Eco-Vintage Weddings

Green Friday: Guest Post – Dream Green Weddings!

Happy Friday, readers! Today we are lucky enough to feature a guest post from Heather at Dream Green Weddings, a super-chic online marketplace of eco-conscious wedding and/or gifting goods (and a lovely blog, too!)

Heather’s bringing you 10 easy ways to “greenify” your wedding. Take it away, Heather!

Congratulations! By reading this post on the wonderful Eco-Vintage Weddings blog, you are already a step ahead on your journey to planning a greener wedding. By making just a few eco-friendly choices, you can truly make a difference in the impact your wedding has on our environment.  

Here are 10 ways to help reduce waste, save energy, conserve resources and decrease carbon emissions produced by your wedding. Remember, this is not an “all or nothing” concept. If you can incorporate all 10, fantastic! But if you can only do one or two, every little bit helps. Here we go . . .

1. For invitations, choose from tree free papers, letterpress, 100% PCW recycled paper, seeded invitations, and look for vegetable or soy-based inks.

2. Look for favors that are made from organic, sustainable or recycled materials, or even handmade. Other eco-friendly options include tree favors that your guests can plant in your honor. Seeded wedding favors are a beautiful and renewable option. Bamboo favors are symbolic of good luck, and are good for the earth.

3. If decorating with candles, be sure to select candles that are made from natural soy or 100% beeswax. Avoid using paraffin candles as they are made from petroleum (which can increase the CO2 level in the atmosphere).

4. When you are considering gifts for the wedding party and special guests, look for Fair Trade organizations that provide fair wages and create safer working conditions for people in developing countries. Jewelry is hand-made and usually with eco-friendly materials!

5. Pick a location that is close to home to save on carbon emissions. Try to have your ceremony and reception at the same location to avoid additional transportation requirements and to reduce carbon emissions.

6. Look for local, eco-conscious caterers who offer organic menus, and use locally-grown foods from local farmers. Ask them to deliver the leftovers to a charity.

7. Avoid flowers that are imported, as they are generally grown with toxic chemicals and pesticides. Insist on locally grown flowers that are in season, and/or organically grown flowers.

8. Consider beautiful vintage wedding dresses, or new wedding dresses made from organic materials such as recycled/organic cotton, hemp or silk.

9. Support green businesses by looking for vendors who are environmentally and socially responsible.

10. Extend your green theme to your honeymoon. Many luxury hotels and resorts are now practicing sustainable hospitality. There’s a helpful travel “green” guide at http://ecotourism.org.

Big thanks to Heather Teague from Dream Green Weddings; head on over to her site for more easy ways to make your wedding green!

[Photos: Courtesy of Heather at Dream Green Weddings]

Our Wedding: DIY Paper-Lined Envelopes

Good morning, readers! I’m excited to share Eco-Vintage Weddings‘ FIRST-ever DIY project tutorial with you!

Over the weekend, I finally had a chance to get started on preparing our Save the Date cards for their voyage into the mailboxes of our families and friends.

Ever since I saw this great Martha idea, I knew that I wanted to line the inside flaps of our envelopes. I plan to do this in some form for every piece of stationery we send out (from Save the Date cards to thank-you notes), so it was GREAT to get started!

I needed to make approximately 60 envelopes, and it took me roughly 3 hours to complete this craft.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

-A6 size envelopes (mine had a rectangle flap, not a diamond like European-style envelopes)
-Decorative paper (I used a 48-sheet collection of one-sided papers entitled “Paris Nights” by GCD Studios; purchased from Hobby Lobby)
-Glue stick
-Scratch piece of paper
-Scissors
-To make the pattern: Heavy cardstock or a lightweight piece of cardboard (I used the back of an old notebook)
-Bone folder (optional)

STEPS:

1. Cut your scratch piece of paper down to the approximate size of the envelope. Stick the paper inside the envelope, and adjust the size of the paper as necessary with your scissors. The paper should fit inside the envelope so that it stretches from the top of the flap (when the envelope is open) to past the opening of the envelope.

2. Place the paper atop your cardboard, and cut around the paper to make a cardboard pattern.

3. Place the cardboard pattern atop one sheet of decorative paper. Cut around the pattern with your scissors.

4. With the envelope flap open, stick the piece of decorative paper inside the envelope, making sure that the paper stretches from the top of the flap past the opening of the envelope (see picture below). Trim the edges of the paper as necessary; the pattern is meant to be a guideline and does not guarantee a perfect cut.

5. With the decorative paper lined up inside the envelope, lift up the top of the paper (where the seal of the envelope is), and use your glue stick to liberally add glue ONLY to the inside flap of the envelope. Do NOT glue the decorative paper; this will bend the paper and make it difficult to stick to the flap of the envelope.

6. Flip the envelope over like the picture above. Look for and trim any overlapping edges with your scissors.

7. Flip the envelope back over, and with your fingers at the bottom of the inside flap, bend the flap of the envelope, as if you are ready to seal it. Press firmly across the crease where the flap and the body of the envelope meet. You could also use a bone folder to help make a crisp crease.

