Category Archives: Green Ideas

March 1, 2012 · 10:10 am

5 Tips for Going Green on Your Big Day

I’m thrilled to have Mike Smith of Paper Themes Stationery here today offering some great tips on how you can green up your wedding day! Even a few small changes or additions can make a big difference to Mother Nature especially if everyone planning a wedding did their part. Most of the changes will not require any sacrifice on your part and some may even save you some cash!

With awareness on green issues ever-increasing, more and more of us are looking to lead more eco-friendly lives.

From recycling our household waste, to car pooling during our journey to work; every little change that we make goes towards helping the Earth.

While you may be tempted to forget about saving the world on your wedding day and letting your hair down, there are a few simple steps that you can take to make your special day as green as possible. In many instances these steps will even enhance the enjoyment for yourself and your guests.

Image by Fede Photography via Style Me Pretty

1. Venue

When choosing a wedding venue most people will look to host their reception at a hotel. The problem with hotels is that the high turnover of people means that there is a lot of scope for wastage. When looking for suitable hotels, spend a little time browsing the website to see what they do to combat their impact on the environment. This should include recycling, energy efficient lighting, temperature control and sourcing food and other goods from local suppliers, thus reducing their carbon footprint. The fact that the food comes from close by should mean that it is fresh and tasty; resulting in a fantastic wedding feast for everyone to enjoy.

Being green is becoming a weighty selling point for many companies. So you can be sure that if a hotel is making the effort to help the environment that they will also be making potential customers aware of the fact via a page on their site. Remember that there are going to be a lot of people traveling to your wedding; so do try to find a local venue that will minimize car emissions.

Image via Intimate Weddings

2. Wedding stationery

Once you have made your venue choice and finalized the date, it is time to get your wedding stationery sorted. Your stationery package encompasses many different items, including wedding invitations, save the date cards, place cards, table numbers, programs and possibly favors. When multiplied by the number of guests, this soon adds up to a substantial amount of paper.

Before you start looking at all the different styles and colors, you should first take some time to find out where the design companies purchase their paper from. Again, any that are using paper that comes from sustainable forests should make you aware of the fact on their website.

Another option may be to use non-paper items for some of your stationery needs or skip things like programs all together.

Pre-owned dress for sale via Recycled Bride ($150)

3. Dress

When trying to consider the environment while choosing your wedding dress, the most obvious choice is to buy one second hand. This of course avoids the need to consume a new garment and you can even sell it on afterwards, if you so choose. However, we realize that choosing the dress is one of the most important parts of the wedding for many brides.

As such, finding the right second hand dress isn’t always viable. If you do decide to purchase a dress that it is new, there are plenty of bridal designers that offer garments made from organic and natural materials that comply with fair-trade regulations. Such dresses are manufactured in a way that doesn’t involve the use of environmentally harmful chemicals.

Using local, in-season flowers is another great way to be green.

Image by Erin Hearts Court via Style Me Pretty

4. Transport

Arriving at the site of the ceremony in style is an essential part of the day in terms of making the bride feel special and also securing some cherished photographs. In order to achieve both goals, many couples opt for large classic cars, such as a Rolls Royce or Bentley. The problem with these old cars is that they were not designed to be environmentally friendly and guzzle plenty of gas. There are of course more modern and fuel efficient cars available for rental, which run on bio-diesel or LPG. But what could be greener and more romantic than an elaborately decorated horse drawn carriage?

Image via Style Me Pretty by Jen Lauren Grant styling by In the Now Weddings

5. Local Suppliers

The final decision you can make to achieve a greener wedding is to opt for local suppliers for all of your other bits and pieces that you will need. This should go for your cake, flowers, suit rental, jewelry, catering service, photographer and anyone else that you can think of.

There will be a lot of traveling to and from food tasting, fittings and many other appointments before your big day arrives. By going for local providers you can greatly reduce the emissions that you and others produce in the weeks and months leading up to your wedding.

