We all realize the importance of doing things to protect our planet.  Even small acts can really make a difference.  And your wedding day is no exception.

Did you know that the average wedding emits 14.5 tons of carbon dioxide? (The average person emits 17.1 tons in a year).   Why not work to reduce your wedding’s footprint, no matter how “green” a bride you consider yourself to be.

Consider these eco-friendly ideas:

1) Stay local. The fewer guests that have to travel to your wedding (especially by airplane) the less impact it will have.  Hold your wedding where the majority of your guests live.

2) Reduce transportation needs.  Hold your ceremony and reception in the same place. Think about hiring a bus or trolley to transport your guests so they won’t need to use individual cars.

3) Choose a venue that recycles.  You’d be surprised to learn that not all venues do. Be sure to ask before booking.  If your venue doesn’t recycle, ask them to develop a plan for your wedding.

4) Select eco-friendly invitations and create a wedding website to tell your guests everything else. How beautiful are these invitations from Bella Figura (a wind-powered, carbon neutral letterpress shop).

5) Use flowers grown locally.  This will eliminate costly air transportation for your blooms.  And will prevent using flowers that may have been grown with toxic chemicals and pesticides.

6) Give eco-friendly favors: If you are giving favors, it is easy to find delightful eco friendly options.  Just take a peek at these adorable gifts from Favor Creative.

7) Wear a PreOwned Wedding Dress. (Of course this one is our favorite!)  But seriously, buying a gown that is PreOwned, or selling your new dress after you wear it, means that a beautiful wedding dress will be “recycled” and enjoyed by another bride. And that is a much better option than tucking it away in a closet for years.

Have a tip on greening your wedding? Please tell us and share your savvy.

Fall finally arrived in my hometown last week… hooray! I feel like I have been waiting forever for crisp temperatures the chance to put on my favorite wool sweater and fleece-lined boots. So, naturally, I went looking for some fall wedding inspiration as well. I fell in love with these rustic wood accents. They’re the perfect decor for fall and winter weddings. They’re interesting, stylish, and because they are made with natural resources they’re also eco-friendly.

image via: Etsy

This beautiful handmade basket from Etsy would be perfect to hold wedding programs or favors. It’s lined with moss and adorned with lovely cream colored hand crafted paper flowers. Too pretty to hide away, it would surely be reused time and time again after the wedding.

Image courtesy of Orange Tree Wedding Blog

I love, love, love these fall centerpieces (above). They have such an elegance to them, the browns and greens are so great togther – and what would fall be without green apples?! These non-traditional centerpiece ideas are as functional as they are earth friendly.

image via: Inspired Occassions

Fall weddings and rustic decor are a perfect match. You can use branches from your own back yard to create this “tree” centerpiece (shown above, left). It serves two purposes, first cards hanging from the tree give guests their seating assignment. Second, guests use the back of the cards to write the bride and groom a note offering up their best advice on love & and marriage. DIY twig monogram letters (above, right)  are a unique way to add additional rustic style. Click here for more info on these DIY projects.

images via: valley&co.com and mybouquet.ca

Decorating with birch wood is a hot trend right now, and these centerpiece ideas have a fresh and modern feel. The light color of the wood feels almost like a “winter white.” You can buy birch bark tubes and logs from suppliers such as Natural Forest Products and SaveOnCrafts.com. Buy flowers from local growers and create your own economical and earth friendly wedding centerpieces.

image via: design sponge

I couldn’t resist this sweet little DIY project. This small birch tube holds a mini-arrangement, perfect for your flower girl. Click here for the how-to instructions.

So, on cool fall nights, curl up by the fire inside with your honey. But when your thinking about decorating for your fall or winter wedding, bring the outside in with lovely wood centerpieces and accents!

courtney{e}photography

When I think about the advances in technology in the last 20 years, I’m blown away. Just consider the world of photography. It wasn’t too long ago that brides and grooms waited weeks to find out if their photographer had gotten the perfect shot. You know, the one where you and your husband are looking at each other like no one else is in the room…like you are the only two people in the world… on the happiest day of your lives. Now days, your photographer can be instantly confident that he/she got just the right shot – of the bride & groom, friends, family, and wedding party. Technology has made it easier than ever to capture all those special moments; and it has also made it easier than ever for professional photographers to take an eco-friendly approach to their work. So if you are looking to find a photographer who shares your vision – not only for beautiful pictures, but for a greener earth as well, read on for some helpful hints.

