grown flowers be used. Cedarwood’s master designer created a stunning array of flowers and arrangements in shades of green and ivory with fruits, vegetables, plant materials, herbs and succulents.

A four-course meal of high-style organic foods from local Tennessee farms was a guest favorite! Cedarwood works with local caterers to cook up the prefect sustainable and organic menu!

This is one of my favorite touches! Cedarwood’s designers created a natural tablescape for the cake using a natural wood cake plateau cut from a tree that fell on the property. Eco-lovely!

]]> http://green-wedding.net/blog/2010/05/a-country-chic-organic-wedding-at-cedarwood-a-naturally-beautiful-choice/feed/ 3 http://green-wedding.net/blog/2010/05/eco-friendly-and-eco-stylish-wedding-gift-bag-all-in-one/ http://green-wedding.net/blog/2010/05/eco-friendly-and-eco-stylish-wedding-gift-bag-all-in-one/#comments Mon, 03 May 2010 11:58:13 +0000 Heather Teague http://green-wedding.net/blog/?p=1363

May I say “re-gifting” a bag has never been so beautiful! Thanks to Olive Designs out of Massachusetts, we now have an elegant and earth friendly designer gift bag perfect for creating goodie bags for your out-of-town guests.

We all know we should be re-using gift bags, but until now it was hard to find a bag design that was stylish and also durable enough to recycle with another gift or simply re-use as a super fashionable shopping bag.

These lovely bags by Olive Designs are reusable, 100% recyclable polypropylene, extremely durable, machine washable, quick-drying, breathable, naturally mildew resistant, lightweight and a fair labor product. Whew! That’s impressive.  Instead of tissue paper, use reusable tulle or add ivory satin ribbon to make a truly fabulous presentation (although I must say the bags are lovely without the ribbon).

Did I mention how darn cute they are? Wait until you see the “eco-kit” collection of assorted designs—perfect for wedding shower gifts, bridesmaids gifts or everyday gift giving. By the way, the bags are created by an award-winning designer.

Beth Carlisle, owner of Olive Designs, came up with the idea of creating durable and decorative re-usable gift bags with the hope that people will finally make the switch from non-recyclable wrapping paper that ends up in a landfill to re-usable, recyclable alternatives. Beth, we thank you for giving us yet another creative and beautiful earth friendly alternative for greener weddings!

We are excited to partner with the Green Bride Guide to launch an environmental awareness campaign in the wedding industry, which includes the promotion of April as Greener Weddings Awareness month.

According to TheWeddingReport.com, there were an estimated 2.2 million weddings in the United States in 2008. When you consider the average wedding produces 63 tons of CO2 and 400-600 pounds of trash, according to the Green Bride Guide, the impact on the planet is substantial. The goal of the Greener Weddings Awareness campaign in April is to educate engaged couples about the importance of making eco-friendly choices in the planning process to lessen the environmental impact of their wedding. To get involved, download a badge to display on your blog or Website.

Greener Weddings to Save Green!

In celebration of Earth Day, we’re offering 10% off any purchase this week only! If you’ve been thinking about greening your wedding with eco-friendly wedding favors, organic wedding decorations or earth friendly invitations, this is the week to save!

Plus, you still have a chance to win 40 eco wedding favors to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of Earth Day! To enter, simply send an email to heather [@] dreamgreenweddings.com with “Contest Entry” in the subject line and your wedding date in the email. Contest ends at midnight on Earth Day! More details . . .

Scene 1:  The Eco-Couple

Today, we continue our celebration of Earth Day (and Greener Weddings Awareness Month) with a very special earth-friendly wedding I’m so excited to share with you! Rebecca Harrell Tickell is the amazingly talented author of Hot, Rich & Green and producer of the Academy Award Shortlisted and Sundance Audience Award Winning, environmentally-themed movie, FUEL. And recently . . . she played the role of a green bride when she married award-winning director and best-selling author, Josh Tickell (who happens to be, in her words, “one of the biggest eco-advocates on the planet!”). What a dynamic eco-duo!!

Scene 2: The Eco-Book

I had the pleasure of “meeting” Rebecca over the phone when she interviewed me for her new book, Hot, Rich and Green. This inspiring book helps women to realize their power, follow their passion and start the eco-friendly business of their dreams. I was fortunate enough to be one of the amazing women featured in this book and share my experience.

Scene 3: The Eco-Wedding

I asked Rebecca to share how she created her very own dream green wedding. In her own words . . .

• Even though I wanted to get married in Hawaii – we picked a location (Santa Barbara) that was most central to everyone to save on jet fuel emissions and to save on our overall carbon footprint.

• We transported our guests to and from the wedding in our Veggie Van powered by used vegetable oil as well as in our algae powered car that gets 150mpg.

• I purchased reused recyclable cameras for guests to snap photos.

• I insisted on having a pescatarian reception (no meat!) with a non-endangered fish.

• I handmade all of our invitations, name cards, table cards, thank you letters and used only recycled paper (literally, the name cards were made from my left over wedding invites).

• Patron generously donated their tequila which is completely eco-friendly (recycled bottles and all).

• The lanterns hanging above our ceremony site had recycled LED lights inside them.

• We used local wines from the area for our reception and local organic food.

All photos are courtesy of Austin & Dara Photography. Thank you for sharing these gorgeous photos with us!