**This is a sponsored article from Paper Themes; suppliers of green wedding invitations and all other wedding stationery items. **

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Filed under Green Ideas

Tagged as eco-friendly, going green

March 1, 2011 · 8:00 am

DIY Centerpiece Idea

Something has crossed my path that is more exciting than shoes! Thus the reason for skipping Tuesday Shoesday completely, and showing you this instead! Crazy, I know but I think it is that fantastic. I came across this project on the All You Need is Love Events blog and the project was created by Kelly of Succulent Love Events. I have a new addiction to craft blogs, as if I needed an entirely new set of blogs to spend my time reading, which is how I stumbled on this project! The great thing about craft blogs is that they not only provide fun ideas for weddings but also for daily life. This adorable project would make for a great centerpiece but you could also use it on your dining room table or even in a bedroom!

You can find the full tutorial here. You’ll end up with this:

Super cute and it looks pretty easy too! You could obviously switch up the colors, maybe even write your names or table numbers instead of love. At the end of your wedding, you could give some away to your guests or even to your vendors.

13 Comments

Filed under Decorations, DIY Ideas, Green Ideas

Tagged as centerpiece, Craft project, DIY project, rope, succulents, twine

January 31, 2011 · 8:00 am

Backyard Weddings and A Week Filled with Milestones

Friends- it is a super exciting week for us over here at The Charity Wedding. This week will mark both our 300th post and our 1 year anniversary of the blog. When I think back to one year ago, I was overwhelmed with wedding details, had no idea where to begin, and I felt discouraged as I fully expected wedding planning to be much more fun. On February 2nd the idea for a wedding that benefited charity popped in my head and on February 3rd the blog began. If I would have waited and let the idea settle, I likely wouldn’t have gone through with it. It was nerve racking and I of course considered the scenario that no vendor would reply to me and that many people would tell me I was crazy. But I tried not to focus on that and instead told myself daily that this would work, I would find the right people for the task, and it would be a success. All those positive thoughts came true and then some. I have said this before and I will say it again, I am endlessly indebted to the amazing vendors who got on board for this project. Without them this blog would have fizzled up quickly, I likely would have been even more discouraged, and my wedding probably would have been in Vegas. I have learned so much in this past year about weddings, blogging, and various forms of social media and I have met some truly incredible people that although I have never met, I consider to be great friends. If anything this project proved that you can do anything you set your mind to, crazy ideas will often become brilliant realities, and giving is always better than receiving. Thank you to all the loyal readers and supporters especially my Grandma’s friend Juanita, my Grandma, my Mom, Melissa Dunstan, Cindy Reeves, Renee Hute-Kaminski, my sister, Christine DeAngelis, Grady Polcyn and all the people at Camp Soaring Eagle. Kyle was never really interested in wedding planning but he always supported this blog, my endless hours on Twitter, my crazy ideas, my craft projects and to this day still reads each and every post.

Anyway due to the exciting nature of this week we have some fun things planned including a Giveaway on Thursday! Come back to check out the details!

For today- in honor of where I was one year ago today (planning, overwhelmed, confused), this post goes out to our friends Chantel and Grady who are in the exact same spot. If you follow me on Twitter, they are the ones getting married in his parent’s backyard and are looking for inspiration. I have compiled some backyard wedding inspiration and my best advice to those couples out there trying to get started.

The Advice:

Regardless of what anyone tells you, you can plan a wedding on ANY budget. You just have to be realistic and set priorities.
Figure out what is most important to you and book those things first.
Once you book a few things, a lot of that anxiety you had about where to start will subside and the rest will start to just roll along.
The time lines and budget calculators in the wedding books and magazines will cause you more stress, ignore them. There is no rule that every couple must spend 5% of their budget on a cake. Spend based on what your priorities are and what you feel comfortable with.
If you plan to DIY- start now. You will need time to shop for the best deals on supplies and all that stuff takes time. If you do it a little at a time it will feel less overwhelming.
Have fun and remember what a wedding is! It isn’t about flowers, decorations or food, it is about marrying the person you love. Remind yourself of that often and it will help you keep things in perspective!

Now for backyard weddings… remember that a venue sets a stage for your decor and the mood of your event. A backyard has an implied sense of intimacy and tradition and a truly quaint feeling. Home made touches, family photos, heirlooms, and home decor pieces will look much more appropriate than super formal or structured decor. Of course, all backyards are different and will lend themselves to different decor but I envision a space that really represents you and your family and that your guests will feel really comfortable in.