8. You’re done! Here’s the finished product (above) and my collection of envelopes (below):

What DIY projects are YOU doing for your wedding?

Do you have a tutorial to share?

Send me photos and step-by-step instructions at sara.eiesland@gmail.com, and I may feature it
on Eco-Vintage Weddings!

Showcase Wednesday: Untamed Petals

Good Wednesday morning! Today I’d like to showcase yet another Etsy seller, Untamed Petals.

Untamed Petals‘ shop is full of vintage-inspired accessories, from headbands to hair fascinators to sashes and belts.

If, like me, your idea of bridal attire is not the traditional tulle gown with a long cathedral veil, you’ll fall in love with Untamed Petals‘ shop.

Here’s a few of my favorite pieces from her shop:

As featured on Green Wedding Shoes last week, this super cute, large floral headband made its debut in an anniversary shoot featuring Green Wedding Shoes’ Jen and her hubby (which, if you haven’t checked this feature out yet, you MUST; Part I here, Part II here).

If you do like the look of a traditional bridal tiara or headband, this piece is a play on tradition. I love the way this double-banded headband looks on this short-haired model; how beautiful!

If I decide to change the look of my wedding gown in any way, it would be to add this belt. I just LOVE the way it looks on the featured dress in the photo, and I think it would look just as lovely on my wedding gown.

Click here to access Untamed Petals’ shop on Etsy!

[Photo credits: All photos via Untamed Petals on Etsy; second photo taken by Caroline Tran]

Our Wedding: My Bridal Fitness Plan

Good morning, readers! Today I want to share with you my healthy exercise plan, also known as my Bridal Fitness Plan (which will begin February 1).

To begin, I’m not trying to make the case for hitting the gym to completely change one’s body prior to a major life event like a wedding. I simply want to tone up my body prior to the wedding so that A) I feel confident in my appearance, and B) my arms look like rockstars in my strapless gown.

That being said, to accomplish my Bridal Fitness Plan, I plan to utilize a collection of work-out DVDs that I’ve purchased and borrowed recently. I also plan to at least cut down, if not eliminate, eating out at restaurants from my daily food intake.

After many recommendations from brides-to-be around the blogosphere, I went to Amazon last week and purchased Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred. I’m very excited to start using this video approximately 3 times per week – I know that the cardio will be intense, but I’m anxious to feel the burn!

I also will be combining my cardio workout with a few Windsor Pilates videos. I’ve always wanted to try pilates, and when my Mom said that she had a few videos that I could borrow, I was very excited. I’d love to supplement my cardio workout with 1-2 pilates workouts.

How are you getting fit? Hitting the gym or working out on your own?

What’s your favorite exercise video?

[Photo credit: www.beanproducts.com]

Green Monday: Mason Jar Love

Happy Monday, readers! I was gifted the entire weekend off from my part-time job at Gymboree, and I got a few wedding-related crafts done! I can’t wait to share them with you soon.

A few weeks ago on Twitter, I stumbled upon a post from Intimate Weddings that literally made me stop in my tracks. Besides boasting a comprehensive venue search for intimate weddings on her site, Christina of Intimate Weddings has also collected tutorials and inspiration for some of the best DIY projects out there, making Intimate Weddings a literal hub of DIY goodness.

Because J and I plan to incorporate mason jars into our wedding decor, Christina’s post on these multi-purpose lovelies caught my eye recently. Before seeing this post, J and I figured that we would utilize mason jars as vases to hold flowers on on our reception tables. But after seeing this picture (at left), I now am on the hunt for more mason jars to achieve this affect!

I’ve always wanted to be married by candlelight, and this picture literally is just oozing with romance. Can you imagine collections of these mason jars lining the aisle?! How amazing.

The best part about mason jars is that they can be reused post-wedding for canning, storing foods like salsa, or utilized for gifts, such as hot chocolate mix, hard ingredients for cookie dough and more. Plus,mason jars are an easy, always available vase for your favorite garden flowers! Therefore, making an investment in mason jars is an eco-friendly, budget-friendly decor idea.

[Photo credit: Intimate Weddings]

Green Friday: Clay Hill Farm Giveaway!

Happy Friday, readers!

Today, I wanted to give you an update on the finalists in the Clay Hill Farm Wedding Giveaway.

Their stories are so inspirational, and their intentions honorable: each couple wants to bring their belief in eco-responsibility into their wedding day!

Click here to vote for the couple whose story touches you.

Happy weekend!

Our Wedding: Ipod Playlist Update!

Good Thursday morning, readers!

Thank you to those of you who left comments on what songs you love to dance to; we’re always excited to hear from our readers!

Here’s where we are in compiling our wedding playlists:

• Jordan and I both have raided our ipods for music that we each have and would like played at our wedding reception.
• I also have started a list of songs to download, the list of which is mostly an ode to Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald (with a little Goo Goo Dolls and The White Stripes mixed in for good measure).

It’s now time, however, to figure out what special songs we want to use for our special dances!

