Real Wedding: Christina & Patty

Christina sent me the sweetest note about her backyard August wedding (August 30 - Christina and Patty's three-year anniversary), full of eco-friendly ideas, do-it-yourself details, and a collaborative effort on the part of friends and family that is absolutely enviable. Christina calls her ten friends who really helped her and Patty to pull their at-home wedding together the Bridal Brigade - who doesn't want a Bridal Brigade!




In an effort to be as eco-friendly as possible, Christina and Patty incorporated many vintage details, from Christina's dress to their rings to linens and the reception. After trying on nearly 25 vintage wedding dresses from The Butler's Cottage (650-341-6979) at the Vintage Fashion Expo, Christina chose an ecru lace and tulle number from the late 1920's/early 1930's. She also found her headpiece - made of vintage millinery flowers - at the Vintage Fashion Expo, from Zazu & Violet's Hats.






Christina's bouquet was done by a member of the Bridal Brigade. The Bridal Brigade also helped with planning, scouring thrift shops and eBay for vintage linens, and making the cupcake tiers.






Little puppy friends were present at the ceremony.








The Bridal Brigade!




To encourage guests to keep the same drinking glass all evening - thereby reducing water-usage with fewer glasses to wash - glasses were personalized with nametags from One Man's Trash and ribbons from Blue Bird Lane. In keeping with Italian wedding tradition, five Jordan almonds, signifying health, wealth, happiness, fertility and longevity, were wrapped with vintage lace and ribbon and placed in each glass for guests to take home.


Christina and Patty cut costs by hosting their 85 guests in their own backyard. The upscale Italian picnic menu even included figs from their own tree!


Centerpieces of live moss were both eco- and budget-friendly, and guests were invited to take them home. Christina and Patty planted what was left in their garden. Vintage linens from thrift stores and eBay covered the tables.


Patty was the drummer for the band Hole, so the couple has many musician friends who shared their talents at the reception. One friend even sang opera for Christina's very traditional, Italian father!


Cupcakes, made by two members of the Bridal Brigade, were vegan chocolate rose for Christina (she's allergic to eggs and dairy), and non-vegan chocolate cherry and chocolate with pecan icing.

Congratulations Christina and Patty! And thank you so much for sharing your lovely wedding and all of these special details! You can see more of the details and DIY projects over at Christina's blog. And of course, thank you to the photographer, Chris Strother, for sharing these beautiful photos.

Board #192: Earth Friendly #3, Garden Charm

What would a week of earth friendly inspiration boards be without a charming garden board in green?!

Mood: fresh, charming garden
Palette: green, white

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Top row from left: sweet pea bouquet from The Knot, ceremony design from Oh How Charming, Lark Creek Inn via Here Comes the Guide, ivy favors via {frolic}
Row 2: table from Fete NY, cherry mojitos from Martha Stewart Weddings, cake by Perfect Endings, plant-able invitation by Round Robin Press
Row 3: vintage dress via Ocean State Bride, arrangement by Floret Flowers (photo by David Perry), Edwardian ring from Fay Cullen, photo by Gertrude & Mabel