{Via A Cup of Jo}

{Via Style Me Pretty}

{Via Ruffled Blog}

{Via Design a la Mod}

{Via Country Living}

{Via Project Wedding}

{Via Gringa and Groom}

{Via Elizabeth Anne Designs}

{Via Sparkle and Hay}

{Via Green Wedding Shoes}

{Via Love Made Visible Events}

Um, during this searching process I fell even more in love with backyard weddings! I love the versatility a backyard offers and the lack of normal venue rules. You can literally be out there constantly trying out ideas and breaking up the space to fit your needs. I can’t wait to see how yours turns out, Grady and Chantel!

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Filed under Decorations, DIY Ideas, Green Ideas, Real Weddings

Tagged as backyard weddings, bunting, diy decorations, furniture in weddings, hand made decorations, vintage weddings

January 24, 2011 · 8:00 am

Fruit That Looks As Good As It Tastes.

If your budget doesn’t allow much room for flowers, there is another fresh, colorful option likely sitting in your kitchen. That’s right, you don’t have to succumb to fake plants just to get that flash of color you are wanting. Mother nature proves that you can have your cake and eat it too. Except instead of cake, we are talking fruit. Some big benefits of fruit: it is bright, fresh, and it won’t wilt after your I Do’s. Depending on the season, you can generally find bulk fruit for a good price. When the wedding is over, you can eat it up. Even if you do want flowers, fruit is a great way to add an unexpected element to your decor, centerpieces or floral arrangements. Let me show you what I mean:

{Via Cachic Designs}

{Via Sensational Wedding Vendors}

{Via The Knot}

{Via San Diego Wedding Insider}

{Via The Pear Dish}

{Via The Wedding Ideas Blog}

{Via A Cup of Jo}

{Via This Next}

{Via The Knot}

Last but not least a DIY from The Bride’s Cafe:

Head over to The Bride’s Cafe for the full tutorial on how to make this adorable apple garland. (You could use lemons, pears, or maybe even pomegranates depending on your color scheme and time of year)

Would you swap fruit for flowers or at least be willing to mix it up? Fruit can give weddings a relaxed, country feel or a modern feel depending on how you use them. Fruit is a great eco-friendly option not only in lieu of flowers but also of paper goods if you use it as place cards or to label your food items.

8 Comments

Filed under Decorations, DIY Ideas, Green Ideas

Tagged as DIY tutorial, DIY wedding decorations, fruit, fruit centerpieces, wedding decorations using fruit, Wedding DIY

September 21, 2010 · 2:22 pm

Place Cards with Pizzazz

So with less than a month to go until the big day, it is time for the little details! Which includes seating arrangements. Whether your wedding is super formal or super casual, I highly recommend some sort of organized seating. It is helpful for you and for the guests. The seating chart is a pain, especially when some people have yet to RSVP (you know who you are) but in the end it will make things a little more organized at the wedding and insure that no one ends up getting stranded and is stuck sitting with a group of people they don’t know. I get to work on the seating placement and Kim gets the lovely task of getting creative with the actual card. Which does not have to be a card at all in fact. You could double the card with your favor to kill two birds, with a glass for them to drink out of, or any other variety of creativeness you can think of. Here are some fun ideas…

Are you having a beach wedding? Because if so, these would be adorable! Personalized sand dollars! Shells would work too. Love this.

Little plants are my all time favorite! The options are endless for plants. You could use herbs or just moss as above. You could even eliminate the paper all together and write the person’s name on the pot!

If paper is still the way you want to go, you don’t just have to line them up on a table… make a tree! This is gorgeous and a decoration all in itself! If you put the sticks in a decorative vase, you could use it in your home after the wedding is over! It could be just as beautiful without a bunch of little cards on it!

O.M.G. Tell me that isn’t adorable. This etsy artisan also makes little birds, peacocks, and flowers to name a few. She also does coordinating table number cards and even napkin rings!

Recognize these? Yep, I found them on The Knotty Bride so obviously you know they are amazing!! Adorable and functional! And no one will confuse their cup for yours. Perfection.

It’s a shame I didn’t find this for yesterday’s post but it fits either way! Gourd name cards! So festive and fun!

This might be better for a smaller wedding as it looks either expensive or time consuming, but gorgeous!

These candles would provide a lot of ambiance and they are super cute.

