Green Friday: Our Green Wedding Pledge
Written by Sara on January 15, 2010 – 9:00 am -
Happy Friday, readers! I am SO anxious for the weekend, even if I still have two shifts of work left. I may not have told you all that in December, I began working at Gymboree, the kids’ clothing store, here in our local mall. It’s a fun job, and is especially a nice break from the day-to-day office setting of my full-time job!
As I mentioned last week, today I’m ready to share with you all what Jordan and I are committed to doing to ensure that our wedding is “greener” than the average wedding affair. While I realize that we could be making more sacrifices that we are, Jordan and I feel comfortable with the choices we’re making thus far in our planning.
So, here’s our green wedding pledge:
1. We will inquire about and utilize recycled paper materials as much as we are able. I have already contacted a graphic designer at my father’s company (where our stationery will be printed) to investigate what our options are for recycled paper.
2. We will inquire about and utilize locally grown or organic food as much as our budget allows. I have already contacted our event coordinator at the Washington Pavilion, where our wedding reception will be held, about our caterers using locally grown or organic food. While we are on a very strict budget for our entire wedding planning, I am hopeful that our caterers will come back with a competitive quote.
3. We will incorporate plantable paper in at least one way throughout our wedding stationery. I love the symbolism behind the paper (just like our love is blooming, so will our guests’ flowers!), and it reinforces the purpose of renewable goods.
4. We will incorporate locally grown flowers as much as possible. My Mom and I have discussed the possibility of planting a wildflower garden in our backyard this summer from which we would take flowers for our reception decor. We also have beautiful peonies that bloom in our yard that we’re going to attempt to keep alive through the heat of summer. Last, as one of my dear friends mentioned to me in the past few weeks, sunflowers grow wild EVERYWHERE in South Dakota, and it wouldn’t be difficult at all to pick some, dress them up with ribbon and give them to my bridesmaids to carry.
5. While at this point I don’t believe we’ll be incorporating wedding favors, if we do decide to give our guests favors, they will be locally grown or locally handmade. I firmly believe in investing in the local economy!
6. We are utilizing my mother’s birdhouse collection as our reception decor, and are therefore eliminating extraneous waste or costs associated with renting/purchasing and then inevitably disposing of centerpieces.
7. We are supporting handmade goods by purchasing wedding accessories from Etsy. In the coming months, my veil and fascinator will be purchased via Tessa Kim’s shop on Etsy. In addition to those accessories, I also hope to purchase our guest book (remember this stump-inspired beauty?), jewelry for my bridesmaids, our cake topper, tutus for our flower girls, and monogrammed cuff links for our groomsmen from Etsy.
8. My Mom and I plan to make handmade napkins and handmade bout’s for our wedding day. By sewing our own napkins we A) cut down on rental costs at our reception venue, and B) eliminate waste that would be created by using paper napkins. By making bout’s for our guys out of fabric and/or non-floral material, we will again cut down on waste and will utilize renewable goods to accomplish the same effect as floral bout’s.
9. Jordan and I plan to build a photobooth to provide our guests with endless merriment at our wedding reception. I originally hoped to build our photobooth using found materials, and while that might still be possible, I am thinking of other ways to make our photobooth project green. As a start, we will be reusing our engagement session props for our photobooth (2 hearts on sticks, 2 mustaches on sticks, chalkboard + chalk). We also will be using a digital camera and tripod that Jordan’s family already owns, therefore cutting down on the waste that would be created if we utilized disposable cameras!
10. Last, I have a dream of being married by candlelight. I’m dreaming of an evening wedding (maybe 6:00 or 7:00), and being surrounded by candles. However, the candles we will utilize will be either soy or beeswax (lead-free, long-burning, made from renewable resources, not petroleum/paraffin).
How are YOU making your wedding green?
I’d love to hear from you!
[Photo via Dream Green Weddings by Caroline Ghetes]
Tags: Caroline Ghetes, Dream Green Weddings, Etsy, green wedding, Gymboree, Tessa Kim, Washington Pavilion
Posted in Adornments & Embellishments, Beauty & Polish, Budget Weddings, DIY, Eco-Chic, Flowers, Inspiration & Insight, Our Wedding | Comments Off
Our Wedding: Ceremony Inspiration
Written by Sara on January 14, 2010 – 9:30 am -
Good Thursday morning, readers! Today I wanted to share with you a few ideas I’m tossing around to make our ceremony reflect our personalities, love, and commitment to each other.
Have I sung my praises for Sara of A $2000 Wedding yet? She is unbelievably inspirational, and I seriously feel the positive vibes oozing from her blog each time I read a new post. On her blog, Sara has posted a variety of ceremony scripts, making her blog the only (as far as I know) resource for such goodness. You MUST check these scripts (and her blog!) out – her and her partner’s experience in wedding planning will fundamentally change the way you view your wedding.