10 Ways to Go Green:
1. Grow your own bouquet! I'm not going to pretend that I would ever take on such an ambitious task, but I know there are some die-hard do-it-yourselfers out there who would jump at the chance. Sweet peas make for a simply beautiful bouquet; other types of flowers (peonies, say?) would be a trickier endeavor. But if you have your date set, and you've given yourself plenty of time, or if someone you know has an incredible garden and green thumb, it's a special way to go green.
2. Line your ceremony aisle with pots of living plants. You can either use them later in your own garden or home, or give them as gifts to your wedding party. Potted ivy wrapped in paper and ribbon make sweet favors for your guests, and if you want they could even act as centerpieces if you cluster them together.
3. Choose a caterer that uses seasonal, local and organic ingredients. The Lark Creek Inn is not only a lovely venue, it is one of the best restaurants in my hometown, using seasonal, farm-fresh ingredients. Search Portovert for green catering options in your area.
4. Cover your tables with delicate vintage linens. Search for them at antique shops and flea markets, or ebay (always a great resource).
5. Bottled water is a huge source of waste, so instead serve water in glass bottles that you've already used. Clean them, remove the label, fill them with water, and chill. If your local water isn't too tasty, take the time to filter it yourself.
6. Beautiful little cakes can do double-duty as centerpieces, either on their own or surrounded by small floral arrangements. This example is adorned with delicate sugar flowers; real, non-toxic flowers would also be a pretty cake topper.
7. Send your guests invitations that will grow! Round Robin Press makes adorable letterpress invitations from organic cotton, with wildflower seeds embedded in the paper. Instead of throwing it away or keeping it around to create clutter, your guests can plant the invitation and think of you when flowers pop up!
8. Wear an heirloom dress. If your grandmother, mother, sister or aunt still has her wedding dress, have it altered to fit you. Or, you can have a seamstress or tailor incorporate details from the antique dress into a custom dress for you: lace trim, buttons, etc. And if you want to wear a vintage dress but don't have one in the family, check out Vintageous or Posh Girl Vintage for some fun options.
9. Non-floral decorations are by no means the only way to go green. Choose a floral designer who uses organic local, seasonal, sustainably grown flowers. Erin from Floret Flowers emailed me some photos of her beautiful work, and shared this insight with me: There are other ways to go green with wedding flowers besides not having any or using paper blooms. I am an organic flower grower/floral designer and use a minimum of 80% local and seasonal flowers in my work. It is very possible for brides to have their florists source local blooms for their big day especially since wedding season and the peak local flower months coincide perfectly.
You can expect to see more of Erin's beautiful work in future inspiration boards!
10. Vintage is green, and that goes for jewelry, too! This gorgeous Edwardian engagement ring is an amazing example. You can go vintage for any of your accessories, and feel good about making an earth friendly choice.

PS - If you love the bicycle photo by Gertrude & Mabel as much as I do, share the love! Go vote for it in the photo contest at Pacific Weddings by tomorrow, April 25.

Board #190: Earth Friendly #1, Rustic Charm

Happy Earth Day! I've got some earth-friendly wedding boards for you that I'll be posting over the next few days - hopefully you'll be inspired to make your own wedding or next event as green as possible. Today's board was inspired partly by Jennifer and John's beautiful eco-chic wedding featured a few weeks ago, so check that out for more ideas. It is worth noting that this exercise in creating earth friendly wedding boards is really similar to last week's budget friendly boards - many of the same tips apply, and there is no reason that an earth friendly wedding can't also be stylish and beautiful.

Mood: rustic, picnic kitsch
Palette: brown, red, orange, yellow

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Top row from left: photo by Jonathan Canlas, photo by Suzy Clement, punch from Brides, cake by Miette
Row 2: ribbon bouquet from Martha Stewart Weddings, photo by Gertrude & Mabel, photo by Blonde Tulip, photo by Vallentyne via Elizabeth Anne Designs
Row 3: rough diamond ring by Sarah Perlis, invitation by Hello!Lucky, citrus centerpiece by Ariella Chezar, seedling favors from Martha Stewart WeddingsRow 4: hemp silk wedding dress by Get Conscious, picnicware from Branch Home via Pretty Little Things, photo from Martha Stewart Weddings, sustainable wood card by Night Owl via Creature Comforts