Place cards do not have to be boring. They can be a very fun and inexpensive way to get creative. Think about things you can get in bulk for relatively cheap (apples, lemons, little jars…) and as long as you have a sharpie, you are good to go! Well maybe not a sharpie, but you get the idea. Place cards are just one of the many things at a wedding that just gets trashed. Why not get a little creative and find something that also has a function or something guests will want to take with them?

Send your place card ideas my way!

Oh My Gourd.

There is one plant that absolutely thrives during the hot, dry Arizona summer. No, I’m not referring to cactus but rather to the gourd plant. I fully believe now that Jack and the Beanstalk was possible considering how these crazy gourds grow with very little water. They literally are spanning the length of our backyard. I’d much rather have such success with my tomato plant as opposed to the somewhat useless gourd but life just isn’t that perfect. Now that it is cooling down, to the gourds anyway, the vines are starting to die and the gourds are starting to dry up and fall off the vine. So I was walking around in the backyard today picking them up and wondering what possible things I could do with them other than the obvious-Stick them in a glass bowl routine. I thought they could be a nice touch in a fall wedding and while I consider myself creative, I know no one can come up with better uses for gourds than of course, Martha Stewart. She didn’t disappoint either! Here are some fun ideas to incorporate into your fall wedding or maybe your Thanksgiving dinner! And if you don’t have a gigantic gourd plant taking over your backyard, you can buy them relatively cheap at most grocery stores around this time of year.

Little gourd vases could make for a very cute centerpiece option or even as a favor to give to guests!

Tell me gourd garland (say that three times fast) isn’t the cutest thing ever?! Gourds are hard though so if you try this don’t impale yourself while trying to get the twine through them!

Um Gourd lights!! Only Martha would think of that! There is a little How To for this one on the website so just click on one of the pictures to figure out how to make this a reality!

This wreath was too fantastic not to share, in my opinion. It is made of corn husks and the look is completed with a little row of gourds, pumpkins and candles!

I love fall! It just seems so cozy and warm. Gourds can be transformed into a very easy DIY project that doubles as a very festive decoration! From candle holders to dramatic vases with larger gourds, the possibilities are endless!

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Filed under Decorations, DIY Ideas, Green Ideas

Tagged as fall centerpiece, fall decorations, gourds

August 18, 2010 · 9:16 am

Do You Have A Box?

Today I have a little craft project that proves that you can DIY with stuff you have around the house or with a few very cheap supplies. Assuming you have a box that is. Any box will do, go find one. Alright now you will need:

Two different colors of paint (Whatever you have leftover from your last painting project. Or go to Home Depot and buy the little containers of tester paint that they sell so you can try it out before you paint your whole living room mustard yellow. They are around 3 bucks.) A dark and a light color will work best.
Elmer’s Glue
Paint brush
Paper doilies- I bought a pack in the cake decorating section. If you had old lace or cloth doilies that you don’t mind destroying, that will work too.
A can of spray paint
Old frames

Cut down your box to the desired size.

I just so happened to have two terrible gold frames that fit the size of my cardboard perfectly. I’m not sure how this worked out SO perfectly but it did. However, gold was not the look I was going for so I spray painted them black. Had I not used these, they likely would have been trashed or they would have continued collecting dust.

First paint the board with the dark paint and let dry. Then paint on a layer of glue. The thicker the glue, the larger the crackle. Let the glue get tacky, do NOT let it dry all the way. Paint the lighter paint over the top of the glue. Let dry. (You could reverse the paint colors depending on how you want the crackle to look.) When it dries, the cardboard looks like an old piece of wood.

Now get your paper doily or lace and lay in on either edge or however you want the design to appear. Spray paint over the top lightly. Remove the doily and voila!

Staple this with a staple gun to the frame. Write whatever your heart desires and you are done.

You can customize it any way you want! If you mess up, just get another box! When the wedding is over I can rip the cardboard part off the frames and re-use them! Here is another version I made using a piece of scrap wood.

What have you done with a box? You could have done this!

4 Comments

Filed under Decorations, DIY Ideas, Green Ideas

Tagged as budget weddings, cardboard, crackle paint, craft projects, DIY projects, DIY wedding, eco-friendly, green craft projects, name signs, re-use, recycle, wedding signs

August 6, 2010 · 9:08 am

Finds Filled with Burlap!