One of my favorite musical duos right now is Everly, fronted by the amazingly talented Bethany Joy Galeotti of One Tree Hill fame. I am in love with the folksy sounds of Everly’s first LP, but the song “Scheming Star” really tugs at my heartstrings. It’s a jazzy tune that’s short enough to use for Jordan and my first dance, but showcases sweet, meaningful lyrics and beautiful swells of music that will be perfect to sway to. At this point, Jordan’s not too crazy about using this song for our first dance as husband and wife, but I’m hoping to work on him!

For my dance with my father, I definitely want to dance to “My Girl” – love that song! We’re not sure what we’d like played for the Mother-Son dance, but I’m sure Jordan’s Mom Nachole (a musical fiend!) will have some great ideas.

Also, Jordan is a huge fan of Blink-182, and I am a gigantic fan of the Backstreet Boys. The question is this: how many songs can we get away with playing at our wedding reception!?

For those of you who are embarking on compiling your own wedding playlist, be sure to check out A $2000 Wedding’s Sara & Matt’s forthcoming posts on the ipod playlist they compiled for their wedding!

How are you compiling your wedding day playlist?

What songs are must-haves?

Showcase Wednesday: 101 in 1001

Happy Wednesday, readers!

Today I wanted to take a break from all things weddings and tell you all about a program that offers a twist on New Year’s resolutions.

I’ve always been a big fan of creating New Year’s resolutions, but, like a lot of people, I can never seem to keep them all.

Have you heard of 101 in 1001, invented by the Day Zero Project? I originally heard about this goals-oriented program from Peach & Pearl, who is nine mere months away from finishing her 101 in 1001.

Here’s what the Day Zero Project says is the intention of the 101 in 1001 project:

The Challenge:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past – frequently simple challenges such as New Year’s resolutions or a ‘Bucket List’. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips, study semesters, or outdoor activities.

So, when I heard about this program, I instantly became excited. 2.75 years to complete my goals? YES!

I’m in the midst of compiling my list of goals in hopes of starting my own 101 in 1001 on February 1. Here’s a few of my goals:

Take a trip overseas.

Go on a mission trip.

Get into graduate school.

Spend an entire day at the spa.

Cut bangs into my hair…again.

Get married!

Participate in pre-marital counseling.

Learn how to make one type of fish, and make this meal for Jordan.

Take Wyatt the dog on a walk every day for one entire month.

Read Pride & Prejudice.

Watch “Animal House.”

Have a marathon movie-watching session of all of the “Lord of the Rings” series with Jordan.

Make every effort to recycle.

Volunteer at least once on behalf of disadvantaged kids.

Go on a camping trip with Jordan and Wyatt the dog.

Conduct and record an interview with my Dad about his life.

Participate in the “Drive-Thru Difference,” or, in other words, pay for someone’s order behind me in the drive-thru.

Do at least six DIY projects per year.

See the Backstreet Boys in concert…again.

What are your goals for the New Year?

[Photo Credit: The Alexander Group]

Our Wedding: Yellow Shoes!

Hi everyone!

Late last week, I stumbled upon this beautiful yellow & grey wedding on Ruffled (a blog that I just LOVE!).

Leah & Tim, the couple whose wedding is featured, embraced yellow & grey for their bridesmaids in such a cute way! The girls’ dresses from Anthropologie are patterned (a trend that gets me excited each time I see it!) and just look so great on all of the girls.

But, what really got me about this wedding is this photo from Two Pair Photography:

I thought that I had decided on having my girls wear grey or silver shoes of their own choosing, but after seeing this photo, I am back in love with yellow shoes. I love how each of the girls selected their own yellow shoes, but how all of the shoes are (roughly) the same mustard yellow color.

I always LOVED the idea of my girls wearing yellow shoes, and this beautiful wedding sealed the deal!

Happy Tuesday!

[Photo credit: Two Pair Photography]

Green Monday: Green Favor Ideas!

Hi everyone! Today I wanted to introduce you all again to Dream Green Weddings, an online marketplace FULL of inspiration on eco-chic weddings.

Not a fan of wastefulness, but still want to offer your guests favors? Look no further than Dream Green Weddings‘ marketplace of eco-friendly wedding favors.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Organic Shea Butter Soap Wedding Favors

These favors, in the shape of X’s and O’s (how cute!) are made with pure, natural ingredients. Plus, the little soaps come with a tiny little gift box, adorned with a ribbon and a personalized label. And at just $3.25 a box, they’re affordable, too!

Birdseed Heart Organic Wedding Favors in Organza Bag

Inspired by the beauty of nature, give your guests little hearts adorned with birdseed made with natural ingredients. These little beauties will be handmade just for your wedding, and allow you to get creative: hang them from trees at your venue!

Live Bamboo Eco-Wedding Favor in a Bubble Vase

Nothing is more eco-friendly than giving your guests a living plant! These bamboo shoots are shipped directly from a California nursery. Symbolizing love, luck and happiness, bamboo is also a sustainable natural resource that takes little energy to harvest.

Have a great Monday!