I recently had the pleasure of an online interview with Courtney Ellis, a Louisville, Kentucky based wedding photographer.  Courtney’s business, courtney{e}photography, is one of many featured in the Green Bride Guide vendor directory. (Green Bride Guide is a wonderful resource when planning an eco-friendly wedding.) She was kind enough to share some of her thoughts on greener photography, and why you might want to consider an eco-friendly focus for your wedding.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN ECO-FRIENDLY PHOTOGRAPHER & WHAT ARE YOUR GREEN PRACTICES?

Being an eco-friendly, or green photographer, to me means that you do your wedding photography and leave as little of an impact on the planet as possible. There are many facets to being a green photographer! First, I use only second hand equipment. This doesn’t mean it’s any less than any other professional uses. All of my cameras and equipment make visits to the manufacturer to get checked out. All of my cameras are digital, which means I don’t put out any film waste. When I get rid of equipment, I sell it second hand, and never dispose of it. All of the batteries I use are rechargable, which generates a lot less waste. You would be totally surprised how many AA batteries a wedding photographer goes through at one wedding! I also shoot here in town locally, versus traveling tons to get pictures. This also makes the pictures special for the client as well since it’s in their town.

Another way I reduce waste is by making all of the pricing guides and contracts available via the internet (which is also a huge time saver). People can visit the pricing list or make notes on there for me and I get notifications via email. When it’s time for the contract to be signed this is done via the internet as well and copies are emailed out. I also offer eco-friendly products. My albums are all animal friendly leather, no animal products. They look just as good as the leather though! I also use recycled presentation materials (boxes, bags, gift tags, client cards, etc.) When we get packages, we always recycle the packaging materials we receive. When I am finished editing pictures, they are all posted to online galleries instead of giving out hard copies of proofs.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO HAVE AN ECO-FRIENDLY APPROACH TO WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY?

I guess nothing really inspired me, per se. I do, however, remember when I had my senior pictures done. We got a huge proof book that once we looked at, we had to return. I thought, “How wasteful is that? Are they just going to throw those proofs away?” I really wanted to not create waste like that. The rest just kind of came naturally.

WHEN LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT PHOTOGRAPHER FOR HER WEDDING DAY, WHY SHOULD A BRIDE SEEK OUT PHOTOGRAPHERS WHO HAVE AN ECO-FRIENDLY FOCUS?

A bride should seek out a photographer with an eco-friendly focus if they are looking to reduce the impact their wedding has on the environment. Weddings generate a LOT of waste! When I was planning my own wedding, I sat back and thought of all of the waste we were producing and we wanted to change that. We ended up using recycled paper for printing our invites and handmade all of our pom balls for our bridesmaids.

IS ECO-FRIENDLY PHOTOGRAPHY MORE EXPENSIVE?

NO WAY! Especially not for the client. Before not only would the client have to pay to mail the contract back to the photographer after they would fill it out, as well as paying for a proof book that has so many pictures that they don’t care to have in it. They also have to travel less and can share their pictures with friends and family that are far away. That’s totally something you couldn’t do before. If you’re family lived out of town they either had to travel to you to see your pictures or wait until the next time you get together to see them.

WHAT MAKES YOUR JOB FUN… & WHAT MAKES IT STRESSFUL?

The best part of my job is that I get to take pictures for people who are completely in love! I get to be there on one of the biggest days of people’s lives and I love it! It’s hard to find something so stressful that you’re truly in love with!

HAVE YOU INCORPORATED ANY GREEN PRACTICES INTO YOUR EVERY DAY LIFESTYLE?

Absolutely! When I made the decision to go green, we also bought energy star appliances and made changes to the lighting in our home. We use biodegradable chemicals, and save up errands for when they can be ran together, instead of all on separate days.