Thanks to my WordPress dashboard it has become increasingly clear that you people love burlap. Which excites me because I too love burlap, obviously since that is how you found my blog! The most common search term that lands people on this here blog involves burlap. So in an effort to give you more of what you love, I found some fabulous burlap wedding accessories and decor! Things you could buy or even DIY if you have it in you! Burlap has this great organic quality and often appears rustic but when mixed with some other glitzy accessories, it can be completely glamorous as well. It is often used in country themed weddings but I think you could incorporate it into just about any wedding that is going for that eclectic, handmade feel.

Hang these on your chairs or hold them in your pictures. Either way, they are adorable!

How about a personalized ring pillow with an adorable little monogrammed wooden heart?

Wouldn’t these make a great gift for your bridal party?

Who doesn’t love the marriage of burlap and flag garland? If you aren’t craft, buy this one. If you are, you could easily make this yourself!

Burlap clutches for your bridesmaids? Yes, please!

If you are having a small, intimate wedding. These handmade napkin rings could make a big impact on your table!

Aisle decor perhaps?

No joke, I want every single one of these things! Which one is your favorite? How are you incorporating burlap into your wedding?

Have a fabulous weekend! If you get crafty with burlap, let me know!

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Filed under Decorations, DIY Ideas, Green Ideas

Tagged as burlap, burlap decorations, diy decorations, DIY projects, eco-friendly, wedding decorations

July 9, 2010 · 9:16 am

Thrifty Finds

There are a few notable reasons I enjoy shopping at thrift stores. First and foremost, I enjoy the challenge of sifting through crap to find something amazing. Secondly of course they are majorly budget friendly. Some other reasons include the fact that shopping there means you are reusing someone’s old, discarded things and giving them a new amazing life or the fact that they are often small local businesses and in these times it’s crucial to support our local businesses. Finally, many times the store sends all or part of their proceeds to support a charity which is like a double use of money in my book and I do love efficiency. The goal of my wedding is sort of an eclectic elegance with DIY elements weaved in with fun finds. I am not looking for that matchy, matchy super formal type of event. I want rustic classiness which mixes together textures, materials, colors, and fabrics into a beautiful synergy of wedding decor. I set out today to find some fun elements for the tables and well anything else that might inspire me. Here are a few of the finds.

I was going to save the best for last but I was too excited to share! Thrifty find #1: A Vintage Lou Taylor clutch in nearly perfect condition. Cost: $5.00. Mind blowing, I know. Alright now to table decor…

Who doesn’t love milk glass? It has a nice vintage feel and understated elegance to it. Imagine these in a group with a few flowers in each of them. Perfection.

A brass candelabra may look dull at first sight BUT imagine it draped in strands of pearls, maybe a few crystals hanging down, you could even spray paint it to match your color scheme. The possibilities are endless here! Place this on your sweet heart table for a little mood lighting and all the rest of the tables will be jealous!

In total I purchased 8 things for a total of $20.91. The clutch was a splurge as everything else came in around $2 or less. The biggest bonus is not only am I reusing someone elses old things but when the wedding is over I can use all these pieces as home decor. If I went to a craft store and purchased 10 of the same vases for each of my tables I would likely have no use for them. Who needs 10 of the same vases? Think of the sentimental value of seeing these pieces in various places in my house for the rest of my life and the memories they will invoke. You just can’t beat it. In addition if these items don’t fit in to the whole wedding plan, it’s no major loss. So instead of heading to a major retail store or bridal warehouse, head to a thrift store and see what kind of crazy cool stuff you can find. The planet will thank you and so will your budget.

All Chalked Up

We may be the last generation that remembers chalk boards in the classroom. As I got older, the black board was beginning to be replaced by white boards with an array of colorful markers. Maybe it’s that link to childhood that makes me love chalkboards, their simplicity, or their functionality, either way I sure do enjoy them! A major bonus: With the release of chalkboard paint available at home stores, ANYONE can make one. Not only can you make one but you can make it any size or any shape to fit your needs. From place cards, to menus, to direction signs, you can incorporate this classic into any area of your wedding regardless of the theme or level of formality. Here’s a few examples so you can see what I mean:

I love everything about this place setting! So freaking cute!