Now that my praises have been made known, on to a wonderful idea that Sara and her partner Matt utilized in their ceremony in place of a unity candle: they planted a tree, and also were wrapped in a unity quilt!
Jordan and I loved these ideas, but since we don’t have a house yet, we felt that we couldn’t plant a tree. So, we decided to incorporate the idea of a unity quilt into our ceremony. We also wanted to involve our family members and friends, and so we planned to ask them on our save-the-date cards to mail us pieces of fabric to us so that we could make the quilt.
However, Jordan and I are not sure that our family members and our friends will participate in helping us to put together our unity quilt; while we love our families and friends dearly, they’re traditional folk, and we’re not sure they’ll embrace the non-traditional aspects of our wedding. So, we’re in the process of reevaluating how we can express our unity at our wedding.
The always-lovely Dana from The Broke-Ass Bride and her fresh hubby, Hunter, incorporated a Box Ceremony into their wedding ceremony. To explain, I’ll borrow some text from The Wedding Bee‘s Miss Cowboy Boot:
“The tradition goes something like this: The couple writes love letters to each other. In their letters, they detail why they fell in love with each other and what they really, truly admire about the other person. The letters get sealed up before they are read by the person they are intended for.
The sealed letters are brought out at the end of the ceremony. They are put into a wooden box that the couple supplies. Along with their letters, they put a nice bottle of wine into the box with two glasses. Once all is in the box, the wedding party hammers nails into the box to close it.
The point of all this? If, at any point, the marriage is in serious jeopardy, the couple is to open the box, read the letters about why they fell in love with each other in the first place, and drink the wine together before making any irrational decisions.”
I’m a big believer in protecting important things like marriage with your life, and this ceremony seems like an incredibly sufficient (and romantic) way to protect your marriage in its 11th hour of need.
Last, the Offbeat Bride (among others) has discussed including the ritual of a Ring-Warming in your wedding ceremony. I’m absolutely in love with this concept, which involves the passing of the wedding rings amongst the guests for their blessing.
What do you think, readers?
How will your wedding ceremony reflect who you are as individuals, and who you are as a couple?
[Photo Credit: Prime Number]
Tags: $2000 Wedding, box ceremony, ceremony scripts, Miss Cowboy Boot, Offbeat Bride, Ring Warming, The Broke-Ass Bride, The Wedding Bee
Posted in DIY, Inspiration & Insight, Our Wedding, Weddings | 3 Comments »
Showcase Wednesday: Our Love Shoot, Part II!
Written by Sara on January 13, 2010 – 9:00 am -Happy Wednesday, all! Let’s get right to the photos, copyright Creative Kindling! [See Part I of our love shoot here!]
After we left the really cool (and HUGE!) green door, we went to the Old Courthouse Museum in downtown Sioux Falls, where we kissed and danced!
After a little more wandering around inside the museum, we found an exhibit of an old-fashioned diner! We also got some great shots here:
We left the Old Courthouse Museum after that and drove a little further downtown to Falls Park, where the name “Sioux Falls” comes from. We had some fun on bridges here, too – and we took a break in the middle of the road!
Our last stop was Rotary Park in eastern Sioux Falls, where we walked the railroad tracks and had some fun with props:
We also took some BEAUTIFUL shots on a bridge, and giggled on the swing set:
Again, HUGE thanks to Kara and Aaron of Creative Kindling, who have been wonderful to work with thus far. We feel so lucky to have them!
[All photos copyright Creative Kindling; please do not use these photos without express written consent.]
Tags: Creative Kindling, engagement photos, Falls Park, mustaches on sticks, Old Courthouse Museum, Rotary Park, Sioux Falls, vintage engagement photos
Posted in Inspiration & Insight, Our Wedding, Photography | 1 Comment »
Our Wedding: Groomsmen Looks
Written by Sara on January 12, 2010 – 9:00 am -Happy Tuesday, readers! I apologize for not being able to post yesterday; J and I spent our entire weekend packing up, cleaning and moving out of our townhome, leaving very little time for relaxation, much less writing blog posts!
Today I wanted to showcase my ideas for what our groomsmen can wear for our wedding day. Keeping in line with the rustic, sweet vintage style, I know that I definitely want the guys to wear bow ties for our big day. Jordan will probably don a traditional tie, but I would love to see the guys in bow ties.
I’m truthfully still undecided in terms of grey suits v. grey tuxes, but I’m definitely leaning more toward the tuxedo side, simply because I have an appreciation for continuity. How great do these gents (and ladies) look (picture via Style Me Pretty by Olivia Leigh Photography)!?
However, I’m still fascinated with the idea of having my guys wear either grey suits of their own or grey pants and a grey vest. A friend of mine from high school, Amber, recently married her sweetie, and this is what her guys wore (photo by Geneoh Photography):
Don’t they all look sharp!
