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

Lately I have been obsessing over succulent plants.  They seem to be becoming more of a trend within the wedding industry as they are so versatile.  They can be used in bouquets, boutonnieres, and even in your centerpieces.  They are also extremely eco-friendly as they absorb water and therefore require minimal maintenance.  Unlike cut flowers, they last forever as well so you can enjoy them year round!

Images courtsey of Project Wedding

I must admit I am absolutely loving Blumeboxes these days!  I came across them awhile ago and have been meaning to share them everyone.  Blumeboxes are boxes (recycled of course :) ) that you can use at your reception to display flowers.  (They would be perfect to hide the root system of a potted plant).  They are very eco-chic and you can select different colored patterns and ribbons (also made from recycled material) to match your color scheme.  Here are a few ribbons I love:

Here are some beautiful displays of them at weddings and events as well:

Images courtesy of Blumebox

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! :) "

As we near the end of September and the seasons begin to change, I started thinking about how different weddings are season to season.  If you want a green wedding and are getting married during a winter month it is often more expensive, more difficult and more harmful to the environment to use floral centerpieces.  Winter weddings often force brides to get a little more creative and think outside the box.   I found these two images on Martha Stewart's website and thought they were just perfect!  Both centerpieces are using Christmas ornaments that you would normally only use to decorate a Christmas tree.  However, by using them as a centerpiece you can get more use out of them and they just look so chic!  The one catch is you must be selective with the colors to maintain their elegance.  I am sure if you asked your family and friends you could borrow some and come up with a beautiful display.  You most likely wouldn't even have to buy any new ones.  I would just love to put these eco-friendly centerpieces together for a winter bride.   

Images courtesy of Martha Stewart