Thursday, April 15, 2010

So You Want An Eco-Chic Wedding?


Here's the dilemma, you want a beautiful  wedding that's not hard on the pocketbook or environment.  A sustainable wedding  is not  as hard to pull off as you think.

You can have an elegant eco-chic gown for under $1,000 and even under $500 and snag wedding favors and invitations made from recycled material that are unique and stylish too.

Cupcake Tree (holds up to 100 cupcakes) Eco Friendly $26   




Like this wedding gown?  The Lauren Gown from  
Morgan Boszilkov 2010 Natural Bridal Collection is eco-friendly made with a hemp/silk charmeuse bust and a flowing bamboo and organic cotton jersey skirt.   Each elegant flower, ruffle detail, organic cotton lace and Swarovsky crystal beading is handmade and custom made for you.  Regal and comfortable are usually not in the same sentence when describing a wedding gown.  Price:  $995.00 at Etsy.com.


Why not have a romantic green wedding that you'll treasure and your guests will remember for years to come.  Kiki here, as always ... miracles and blessings!  iCafe Woman Moderne, a virtual cafe where inter-generational women can just be -- has wedding love on the mind. 

When I was married in 1992, a green wedding meant that was your color scheme. Back then, I was interested in incorporating recycled materials in my wedding back, but the resources were not as plentiful as they are today.

Fast forward to present day and beyond, there's a plethora to find and iCafe Woman Moderne will get your wedding wheels churning.  A good place to start is Etsy.com.   

Sure, you can have an eco-friendly wedding any time of the but it's especially great in the spring and summer.  But let's face it, a girl's wedding day begins and ends with the dress. 

It's All About the Eco-Friendly Dress!




1. Beach or Garden Wedding 
You'll turn heads walking down your sandy aisle with the waves crashing or down the garden path in this less traditional gown from Funnel Cake Wedding that looks traditional at first glance.  

For the Fashion Forward Bride, canvas was used for the structure instead of boning to give the bride comfort from wedding to reception and into the night. 

This floor length beauty has a medium train, finished with handmade roses, a silk sash and bias circle ruffles made from white cotton, gray silk and white doupioni. Lined with cotton with a light cotton overlay, a unique technique was used to make the ruffles stunning.  Price - $450.00


2.  This Eye-catching gown will bring elegance and romance to your informal, small or vow renewal wedding.  You'll feel like model bride on a catwalk.

This Patin Bridal oh-so chic strapless wedding gown made from eco-friendly materials has an asymmetrical bodice with hand-draped pleats.   

Reminiscent of 1940s Hollywood Glamour style, just add your grandmother's pearls and a gardenia in your hair and your wedding look will be complete.  A sweep train finishes the skirt at the back with a side zipper closure. 60% hemp - 40% silk shell and lined with 100% silk.  Price: $950.00


3. For the traditional church wedding.  Your groom won't be able to look away when he sees you in this romantic gown from Your Fairy tale Wedding with spaghetti straps, ruched bodice and pockets.  You can zip up or corset back, have it in full-length or tea length and created in hemp silk, organic cotton, hemp charmeuse, organic silk, and soon ... bamboo.  This elegant gown can also be made from upcycle fabrics for another eco-friendly alternative.

All gowns come with keepsake storage boxes and breathable garment bags for travel.

Eco-Friendly Favors


1. Ivy Lane Designs
Personalized Flower Bouquet Party Favor Matchbox Goodies - With a Surprise Heart-Shaped Chocolate Candy Tucked Inside - Party Pack of Nine (9) - Eco Friendly  Price:  $27.00  


2. Divine Lioness - Modern, Contemporary, Eco-Friendly Tapioca Wood Place Card Holders - in a variety of colors.  $4.00 ea.


3. Natural Seashell Place Card Holders - Beau-coup - True Favors, Stylish Giving  Price:  Set of 1+ - $7.85, 8+ sets - $7.25  and 16+ sets - $6.25.


4. Tea Satchels - Beau-coup
Tea flavors - Chamomile, Ginger, Jasmine, Earl Grey...
Price - $22.00 per ribbon box set of 20 tea satchels 


5. Natural Bamboo Coaster Favors - Beau-coup - Set of 4
Price:  $2.00 - 1+, $1.60 - 48+, $1.45 - 96+ sets

Eco-Friendly Invitations

Our Lotka wraps are handmade, 50% recycled content, 100% tree free and the perfect compliment to any invitation. You can order the full sheets and tear them to size at home or purchase them pre-torn. Add the finishing touches to your invitation with our earth friendly Eco-twist or Earth Satin ribbon. Your completed invitation will be beautiful, earth friendly and reduce your carbon footprint.

*** Seeded Lotka Paper - Watch it grow! ***

Of the Earth Seed Paper Invitations










Of the Earth - Recycled Gift Wrap Paper

Made from a natural cotton fiber, our papers are tree free and have a luxuriant feel. We make every effort to conserve water and resources in making our paper. We add no chemicals or other agents to ensure that our process is as environmentally friendly as possible. We are happy to offer 100% post industrial waste recycled handmade paper upon request at no additional charge.

7. Eco-Chic Fresh Flower Alternative Felt Bridal Bouquet
Princess Lasertron Vintage Felt and Button Design Shop - 

If you're on a budget, for $130 you can purchase a DIY felt flower kit and make your own Princess Lasertron Felt Bridal Bouquet.

Other Flower Alternatives for Centerpieces:  Fruits and vegetables uniquely arranged in various size vases and cylinders. Potted plants and dwarf trees, bamboo and ferns arranged with apples, lemons or oranges in a cylinder. 


Sam's Club Also Sells Fair Trade Flowers.


8. The Natural Candy Store.com -  How Sweet it is!  Use Organic Candy and Chocolate or Fair Trade Chocolate for an Eco-Friendly Candy Bar.  Or to add a fun touch, rent a cotton candy machine or chocolate fountain and use organic ingredients. 

Hulabaloo Party Rental

Here some Great Eco-Friendly Ideas from Martha Stewart's Assistant Liesl Menning who had an eco-friendly wedding in 2008 - 

The DressDry clean your wedding gown the eco-friendly way --  J. Scheer and Company -- they use only biodegradable soaps.   Unlike conventional dry-cleaning solvents, no toxic gasses are released as a by-product of the process, and the organic, environmentally friendly solvents won't contribute to global warming.

Donate Your Dress
Donate your dress to the I Do Foundation, which will sell it through a consignment partner. The I Do Foundation will donate 20 percent of the proceeds from the sale to the charity of the bride's choice, and use the rest of the funds to support the I Do Foundation's ongoing work to encourage charitable giving at weddings.  This way, the dress will be used again and not stashed away in a box.

Catering
If you want to go eco-friendly full throttle, hire a catering company that only use or have access to local sources for ingredients and certified sustainable resources for fish and chicken.

A Final Word About the Gown
Vintage Wedding Gowns are another eco-chic way to look stylish on your wedding day.  Posh Girl Vintage


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