I also found this inspiration board via a Google search:
How much do you love the vest look!
Yet, I am struggling to figure out how we go about styling our groomsmen this way. Readers, our dear groomsmen are all different heights and sizes, and I just wouldn’t even know where to begin with finding a store to outfit all of them! Do you have any suggestions for budget-friendly stores?
I know that this picture isn’t groomsmen-related, but I would just LOVE for Jordan to wear something like this amazing suit on our wedding day (photo via Green Wedding Shoes, by Amanda of In The Now Weddings):
Have a great Tuesday!
Tags: bow ties, Geneoh Photography, Green Wedding Shoes, In The Now Weddings, Olivia Leigh Photography, Style Me Pretty
Posted in Beauty & Polish, Budget Weddings, Fashion, Our Wedding | Comments Off
Tune in Tomorrow!
Written by Sara on January 11, 2010 – 12:50 pm -Hi everyone,
No Green Monday post for you today – I’m out and about in Sioux Falls working on a video on gasoline pumps for my day job!
Tune in tomorrow for your regularly scheduled programming!
Posted in Adornments & Embellishments | Comments Off
Green Friday: Are YOU Greening Your Wedding?
Written by Sara on January 8, 2010 – 9:00 am -
Happy Friday, readers! I hope you’ve made it to the end of the work week full of eagerness for the weekend – J and I will be spending this weekend doing more packing (his stuff, this time) and cleaning our townhome for inspection. Doesn’t that sound fun!
I have a great post in store for you all next Friday, as I hope to offer the concrete “greening” techniques that J and I will be employing to ensure that our wedding reflects our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment.
But today, I’d love to hear from you.
How are you illustrating your commitment to the environment on your wedding day?
What advice do you have for spouses-to-be looking for quick and easy ways to “greenify” their day?
Please leave a comment below!
[Photo courtesy of www.theorganizedbridestore.com]
Tags: eco-friendly weddings, green weddings, The Organized Bride Store
Posted in Eco-Chic | 2 Comments »
Our Wedding: I-Pod Wedding!
Written by Sara on January 7, 2010 – 9:00 am -
Happy Thursday, readers!
Throughout our wedding planning, J and I have agreed on one major part of our wedding reception: the dance. While we both always knew that, to us, a reception is not a reception without a dance, once we saw the pricing structure for today’s DJ services, we knew we’d have to be creative.
Enter: I-pod wedding.
For me, as a type-A personality and a control freak, having absolute control over the music played at our wedding is a MUST, and for the cost of renting speakers, we’ll have an instant DJ set-up that will A) be cost-effective for our budget; and B) reflect who we are as a couple, as all of the songs will be selected by us.
Today, dear readers, I’m writing to ask for your input. J and I are in the process of compiling a music playlist for our wedding reception. To make this list, we’ve made lists of songs that J and I have already downloaded to our Itunes software that we think might make “good wedding dance material.”
However, we’d LOVE to hear from you!
Here’s a few quick questions for you:
- What song(s) do you LOVE to dance to?
- What song(s) do you HATE and are sick of hearing at wedding dances?
One note: There will be no YMCA, chicken dance, Shout!, Hokey Pokey, or Cha Cha Slide Song (“one hop this time!”). Please refrain from suggesting these songs (unless they happen to be your answer to question #2).
Thank you all for your input; please leave your comments below!
[Photo courtesy of www.mnweddingminister.com]
Tags: Ipod, ipod wedding, Itunes, wedding playlist
Posted in DIY, Music & Entertainment, Our Wedding | 2 Comments »
Showcase Wednesday: Our Love Shoot, Part I!
Written by Sara on January 6, 2010 – 9:00 am -Happy Wednesday, everyone!
Today is a big day for Eco-Vintage Weddings, and for J and I – we’re finally ready to reveal our engagement pictures to you all, courtesy of Creative Kindling!
Jordan and I had a wonderful time at our engagement shoot, despite the absolutely freezing weather! Kara and Aaron, who own Creative Kindling, have been an absolute joy to work with – we feel so fortunate that they understand our vision for our wedding! I went to high school with both Kara and Aaron, and I can say that these two have always been geniunely thoughtful people. I can’t recommend them higher!
For our engagement shoot, I made an inspiration board to give our photographers an idea of what we were looking for. We couldn’t be more pleased with how the photos turned out! All photos appearing in this post were taken by Creative Kindling; please do not use these photos without express written consent.
