If you are trying to think of ways to be more green with your wedding using potted plants instead of cut flowers in your décor is a less expensive and more sustainable choice. However, many couples worry about the style aspect of potted plants, especially because they tend to come in terra cotta pots.  While terra cotta pots are not necessary that stylish by themselves, look at all the things you can do with them!  I love these ideas because they allow you to get more creative and showcase more of your style and personality.

 Tie ribbons around the terra cotta pot

Paint them to give them a vintage feel

Surround them in birch or decorate with twine and other plants

Paint them plainly and still look how goregous they are with the right plant

Images courtsey of Country Ribbon, Catherine Lyons, Mrs Jones Painted Finishes, Accent they Party, Wedding Bee, The Knot and Northern Hollow

Monica and I are currently planning a green wedding reception in Seattle with a strict budget.  We have been exploring various eco-friendly centerpiece and favor ideas and I just can't let go of the idea of using herbs! The groom comes from a large Italian family and they will be serving Italian food to all their guests. Herb and moss centerpieces seem like the perfect fit for this reception given their low cost and compliment to the Italian food.  These images have been inspiring me. What do you think? We would love to know your thoughts!

You can even have a living moss ring pillow!

Images courtsey of Hip Hostess, Intimate Wedding, Snippet and Ink, Harrison Events,

In the Now Weddings, Amelia Occasions, Wedding Number Three,

Main Wedding Photographer and Kaboodle

I completely adore the green wedding we are highlighting this week, shot by the talented Lauren Kennedy.  The ceremony was held in the garden of the bride's childhood home in Lima, NY and this made for an absolutely stunning backdrop. The photographer (who is moving to Seattle this June) did an amazing job of capturing all the emotions, details and decor.  This couple really got creative and you can see their individual personalities and love for one another shine through as a result. They incorporated several eco-friendly elements such as serving local food and using flowers from the garden to make the bridal bouquet.  The bride's dress was also absolutely unique and sentimental as it was made by one of her closest friends.  One of my favorite parts of the wedding however has to be the use of the typewriters! During cocktail hour, all the guests sat down at a typewriter and wrote a personal note to the couple...such a beautiful idea.  I will let the images tell you the rest of their story: 

Emerald Weddings has been fortunate to be in contact with Australia's very first eco-photographer, Holly, owner of HJ Imagery.  She recently shot an absolutely stunning green wedding in Melbourne, Australia (with one of her friends from J Studios) that I can't wait to share with everyone.  Some of the fun green wedding details the couple included were:

• Using flowers from their own garden
• Brides dress was handmade by a friend
• Fresh organic lemons were used for the centerpieces and as a favor to their guests
• DIY buffet for people to choose what they wanted to eat
• Ceremony & Reception were held in the same beautiful place 

One of our readers, Aileen was kind enough to share some beautiful photos from her eco-friendly wedding in Connecticut this past August.  They were married at Castle Craig in a lovely outdoor reception, which required no decorating due to the natural beauty of the grounds.  Aileen is a highly creative and talented individual and therefore was able to incorporate a lot of DIY projects that not only reduced the environmental impact of her wedding but also kept her overall wedding expenses down.  I was blown away when I saw all that she did!  Through her creativity and design she was able to incorporate her Japanese heritage and I must say her work paid off, as her wedding was absolutely stunning.

Cermony Location: Castle Craig

Not only were the flowers and decor eco-friendly but they also provided their guests with local, edible candies from Lamothe's Sugar House and kept their guests informed through their wedding website.  You can check out more photos on our facebook page but I thought I would leave you with a little advice from Aileen:

"It's your day. Do as you want and envision. Don't worry about breaking traditions or doing something new or unusual. The most important thing, in the end, is that you are married to the man you love and everything else is just window dressing. If you are having fun and enjoying yourself so will everyone else. And being different is fun! :) "