Let them eat cake!

Organic cake, of course! When selecting your wedding cake, ask your baker to use only organic ingredients. Here are a few cakes for inspiration (these are not necessarily organic, but nobody is stopping you from taking them to your local baker for inspiration).

{Round Ivory Ribbon cake by Cakegirls; Brown Polka Dot cake by The Ritz-Carlton, San Fransisco via The Knot; A Shore Thing by Gail Watson Custom Cakes via Brides.com; White Square Flower cake by Cakegirls}

Eco-chic Olivia Luca

I love the idea of designing one’s own wedding gown. If you know exactly what you want, it’s a lot easier than searching bridal shops until you find ‘the perfect dress’. I recently came across an amazing company called Olivia Luca that allows you to create the dress of your dreams. You select the design, from bodice style to skirt length and shape, fabric, color, detail, and size. The eco-friendly part? Olivia Luca’s fabrics include a growing selection of sustainably produced, fair trade and organic natural fabric options.

The dresses in their online gallery are absolutely stunning. (And so is the photography – I would love to book this photographer for my wedding!)

Olivia Luca wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses are totally affordable. The organic cotton sateen dress I designed was less than $800. So sweet!

Wedding season!

Sorry for the long hiatus. Two of my dearest friends tied the knot this past weekend– congratulations Nate and MMM!– and the last week has been a bit crazy. But I’m back! And since I’ve had weddings on the brain for the past few days, I thought it would be a good opportunity to explore the concept of the “green wedding”.

More than 2.4 million weddings occur each year in the United States, generating more than $72 billion in revenues. Weddings have a huge ecological and economical footprint; by taking a look at the bigger picture and making some earth-friendly choices as you plan your wedding, you can create a truly personal, moving, and sustainable celebration.

• Location. Choose to have your wedding in a fairly central location (and close to most of your guests)– the less distance you and your guests have to travel, the smaller the impact you’ll have. When choosing a venue, consider a location with a social benefit, like a museum or historic building. You can also choose to have your wedding outside and cut down on energy and decorations; during the day, sun provides any lighting you might need, and nature provides a beautiful (and free!) backdrop for a celebration.
• Transportation. Provide options for your guests who will be coming to your wedding. Let them know that it is important to you that they arrive by train, bus, or carpool. Once your guests are in town, why not provide shuttle buses to take them to the event?
• Menu. Almost anything can be found locally, so why not take advantage of what you have nearby? Instead of shipping in food and drink, see if you can buy from down the road. Go organic – many caterers now offer organic menus. Use real dishes, glasses and utensils – they look nicer, and don’t end up in a landfill like disposable alternatives.