Our fashion: I wore a pink dress that I purchased last summer from ModCloth, a pink headband from Claire’s Jewelry, black tights from Target and black pumps with a rounded toe from Shoe Carnival. I purchased my blue coat from Target a few seasons ago, and the scarf and gloves are from New York & Company. Jordan wore a wool grey Kangol hat, a white dress shirt from Express, a pink striped tie and navy suspenders from JcPenney (the tie was on clearance for $4.99!), navy flat front Dockers from Younkers, and a pair of brown shoes from his closet. He’s had his dark wool coat forever…I couldn’t tell you where he got it.
Our photo shoot began at the Phillips Avenue Diner in downtown Sioux Falls, where we shared a milkshake (and giggles!):
Our photographers then lead us to a building further down Phillips Avenue; by far, these are my favorite pictures of the day:
We also had some fun with a chalkboard:
One thing that I knew that I wanted to do at our engagement shoot was for our photographers to shoot us walking around the downtown Sioux Falls area. I am SO excited with how these photos turned out; how neat would these photos look showcased in frames as a series!
Part II of our engagement session will be featured next Wednesday, but to finish up today’s post, here’s a couple photos of Jordan and I in front of a really cool green door. These pictures are all about the love!
Look for photos next week of Jordan and I at a historic museum downtown, in a old-time diner booth, dancing cheek to cheek and having fun on bridges, railroad tracks and swings!
[All photos taken by Creative Kindling; please do not use these photos without express written consent.]
Tags: Claire's Jewelry, Creative Kindling, Eco-Vintage Weddings, Express, JcPenney, Kangol, ModCloth, New York & Company, Phillips Avenue Diner, photos with chalkboard, Shoe Carnival, Sioux Falls, Target, vintage engagement session, Younkers
Posted in Fashion, Inspiration & Insight, Our Wedding, Photography | 2 Comments »
Our Wedding Tuesday: Wedding Party Looks!
Written by Sara on January 5, 2010 – 9:00 am -Good Tuesday morning! This week sure seems scatterbrained for me – J and I are in the process of moving, so it’s wonderful that I’ve been able to keep up on my regular posts this week! It’s been a great outlet for all of the frustrations of moving.
A few weeks ago, I shared with you readers my hesitations for outfitting all of my bridesmaids in the same dress for our wedding. However, after some reflection, I discovered that my hesitation did not come from not wanting my girls to wear the same dress, but instead came from my dissatisfaction with the chosen dress itself.
Here’s a reminder of what the first dress looked like:
While this gown is absolutely beautiful, I seriously struggled with how to make it appear “vintage” enough to fit in with the rest of our wedding style. The dress, while stunning, seems rather mainstream, and I definitely didn’t want my girls looking mainstream on our wedding day, or any time for that matter. My girls are special, wonderful women, and I am so thrilled that they’ve committed to stand up for me on my wedding day – I want to make them look fierce!
After a few more desperate searches online, enter our NEW chosen bridesmaid dress – a dress, I believe, that was made to chase my heart:
Beautiful, isn’t it! I love the classic silhouette of the bateau neckline, and the A-line skirt will certainly be flattering on all of my girls. However, the rosette detailing on the dress seriously stole my heart – rosettes are certainly vintage-inspired, and I couldn’t be happier with this dress. My girls love the dress, too, which is wonderful!
Stay tuned in the coming weeks for a glimpse into what our groomsmen will be wearing!
[Photos courtesy of www.bridesmaids.com; top dress by After Six, bottom dress by Dessy]
Tags: After Six, bridesmaid dresses, Dessy, vintage bridesmaid dresses
Posted in Beauty & Polish, Budget Weddings, Fashion, Our Wedding | Comments Off
Green Monday: The Green Hanger Shop!
Written by Sara on January 4, 2010 – 9:00 am -
Happy New Year, readers! I hope that you all had as restful and wonderful of a New Year holiday as I did – I’m anxious to share in the excitement of 2010 with all of you!
Today’s Green Monday is all about “saving the Earth, one dress at a time.” That’s the slogan of The Green Hanger Shop, which is an eco-conscious marketplace for brides to buy and sell beautiful, handpicked clothing. It’s an eco-boutique of sorts, as the site aims to be a connection for buyers and sellers of pre-owned wedding attire.
The site is SUPER easy to navigate – brides-to-be can choose what to search for (accessories, bridal gowns, etc.) by category. Judy, the brains behind The Green Hanger Shop, also runs a super-cute blog full of wonderfully useful and smart information (read her post entitled “Dear Daughters,” and you will instantly fall in love with Judy!).
Big thanks to Judy for providing yet another marketplace for green brides-to-be! The Green Hanger Shop is an approved vendor of The Green Bride Guide, and Judy and The Green Hanger Shop were also featured on Once Wed this year.
[Photo courtesy of The Green Hanger Shop]
Tags: green wedding dresses, Once Wed, pre-owned wedding dresses, The Green Bride Guide, The Green Hanger Shop
Posted in Eco-Chic, Fashion, Inspiration & Insight | Comments Off