The 40th anniversary of Earth Day is April 22, and in case you haven’t heard, I have officially declared the month of April Green Weddings month! To celebrate, we are giving away 40 seeded eco wedding favors to one lucky couple for their upcoming wedding (please see details below). With 2.2 million weddings in the US each year, you can truly make a difference by making just a few eco-friendly wedding choices like organic wedding favors.

Why Say “I do” to a Green Wedding?

• Save energy, conserve resources and decrease carbon emissions.
• Reduce your wedding’s carbon footprint. Click here to calculate your wedding carbon footprint.
• Limit waste produced by traditional weddings.
• Educate and inspire others to make greener choices.
• Champion green businesses.
• Support charitable organizations.

Winner Gets 40 Free Customized Wedding Favors that Grow When Planted!

• These adorable eco-wedding favors are hand-made from recycled paper and infused with seeds that grow wildflowers when planted—perfect for an eco-friendly wedding!
• Choose your wedding favor from six popular design choices and colors
• Personalization included
• Also great for bridal showers

How to Enter:

Just send an email to heather [@] dreamgreenweddings.com with “Contest Entry” in the subject line. Please provide your wedding date in the email and that’s it! You will be automatically entered to win 40 free wedding favors from our popular seeded wedding favor collection. Entries will be accepted until midnight of Earth Day, April 22, 2010. The winner will be selected by a random drawing on April 23, 2010 and notified via email.

For more ideas on how to make a difference this Earth Day, visit EarthDay.org!

Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook this month as we announce special discounts and new products in celebration of Earth Day!

As we approach Earth Day 2010, I’m excited to share news of positive events related to celebrating our planet, greener weddings and giving back. Sean & Debi, the winning couple of the Clay Hill Green Wedding Giveaway, are bringing a group of inner-city NY students to Maine for Earth Day.

One of the important aspects of living a more sustainable lifestyle is educating others and inspiring them to make a difference, too. Many of these high-school age kids have never left the city, but they will now have a chance to participate in a beach clean-up and explore Maine’s natural beauty. They will top off the day at Clay Hill Unplugged where they can meet local green experts.

Clay Hill Farm—A Beautiful Green Wedding Venue!

In 1991, Clay Hill Farm in Maine became the first restaurant in the country to be certified as a natural wildlife habitat and bird sanctuary. The beautiful grounds, the nurtured habitats, the 150 birdhouses around the property…. all tell a twenty-year old story of environmental concern and care. It’s the perfect venue for a gorgeous green wedding! Read more about their green commitment . . .

]]> http://green-wedding.net/blog/2010/03/winners-of-the-clay-hill-farm-green-wedding-giveaway-are-giving-back-on-earth-day/feed/ 1 http://green-wedding.net/blog/2010/03/when-a-green-bride-wears-purple-it%e2%80%99s-eco-lovely/ http://green-wedding.net/blog/2010/03/when-a-green-bride-wears-purple-it%e2%80%99s-eco-lovely/#comments Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:53:37 +0000 Heather Teague http://green-wedding.net/blog/?p=1003

I will be the first to admit that I absolutely love purple. In fact, it was my wedding color several years ago for my small, outdoor garden wedding. So I was thrilled when I discovered green wedding and eco-event planner Karine Brighten wore a purple wedding dress in her lovely little eco-wedding.

Why wear purple instead of white? Well, besides the fact it is a gorgeous color on her . . . Karine plans to wear the dress again. Eco-fabulous!

Karine made other eco-friendly choices too. Her invitations were done online and the ceremony was small in a beautiful redwood grove. She served all vegan food and the wedding favors were truffles (yummy!) packaged in recycled paper Chinese boxes (What color? Purple!).

Karine Brighten Events is a Certified Bay Area Green Business, and a Green Bride Guide Approved Vendor. If you live in the Bay area, you can meet Karine at the Berkeley Earth Day Festival on Saturday April 24^th.  And, if you sign up for her green wedding newsletter, you’ll receive a coupon code for 10% off your purchase at DreamGreenWeddings.com.

One of the most exciting benefits of blogging about green weddings is that I hear about “first-ever” new and creative products that help save our environment, while preserving time-honored wedding traditions. And, this is one of my favorites so far! Have you heard about Eco-Runners™ from Customized Wedding Creations?

The first-ever aisle runner of its kind, Eco-Runners™ are made from melted down plastic bottles. Yes, recycled plastic bottles!

On a side note: did you know that 8 out of 10 plastic water bottles end up in a landfill?* Yikes! So, anytime eco-preneurs can find a new use for recycling plastic, it’s a good thing. In fact, I just purchased a dog collar for my Golden made from 100% recycled plastic milk bottles.

Back to this green wedding goodie! These mother nature-approved aisle runners are so beautiful . . . you would never know they made from recycled fabric.

The green facts:

• Completely customizable using all-natural products and organic paints.
• Made from melted down plastic bottles, this aisle runner is 100% recycled polyester.
• Painted with water-based paints free from chemicals and solvents (no harmful dyes).

Go Green in Your Favorite Color!

Cherin Szul from Customized Wedding Creations tells us that colored aisle runners are a growing trend because of the dramatic statement of color it brings to the aisle (nice contrast with a white dress!). For those green brides who have been thinking about sacrificing the aisle runner, you now have an eco-friendly choice that you can feel good about. And it gets better . . . you also have your choice of six popular colors and two sizes. What a beautiful path to green wedding bliss!

*Earth911.com