I love to plan every kind of wedding. I like weddings with a challenging budget, I like weddings with an unlimited budget, I like intimate backyard weddings and sophisticated formal weddings. So it is no wonder that I'm also digging the "green wedding" trend that I hope is here to stay.
The younger generations are on the cutting edge of this movement but that doesn't mean that a more mature bride couldn't also be intrigued by the idea of using materials that have already been used for another purpose.
There are so many ways to be "eco chic" at your wedding and the added bonus is that many of these ideas can be cost effective as well. Here are some great ideas to incorporate into your green wedding.
Thrift Store China - Perusing garage sales, thrift stores or even the clearance section at target could be a great way to save money instead of renting china. This idea lends itself to the shabby chic style wedding, or a contemporary styled wedding where everything isn't so matchy-matchy. Mixing different patterns works well as long as the same colors are coordinating together. You can also include solid plates quite easily. Mixing and matching the shapes of the china also give visual interest. Just make sure that each table has some plates that match.
Centerpieces Without Using Flowers - Often times we get so used to the idea of having table centerpieces that are flowers that we forget there are plenty of other splendid natural things to look at. If you are the creative type, do something really fun like filling apothecary jars with candies that coordinate with your wedding color scheme. These can double as favors, and you can recycle the jars by donating them to thrift store or ask guests to take them home!
Grouping different frames together that are painted to match your colors with pictures of you and your fiance would be so romantic! Mixing and matching different sizes and placing them in a circle would be so pretty and it would be easy to incorporate your table numbers into these centerpieces. This way every guest gets a great view of the centerpiece and you can showcase your engagement photos. Adding candle votives to surround the frames would add to the romance.
Another interesting idea is using natural materials such as twigs, moss, cattails, rocks and candles...really there are so many beautiful nature things that can be just as eye catching as flowers. Another really fun idea if you are into gardening is grow your own herbs in wooden box or Terra Cotta pots and have them serve as great smelling centerpieces and take home wedding favors.
Recycle Containers - If you are a coffee drinker, coco drinker or use jumbo sized tomato soup cans then this idea could work great for you! Reuse these cans by hot gluing ribbon around them then coordinating the flowers. For instance, a great centerpiece could be one of these cans wrapped in green and pink polka-dot ribbon with pink roses and chartreuse mums to match. If you want to go the extra mile, recycle that newspaper by using it to wrap the cans in. This would look so great with a black, white and red color scheme but it could also go with a shabby chic pastel color palette.
Cost Effective Flowers - Buying your flowers from the local farmer's market in Minneapolis on Thursday afternoon or Saturday morning would be a great way to save big bucks on flowers. Everyone knows that the bouquets at the farmer's market are just beautiful, and inexpensive. All you would have to do is take apart the premade bouquets and pick out the flowers that are the best quality. Pop them into your recycled container and voila, you have great centerpieces at an unbeatable price.
A great way to make an impact while using inexpensive flowers is to group them together in different containers by color. Bunching the same color of mums or using only baby's breath for flowers in another fantastic idea.
Reuse Linens - Instead of using an overlay to add color and dimension to your table linens, consider reusing old quilts (washed ofcourse!) that have coordinating colors. This would be so cute for a shabby chic or country wedding. After you are done with them, simply donate them to a homeless shelter.
Of course, if you want things to match there is always the clearance fabric at Walmart or your local fabric store. Buy two or three coordinating fabrics and use them as table runners instead of overlays. After the wedding, these scraps could easily be donated to non-profits that make quilts for the elderly or sick children.
Head Table Backdrops - Go dumpster diving! Yes, I said dumpster diving. Using an old wooden fence painted a fresh coat of white would look absolutely lovely as a backdrop for your head table, especially if you hang some mason jars filled with flowers on it. Other ideas include using tree branches from the woods and hanging white lights in them. They would look so
romantic when the lights are dimmed! This could also be a great area to reuse linens such as quilts.Use The IPOD - Although having live entertainment is wonderful, another option is to use your IPOD. This cuts down on the amount of electricity being used. If your venue has a sound system, it would be really cool compile your playlist starting with the first dances and then into the rest of the evening. This is a great way to control the flow of the evening by playing upbeat music early on, and slower music while the reception starts to wind down.
Serve Organic/Locally Grown Food - At the wedding reception, pick a menu that is Earth friendly by serving organic fruits and veggies or locally grown livestock. Many catering companies have organic options in their menus. Although at this time going organic or using locally grown food can be more expensive you will be helping the Earth by reducing emissions and helping your bodies by eating food that is free of modified genes and harmful chemicals.
There are so many more ideas I have to help make for Earth friendly weddings that I simply can't list them all. I think that using creativity with frugality is a great way to "think" green. Of course, sometimes having a green wedding means spending more on certain items but it doesn't have to be that way. Reusing what you already have, shopping at thrift stores and yard sales, and buying local flowers are actually great ways to reduce your spending.
I'm sure we will see more and more couples heading in this socially conscious direction and I would sure welcome the opportunity to help with this style of wedding.
PHOTO CREDITS: MENDOCINO WEDDINGS, MEW PAPERCRAFTS, STYLE ME PRETTY, AMOUR AMOUR, THE WEDDING DISH, THE GREEN AISLE, ETSY, REAL SIMPLE WEDDINGS, BRIDAL SURVIVAL, PROJECT WEDDING, GREEN PHILLY, GETMARRIED.COM