10 Ways to Go Green
1. Re-use colored glass bottles for bud vases. Remove the labels and arrange the bottles in a row anywhere you need some decorations, using single organic blooms.
2. Choose an earth friendly venue. This can mean a carbon neutral hotel or restaurant, or a lodge that thoughtfully blends architecture and nature. Having an outdoor, daytime wedding will save energy by eliminating artificial lighting. If you go with a picnic-type reception or rehearsal dinner, be sure to use tableware that is biodegradable and organic.
3. Serve drinks in bulk, rather than offering individual bottles and cans of beverages. (I've been looking for where you can find these large jars with no luck; if anyone has a source for these, please share!)
4. Go for an organic cake. Either choose a baker who uses organic ingredients, or make one yourself with as many organic ingredients as you can find.
5. Go with non-floral options. Ribbon, paper, or beaded flowers are do-it-yourself projects that are earth friendly, budget friendly, and your bouquet will be a nice keepsake of the day. Bowls of in-season organic fruit can double as both centerpiece and favor.
6. Get married in a place that doesn't require your guests to travel too far, or that at least has all events within walking or biking distance from each other. If your guests do have to travel a significant distance to get to your venue, consider purchasing carbon offsets to keep your day as carbon neutral as possible. Also, if most of your guests are staying in the same hotel, provide a shuttle to take them to the ceremony and reception.
7. Use living plants for both decor and favors. Larger potted citrus trees can help to create boundaries at the ceremony or reception, and smaller ones would work well on tables. Give your guests seedlings to take home with them, or give them a small card telling them that you've planted a tree in their name.
8. Get creative with second-hand items. In this board, a pair of unhinged doors frames the altar, and mismatched chairs line the table.
9. Choose earth friendly accessories and bridalwear. Sarah Perlis' diamond rings are not only affordable, they're also earth friendly: she uses recycled gold and responsibly mined diamonds. This dress by Get Conscious is made of entirely natural fibers: a hemp silk blend, and vintage lace trim. If your dress is custom made, choose fabrics that are natural and organic.
10. Hello!Lucky prints all of their invitations on 100% cotton papers, or you can request paper made of 75 - 100% post-consumer waste. These fun wood cards by Night Owl are made of sustainably-harvested yellow birch, and would be a really fun save-the-date.

Real Wedding Saturday: Jennifer & John

I was so excited when Heidi from Gertrude & Mabel Photography sent me these photos, because I had already seen a few of them on their website, and I was so curious! Jennifer did the planning herself, from a distance (she and John live in New York; the wedding was in California), in a environmentally sustainable way - an impressive feat. And as these photos show, doing it yourself and going green don't have to mean sacrificing style!


Some of Jennifer's best girlfriends made this advent calender for her to open the week before the wedding. Jennifer says, "It was beautiful and very well done, a collage of clippings from bridal magazines and a book about love glued onto two pieces of stock board with windows cut out."


Invitations were designed by Good On Paper Design and printed by Soho Letterpress.




The weekend's events were planned within walking or biking distance which allowed the couple to ask their guests to avoid using cars.




Ceremony held at Portuguese Point in Mendocino, California.





















Dress by Selia Yang.


Dinner reception at Jennifer Taylor Property.


One of my favorite things about this wedding is the fabulously fun and well-dressed guests - it would be impossible to have a bad time with these people!


Catering by Cafe Beaujolais.




Jennifer purchased flowers in bulk from Village Florist, 707-927-0907, and did the arrangements herself.




The groom's family lives in Bermuda, and they printed this on the dinner menu: There is a Bermudian wedding tradition of a cedar tree atop the grooms cake. The tree is planted immediately after the wedding as a sign of their future together. In lieu of a Cedar tree, we have planted a tree in the name of each of our guests through the American Forests. We hope to not only honor the Bermudian tradition but also gently offset some of the environmental tax of your trip to Mendocino.






Dancing reception at Crown Hall.


Music performed by Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers.





Congratulations Jennifer and John - thank you so much for sharing your day with us! And thank you to the talented ladies at Gertrude & Mabel for sending over these photos!

{to submit a real wedding, email me at kathryn@snippetandink.com}

Board #113: Farmers' Market

I've been wanting to put together a farmers' market inspired board for awhile, and I finally have enough images to make it work. Fruit is a wonderful non-floral point of inspiration, and I think this board proves that vegetables are, too.

Mood: flavorful, bountiful, rustic
Palette: red, yellow, green

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Top row from left: Healdsburg Country Gardens via Here Comes the Guide, photo from Mindy Rice, tomato arrangement by Ariella Chezar, photo by Belathee
Row 2: vegetable bouquet by Ingela's Design, water via Toast & Tables, wagon from Brides, artichoke bouquet via Brooklyn Bride
Row 3: cake photo by Jessamyn Harris, photo from Ariella Chezar, farmer's market notecards by Yee-Haw Industries (thank you Martha B!)
Row 4: photo via Brown Turtleneck Sweater, vegetable basket from MS, radish card via Shiny Squirrel, rustic table, salads from MS

Update!

Thank you to Ms. Martha from Nibs (the source of those fabulous notecards) for also pointing out the adorable radish and carrot pins at Anthropologie. Martha, you and I might have to team up one of these days...

Update!

Of course I only became aware of this fabulous cake by Bakery Bar after posting my Farmers' Market board.