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! :) "

Monica attended Seattle's very first Green Your Theme event last week and I am sure she will blog it about within the next couple of days.  It was a green business to business event promoting sustainable business practices in Seattle and was actually held at an eco-friendly venue downtown.  (You can visit Emerald Weddings own virtual booth here or join the facebook group to learn more about the event and network with other Seattle green vendors). I will let her fill you in on all the details but what I loved were the pictures of the eco-friendly centerpieces she snapped with her phone!  These were actually designed by Bella Signature Design and I think she just did a fabulous job!

My favorite is the last one with the leaves! I just thought the leaves were such an elegant touch and you can still use potted plants instead of cut flowers because the leaves would hide the root system!  I loved it so much it actually inspired me to talk to one of our brides about doing something similar for her wedding.  She is getting married in June so she is thinking of using different colored hydrangeas (which are in season then).  I found this image and we are using it for inspiration until she decides on her final color palette for the wedding.

This article was emailed to me by the Sierra Club last week and I thought it was perferct for all you green brides out there searching for some green wedding ideas or green wedding inspiration.

Sierra Club's 10 Steps to a Green Wedding

Going green is a great way to make your wedding unique and meaningful. Plus, you get to show friends and family just how fun, beautiful, and delicious a sustainable lifestyle can be.

1. With this ring...

• Vintage rings, whether a family heirloom or an antique find
• Lab-created diamonds 
• Diamonds mined in peaceful areas
• Diamonds certified as "conflict-free" 

2. Location, location, location

• Choosing a setting that's convenient to the majority of the guests to minimize travel impacts
• Having the ceremony and the reception at the same place
• Picking a unique local spot-that supports a cause you believe in.
• An outdoor setting 
• Offsetting your guests' travel 

3. Please join us...

• Recycled, handmade, or plantable papers 
• Tree-free paper 
• A printer that uses paper with a high percentage of post-consumer recycled content.
• Papers that aren't metallic or plastic-coated 

4. The final fling

• Stay local.
• Offset your trip if you choose a "destination" party.
• Indulge in organic wine- or beer-tasting or an organic spa treatment.

5. Here comes the bride...

• Go vintage 
• Pick clothes made from hemp, bamboo, or organic cotton or silk 
• Borrow an elegant gown from a stylish friend
• Buy something you'll wear again and let your bridesmaids do the same
• Beautify with all-natural makeup
• Donate attire to charity after the event

6. Set the stage

• Opt for organic flowers.
• Decorate with branches, dried grasses, grains, greens, berries, or live plants (potted or dried arrangements can double as favors).
• Choose beeswax or soy candles 
• Move decorations from the ceremony to the reception

7. Eat, drink, and be merry

• Ask the venue's preferred caterers and bakers if they can work organically
• Consider vegetarian selections and seek out cruelty-free meats
• Make sure the venue offers comprehensive recycling facilities.
• Have your cake decorated with organically grown flowers or other natural materials instead of plastic toppers
• Rent real glassware, dishware, and linens instead of using disposables
• Donate leftover food to a local food bank or homeless shelter

8. Lasting memories

Whether you prefer film or digital photographs, hire a photographer who will do digital proofs to save paper and chemicals. 

9. 'Tis better to give...

• Asking for gifts to charity instead of material things
• Registering with the I Do Foundation or another site that gives a percentage of gift purchases to your chosen cause
• Registering with stores that offer local, fair-trade, handmade, organic, or other ecofriendly products like Branch, Gaiam, Greenfeet, GreenSage, Ten Thousand Villages, UncommonGoods, or VivaTerra

10. Happily ever after...

• Engaging in ecotourism
• Rent bikes or taking public transportation at your destination 
• Stay in a family-run B&B or inn, a luxury teepee or yurt, or a green hotel that works to save resources and reduce waste.
• Offsetting your trip's carbon emissions

I could be wrong but one reason I believe some brides have hesitations towards having a green wedding is because they fear the style.  Perhaps they believe going green means you have to sacrifice chicness?  This is a day many brides have been dreaming about since they were little girls and I completely understand they do not want their wedding to be "too hippie" or drab.  

However, unfortunately, herein lies a huge misconception.  I truly believe any wedding can be a green wedding; it can still be chic, unique and a reflection of the couple's individual taste.  It just requires creativity and an open mind; that is also what makes it so fun! I found this Seattle wedding on the knot and decided to use it as a template to showcase how any green wedding can still be a classy black tie affair.

Let the greening begin!

 
To begin with these exotic and beautiful orchid flowers are obviously not native to Seattle and most likely have a fairly high carbon footprint.  However, if orchid wedding flowers were an item the bride felt strongly about then there are still some green alternatives.  For example, she could have used a local, organic florist to ensure these flowers were not grown with toxic pesticides.  
I would definitely classify her shoes as green.  No, no just because the color. :)  Rather because she chose shoes that fit her personal style as well as her wedding. These shoes can and definitely should be worn again.  They are so cute!

Their ceremony and reception were held at the same place therefore minimizing the amount of travel for their guests.  They used a lot of flowers and decor for the reception and could have made their event more green by using less cut flowers and more natural decor to compliment some of the orchids and lilies. The candles they might have been able to do without given the lighting used by the restaurant. If absolutely necessary they could have chosen soy candles.  The programs could have been printed by a local Seattle printer on 100% post consumer recycled paper with eco-friendly ink.

All images courtesy of theknot
I love that they used cupcakes as most wedding cakes never fully get eaten.  This was a green alternative and could have been even more eco-savvy had they used a local, organic baker.