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Archive for the ‘Green Eco-Friendly’ Category

If you are having a spring or summer wedding, chances are that you’ve already found the perfect venue for your ceremony and reception….a lakeside gazebo, a garden arbor covered in purple Wisteria or sweetly scented Jasmine, the city’s botanical garden, etc.  However, you may not have chosen all your accessories or decided how to set the stage for your guests to be wowed at the reception.  One of the great things about an outdoor garden reception is that you can use the natural surroundings to set the tone, backdrop and color scheme for your tablescape.  While perusing the Weddingstar accessory catalog, I found this great photo of a table set for a garden party.  I love the combination of natural green and outdoor elements.

Here’s how you can create this beautiful garden party tablescape:

A lovely wooden teak table covered with a natural tablecloth provide the base for the tablescape.  Use simple pots filled with local grass varieties such as purple fountain and pampas grasses along with wildflowers such as daisies, snapdragons, cosmos, or guillardia to create stunning natural centerpieces.  By using a love bird theme, you can pull in elements such as mini love nest birdhouses and love bird salt and pepper shakers.  Simple white ceramic plates provide the place setting base, but elegant crystal stem toasting flutes provide a bit of sparkle against the otherwise natural base.  A top each place setting is a organic green woven box that was filled with candies and then tied with a palm reed.   Natural polished stone place card holders are cleverly slotted so that they hold a place card perfectly at each place setting.  Finally, oil stainless steel torches can provide some light once evening begins to settle in. 

What a beautiful way to celebrate your garden nuptials with a small group of family and friends!

Going green on your wedding can be easier than you think.  When it comes to keeping things eco-friendly at your wedding, just think about longevity and the idea of reusing and recycling when choosing accessories for your big day.  Things like the cake topper, champagne flutes, and serving sets should be selected with the future in mind….choose something that you can not only use on your wedding day, but also in your home for years to come. 

For the wedding flowers, consider growing your own or ask your friends and family members that have a green thumb to contribute some blooms from their own personal backyard gardens.  For spring time weddings, lilacs are a fragrant and lovely choice.  In the summer, many gardeners have extra large hydrangea blooms that make perfect centerpieces for the reception area. At a minimum, consider using a local garden center or florist that grows their own flowers locally.

When it comes to eco-friendly green wedding favors, choose items constructed from bamboo or give growable items such as wildflower seed favor kits, herbs (like the rosemary shown in the photo) or small trees that the guest can take home and plant in their own yard.

Create invitations, wedding programs, table number and place cards from recycled paper.  And finally if you are going green, then by all means go organic too.  Finding locally grown organic beef or chicken and vegetable selections has gotten much easier.  Just consult with your caterer and request an organic meal for your reception.

Even if you only incorporate a few of these ideas, you are taking a step in the right direction!

Photo courtesy of the 2009 Weddingstar Catalog.