The Best “Green” Wedding Products, Pt. 2

Posted by Khris in Fab Finds Friday

Being eco-friendly can be stylish and utterly delightful. Check out the latest installment of our Best Green Wedding Products roundup.

6.
Mohop Shoes: Handmade from birch with recycled tire soles, Mohop shoes are the ultimate in eco-couture. Select from dozens of ribbon choices and several different options in 3 different heel heights to create your perfect wedding shoe.

7.
verē chocolates: I don’t usually think of eco-friendly when I think of chocolates but verē caught my attention with their commitment to supporting sustainable agriculture. verē sources their beans from Rainforest Alliance certified cooperatives in Ecuador. Their chocolates would be perfect for favors.

8.
Green Karat: Mining for gold and gems is destructive to the environment and, in some cases, is done by near-slave work forces. Enter Green Karat jewelers who offer a beautiful selection of jewelry that’s made from recycled gold and other metals. I think this is not only genius way to enact change in the jewelry industry but a beautiful way to recycle.

9.
Faernyn’s Grove Gowns: Made from 100% sustainable materials, these gowns and corsets are beautiful works of art. You’ll look absolutely stunning on your wedding day and do something good for the planet at the same time.

10.
Edith Meyer Cakes: Wholesome, delicious, beautiful. The 3 things every wedding cake should be. Edith Meyer takes that one step further by offering cakes made with fresh, organic ingredients.

Pure Genius: The Animated Invitation

Posted by Khris in Uncategorized

Sadly this isn’t in the realm of most DIY projects but it was just too cool to pass up. Behold, the animated wedding invitation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyq26Q01bVA

The Best “Green” Wedding Products, Pt. 1

Posted by Khris in Fab Finds Friday

Looking for cool wedding stuff that’s eco-friendly? Here’s DIY Bride’s round-up of the best of the best on the market.

1.
Cream City Ribbon – Biodegradable customized ribbon. Perfect for invitations, favors, bouquet wraps, and decor. With lots of wonderful color and pattern combinations, you’ll be able to find that perfect match for your goodies.

2.
Organic Bouquet – For those of you going DIY for your florals, Organic Bouquet is one of the few online retailers of organic flowers. Their selection is very nice, prices are competitive, and the cause is awesome.

3.
Simply Wood Rings – A wood wedding ring may seem a bit odd … until you see them. The offerings from master craftsmen at Simply Wood Rings are absolutely stunning. Out of all the eco-friendly offerings, this is really one of my personal favorites.

4.
Green Field Paper Company – Why, oh, why aren’t more creative invitation designers and stationers promoting (and using) recycled paper products? Green Field’s line of custom invitations shows just how fabulous they can be. Earth-friendly. High Style.

5.
Threadhead Creations – If your immediate reaction to a hemp gown is “hippy” rather than “hip”, check out Threadhead’s collection of eco-conscious hemp wedding gowns. Who knew sustainable could be so stylish?

10 Ways To Go Green

Posted by Khris in DIY Guides

In the spirit of this month’s feature on having a “green” wedding, here are some simple ways to reduce waste and increase your eco-friendliness.

1. Skip the unnecessary/non-meaningful stuff. Not only will it help your budget not purchasing/making things that you really don’t want or need is an excellent way to reduce the waste you (and your guests) output.

2. Go seasonal. Using seasonal decor, flowers, and food is a beautiful way to reduce your impact. By using in-season flowers and produce, you’ll support local growers who are not wasting fuel and resources to fly or ship goods to the US (or wherever you live).

3. Go local. Related to #2 above, use local resources whenever you can. Not only are you boosting your local economy, by not shipping in (or traveling to) supplies from out of area, you’re reducing fuel consumption.

4. Shop independent retailers. Not every indie retailer is green, of course. However, there are an abundance of retailers who specialize in eco-friendly products or who are committed to operating a green business. Some of the big box retailers are among the world’s worst polluters (either through their own waste or through the waste their 3rd world suppliers produce).

5. Use recycled paper for your stationery. It’s easy to find quality, recycled papers and cardstock and using it (recycled paper) impacts the Earth in a meaningful way. Did you know:

6. Use other recycled materials. Have you ever wondered what other brides do with those 17 fishbowls they bought for their centerpieces? How about decorations? Couture wedding gowns? Books and magazines? You can get a lot the pre-loved wedding goods for free or on the cheap. Check out: Freecycle.org, craigslist.org, and eBay.com for freebies/deals. Or drop into the forums at DIY Bride and post your freebies or search for used items.

7. Something borrowed. Don’t spend cash in tools, gadgets, or other wedding stuff that you won’t use after the wedding. Instead, borrow! You’re not only saving money and reducing waste, you’re creating tradition and heirlooms. Recently married friends and family probably have things you can borrow like veils, tiaras, jewelry, ring pillows, cufflinks. Your crafty pals may have things like paper cutters, a good printer, rubber stamps, paper punches and other craft tools.

8. Give earth-friendly favors and gifts. If you’re set on giving favors, use recycled packaging and give things that support being green. Donations to conservation agencies are awesome. Planting a tree in your guests’ names is a beautiful gesture.

9. Reduce the amount of travel you and your guests must do. Hold your ceremony and reception at the same venue or in places that are close by. Keep your venue(s) near the hotels your out-of-town guests will be staying at. Provide transportation to and from the wedding for groups of guests (carpool!). Let guests know how to get to your wedding via public transportation.

10. Go paperless! Not only is the world wide interweb an excellent tool for finding great resources, it’s a convenient and eco-friendly way to communicate with your guests and vendors. Send save-the-dates via email, have your guests RSVP online instead of sending snail mail cards back to you, have your vendors send contracts and materials as PDF forms, and create virtual wedding newsletters for your wedding party.

Got more tips and ideas? Please share!

Reader Question: Cocktail Picks

Posted by Khris in Crafter's Toolbox

DIYer Amanda is looking for these cocktail picks (plain wood, round) found in a back issue of Martha Stewart Weddings. Does anyone have a source?