{Eco-Chic Weddings} by Emily Anderson

{fall look} green with glamour + sworn virgins

Pretty leaves make a lovely alternative to flowers, don't you think? My aunt was married in my grandparent's yard, which is surrounded by woods. Autumn leaves were her bouquets, and the bridesmaids dressed in velvet in various shades of the season. My mother even dyed her hair a reddish color...que coquetta, as they say in Spanish...for more fall inspiration, go here...www.foliagenetwork.com. Happy Thanksgiving!

 

{clockwise from the top left: Antique glassware, www.lookintheattic.com (from Domino); Dress by Sworn Virgins; Cruelty free bone earrings, www.greenwithglamour.com; Vintage Postcard, www.vintagecharmings.com}

Wedding Photography: I'd like do-over, please

So, when I was planning my wedding to my wonderful husband, I was a professional event designer. Needless to say, planning my wedding was a little like taking a busman's holiday. Truth be told, I was way more excited about the honeymoon.

With that being said, I wouldn't change a thing about my wedding, except for one thing--the photography.

The images here are by the super-talented Nicole Green. Ms. Green has a fantastic eye for composition, and that's the kind of photographer you want at your event.

{eco-chic} wedding inspiration: carol belanger grafton

Long a resource for designers, the books produced by Carol Belanger Grafton (Editor) range from the sublime to the pedestrian (think: Vicotorian era flourishes, and animal sticker books). They also provide some  great inspiration and ideas for an eco-chic event. Let this also be a reminder that inspiration need not come from a "wedding" resource...

   

    

walking the walk: campaign for safe cosmetics

I have a confession. I have been "highlighting" my dark blonde hair from the age of 14...crazy, I know...I started out with the cap and pulling strands through the tiny holes. Then, I moved on to the" sun-in"method whereby you spray an entire bottle and sit in the sun for hours (or use  a hair dryer until you practically burn your scalp.) When I moved to New York, I gradually made my way around the city from salon to salon--Fekkai, Minardi, Bumble, Tricomi, Barrett...I've been everywhere. After many years,  I ended up at anAveda Concept Salon....

Ninety-nine percent of Aveda's semi-permanent dye is plant-derived, and the permanent dyes are 97 percent plant-based. In my research to find an acceptable cruelty-free alternative to the traditional petroleum based  hair dye, Aveda seemed to be the only reliable solution (for me.)
I know this is not ideal--Aveda does contain some unhealthy ingredients, and they're owned by Estee Lauder. As is Burt's Bees and Origins. And Andrew Weil licensed his supplement business to Lauder as well. And Aerin Lauder is on the cover of Better Homes & Gardens, which may or may not be the last issue of the magazine, ever...but I digress. Here are my favorite resources for information about healthy beauty:
www.care2.com
www.safecosmetics.org
www.notjustaprettyface.org

read more about beauty here...

a (fair-trade) fairy-tale wedding

Etsy designer Autumn Russell makes some lovely wedding dresses. Buying Handmade clothes and purchasing from independent designers is a very good way to encourage designers in general to  be more  fair in their manufacturing practices. Particularly mass produced items like a lot of the wedding dresses you will find on the market today.

It's quite difficult to get straightforward information about labor practices when it comes to fashion. We as consumers really need to ask for more accountability from the designers we support.
Read more about Autumn Russell on the Indie Wedding Guide...