WHAT’S YOUR ONE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE TO BRIDES WHO WANT TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THEIR PHOTOGRAPHY BUDGET?

My one piece of advice would be to pick someone you click with. With my upper packages, I give all my clients engagement sessions so we can really get to know each other, so they can see my shooting style and on their wedding day we’re totally comfortable with one another and I’m more of a friend with a camera than a photographer. Picking someone you click with will really help you get the photos you want and that you look truly comfortable and happy in!

I’m always impressed when celebrities use their status to make the world a better place. That’s why I’m happy to share with you the details of the beautiful (and green) wedding of Nikki Cascone – New York City restaurateur and contestant on the Bravo network reality show Top Chef.  Nikki married her longtime boyfriend and business partner, Brad Grossman June 27^th at Gracewood Mansion on New York’s Long Island.

After bearing witness to the wastefulness that elaborate weddings often create, the couple decided they wanted something different. Nikki’s bridal style is unique (check out her nontraditional choice for a wedding dress, above) and her thoughtfulness is evident in all the little details that made her celebration both eco-friendly and chic.  Read more below to learn how Nikki brought her green wedding to life and inspired others to do the same.

Invitations: Nikki and Brad chose to forgo traditional paper invitations and send out a stylish electronic version – saving both trees and money. Consider this environmentally friendly option for your wedding or rehearsal dinner. Websites like Pingg and Paperless Post offer sophisticated and stylish options for electronic invitations.

Bridal Party: Nikki and Brad chose to reduce the size of their bridesmaids and groomsmen to eliminate excess spending and waste.  For a truly effective way to conserve resources, you can consider reducing not only your wedding party, but your guest list as well. While this is often a challenge, remember that smaller, intimate weddings can often provide the bride and groom with more quality time to spend with close friends and family.

Flowers: Brad and Nikki chose floral arrangements created using local resources. Check out organic and seasonal options in your hometown by contacting local florists. If you have the time and the inclination, visit local farmers markets and recruit friends to help design and assemble DIY bouquets and centerpieces.

Food: Being a chef by trade, it was so important to Nikki that the food for her wedding be all the more special. With the help of her brother-in-law, who runs a local catering business, Nikki created a menu using organic produce from local farms. Organic wines and vodka were served as well as creative non-alcoholic drinks using fresh ingredients.

Favors: Eco-friendly wedding favors are always appreciated – and Nikki and Brad loved the idea of sustainable gifts. They incorporated seeded paper (guests can take the paper home to plant flowers) and small potted herb plants as a favors. Want to treat your guests to eco-friendly favors? Visit BeauCoup.com for a stylish assortment of green wedding favors.

The Dress: Nikki’s dress was a one-of-a-kind original created by her friend (and Project Runway star) Christian Siriano. The non-traditional design was made using organic materials. Following the wedding, Nikki will be auctioning off the dress and donating the profits to charity. She hopes the lucky girl who purchases her dress will, in turn, recycle or reuse it. Buying a pre-owned wedding dress is just another way brides can “reduce and reuse.”

Finally, check out Nikki’s awesome green wedding inspiration board (below, courtesy of thebride&bloom). Cheers to Nikki and Brad for practicing what they preach and planning a beautiful, eco-chic celebration of their love. Congratulations!

photo courtesy the bride&bloom

Photo credits (from top, left – right): Photo by Robert Sukrachand via greenweddingshoes.com; photo of Toms Shoes by Ryan Gladstone Photography; photo of herb pots by Miki Duisterhof via intimateweddings.com; photo of Gracewood from bride; photo of purple bouquet via weddingchicks.com by Boutwell Studio; flowers by Chestnut & Vine; photo of box with grass by Christine Gallagher; photo of wedding signs from misscookie via weddingbee.com; photo of tableware by Wendell Webber; photo of name card found on Etsy’s A Remark You Made; photo of bark conversation starters from green-wedding.net; photo of chair with flowers found on imgfav.com via stumbleupon; photo of boxed flowers found on prontohome.com