Archive: May 2010 | View all recent posts | Back to main site
What It Means to Be Green
I'm not sure if it was the footage of oil spewing out of the pipes in the Gulf of Mexico or the article I read on chemicals and cancer (scary, trust me), but somewhere along the line I recently hit a tipping point. Over the past six years I had seen enough trash cans at weddings spilling over with paper goods headed to the landfill, tubs of food being thrown away, and had put thousands of miles on my car driving to faraway destinations. I was trying to practice eco-conscious choices in my personal life, so it was time to add them to the way I run my business. Many of the things we were already doing, but as I began to read more and learn more about changes we could make, the ripple has moved outward.
Here are a few ways that we are creating a sustainable, eco-friendly business and life:
- we use only rechargeable batteries
- we use CFL compact flourescent light bulbs (even though I don't like the way they look!)
- all contracts are executed electronically
- we print in-office documents as little as possible, and what paper we do use is recycled and printed on both sides
- we compost our kitchen waste and have a garden
- we work out of a home office, which saves energy (and time), and means that my daily commute is 14 steps from my kitchen
- we carpool whenever possible
- I no longer book weddings that will be taking place beyond a 60-mile radius from my home -- it saves gas and my sanity, and encourages couples to shop locally.
- we provide the digital files and an online gallery instead of paper proofs
- when we create wedding albums, we use the most highly-regarded eco-conscious printer in the industry
- we buy carbon energy credits through carbonfund.org to offset our footprint
- we encourage our clients to use other vendors who share the same philosophy (see list below)
Some recommended venues for planning your green wedding:
Proximity Hotel
Green Planet Catering
The Iron Hen
Sweet Basil's
Goat Lady Dairy
The Mill House at Richland Creek
Invitations:
Earthly Affair
Want to learn more about planning a green wedding? Check out:
The Green Bride Guide
We are proud to be a Premier member of
Greener Photography, a pioneering organization founded by two of our colleagues working to educate other professionals on ways to be more eco-conscious.
-- William Carlos Williams
 |
4 |
|
7 |
|
2 |
|
9 |
|
24 |
vineyard wedding: abigail & joe
One doesn't often think of National Public Radio as being particularly romantic, but when Abigail won a trip to Paris for donating to
WUNC's spring fund drive a few years ago, she and her boyfriend Joe planned a trip to Europe. With some creative travel agency work, they were able to extend their trip and include Italy on the itinerary. Joe carried the engagement ring in a small brown paper bag hidden in the bottom of his suitcase and waited for the perfect moment (9 days into the trip!) to pop the question: an afternoon at an Italian winery.
So, North Carolina's
Raffaldini Vineyards was the perfect setting for the Raleigh couple to get married (coordinated by the amazing Cara of
A Southern Soiree). Here are some of the "green" ideas they incorporated:
- The invitations were Crane & Co., which uses 100% recovered tree-free fibers.
- The welcome bags were reusable wine totes from their favorite local wine shop in Raleigh
- The rehearsal party on Friday was all local: Little Richards BBQ, The Mitchell River Band (bluegrass band made up of local Elkin guys), and the wine came from another of their favorite local wineries, Hanover Park.
- In lieu of favors they made a donation to the Atlanta Humane Society (where they found their pooch)
- The beautiful vintage milk glass vases for the centerpieces were collected over several months from eBay and craigslist.
- The corks used for place cards were from bottles of wine that Abbie and Joe have shared over the years.
- All the wine served at the wedding was local vintage, made right there at Raffaldini, and the beer served was from Foothills Brewing Company>, a local brewery.
- The gorgeous flowers were by Amy Lynne Originals, who incorporated as much local greenery and herbs as possible.
- And of course, the whole thing came about from a donation to their local NPR station! :)
Enjoy the eye candy of this sweet, lovely wedding:
|
1 |
|
6 |
Traci's amazing eye for beautiful skies and angles:
|
1 |
Hanging paper decorations handmade by an
Etsy artisan:
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
6 |
|
1 |
|
6 |
|
4 |
|
2 |
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
4 |
|
25 |
|
4 |
|
3 |
|
1 |
|
11 |
|
1 |
|
6 |
In their everyday lives, this gorgeous and loving couple are both hard-working medical residents at a local hospital, so I loved seeing them in their "weekend" identities. I'm sure you'll agree that these two are utterly connected, heart and soul. Great qualities for physicians, by the way.
Their wedding is in just ten days, and will take place in Haley's own backyard. I can hardly wait, and can't wait to share those pics, too.
|
8 |
|
6 |
|
7 |
|
20 |
|
15 |
|
31 |
|
46 |
|
28 |
|
11 |
P.S. I asked Haley what her favorite quotation was, and she sent me this, from "The Gift" by Hafiz:
Even after all this time
The sun never says to the earth,
"You owe Me."
Look what happens with
A love like that,
It lights the Whole Sky.
These two are almost exactly the same age as my babies, so it is so much fun to hang out with them. We romped around Tanglewood Park a few weeks ago, enjoying the spectacular weather.
|
5 |
|
3 |
|
4 |
|
4 |
|
8 |
|
3 |
| Posts: 250 |
Comments: 1,832 |
Visits: 211,316 |
Page views: 583,477 |
