{Eco-Chic Weddings} by Emily Anderson

etsy wedding fun: wedding favors + bridesmaid dresses

all items available on etsy.com:
necklace: candysart
sweet treats: DoubleDippedSweets
heart ribbon: polkadotstrawberry
clutch: dalinda
bridesmaid dress: econica

*quote is by Robert Burns.

gorgeous and green: a martha stewart weddings special on style.

I hope you had a chance to see the Martha Stewart Weddings Special on the Style channel, "Gorgeous and Green."  I was happy to be called upon by Darcy Miller and her team for some green, eco-chic ideas for this beautiful country wedding, which is especially sweet since Martha Stewart and the time I spent working for her provided a lot of inspiration for my book, Eco-Chic Weddings...here are some of my favorite green ideas:

Green tip:

Choose seasonal flowers, if possible. Not only is this a greener choice, but you'll also save money. You can find seasonal items even in the Winter months, like these pretty winterberries...

Green tip:

Skip petroleum based, toxic parrafin candles. Everytime you light them, you're basically breathing in burning petroleum. Yuck! Soy and beeswax candles are readily available, so make the switch.

Green Tip: 

Give your guests favors they won't toss in the trash...these sweet little fabric flowers can be worn by men and women, or they can add a little flare to a home. Skip the personalized favors...Trust me, only your Grandma will use the picture frame with your name and wedding date on it.

Green tip:

Let your bridesmaids and flower girls choose their own dresses that they will wear again after the wedding. Designate a certain color (give them each a fabric or paint swatch as a guide.) It's also a good idea to designate a certain fabric--this will help all of the dresses coordinate. Another way to tie the looks together is to add a little embellishment, such as these pretty little butterflies.

For more green wedding ideas, pick up  copy of my book. Be sure to check with the Style. channel for when they will be showing the Martha Stewart Weddings Special: Gorgeous and Green again.

xo

*all photos are from Martha Stewart

the green vase {livia cetti} + {anthropologie} eco-friendly weddings

I find this layout from an old Anthropologie catalog to be simply stunning. Livia Cetti, formerly at Martha Stewart Weddings, and now the creative force behind The Green Vase, styled this shoot. All other items were found on ebay...except for the gorgeous necklace, from eco-fabulous Lucina Jewelry.

{dreamy creamy} karen bussen + beatrix ong

Today I bring you...a dreamy, creamy, delightful assortment of eco-chic wedding inspiration...

find these things here:
www.beatrixong.com
www.ninareneedesign.etsy.com
www.karenbussen.com
www.yousendme.com
www.opheliamiller.blogspot.com

more inspiring sustainable, fair trade, and eco-chic ideas:
World of Good + Wishpot
Lucina Jewelry + Anthropologie
Wendy Komer + Darcy Miller + Martha Stewart

prismera designs stainless steel delicacies

Check out the newest designs from Prismera Design. They are sublime.       

             

         

{pinks + yellows} eco gold + paper flowers

Pretty is as pretty does...and not only are these items pretty, they are all fair trade, eco, and ethical...

Sources from the top:
Invitation...Paperwink
Bridesmaid/or Rehearsal dinner dress...De Sentino
Bridesmaid/or Bride's shoes...Form + Fauna
Plates...Terra Keramik
Pencil favors...Remarkable
Candle stick....Terra Keramik
Wedding band...Toby Pomeroy
Handmade paper peonies...Martha Stewart

natalie portman's new shoes

Natalie Portman's new line of vegan-shoes are super cute, designed for the label Te Casan. They aren't specifically wedding shoes, per se, but I think they are definitely wedding-worthy.

Read more about why we should rethink our use of leather here...

high fashion to david's bridal: the wedding dress

London-based designer Gary Harvey debuted his first collection last year during London Fashion Week, calling his design approach the re-contextualization of iconic, everyday garments to create dramatic new silhouettes, and thus giving new life to disposable items.   

 

To fashion these dresses, 30 copies of the financial times were folded and attached to a corset, and 28 Army jackets were cut up and reconstructed into a fishtail cocktail dress. (here are some more things you can do with newspaper...)

10 wedding dresses were reconstructed to create this dress. Gary Harvey says: "The wedding dress is one of the most wasteful garments made to be worn once, and then either stored or discarded, and the handiwork of these dresses is often done by low paid workers who receive a fraction of the dresses final cost." And you might be shocked (I was) to learn that 40% of today's brides purchase two dresses for their wedding day...

So how about some affordable, fabulous, fair trade, sustainable wedding gowns? I know there are some out there...but I would hardly call them affordable or high fashion (sorry...) and none have yet to penetrate the behemoth David's Bridal, which is the largest seller of wedding gowns in the U.S....So what's the hold up? Here's one explanation from e Magazine (the best resource, imho...)

" Major labels can order large quantities of organic cotton for a mainstream clothing line, but emerging eco-designers face a series of challenges. Most mills aren’t interested in producing specialty fabrics in small quantities, forcing designers to use an extremely limited color palette (those olive greens, burlap browns and dusty off-whites) or find creative alternatives from recycling fabrics to making one-of-a-kind pieces."

Makes sense, don't you think? So what can we do to make things better, healthier, and more fair for ourselves, and for the people who make our gorgeous wedding gowns? Just start with asking questions...where is this fabric sourced? How is it manufactured? Consumers are driving this green movement, and brides can pretty much drive any changes they want in the wedding industry...look at the increased availability of recycled paper invitations....and the "conflict-free" diamond market. Getting married is beautiful, powerful, and your decisions about how you get married can change your life and the world...viva la revolucion!

frocky jack morgan: eco-chic weddings style

Frocky Jack Morgan takes wedding style to a whole new level. Their one of a kind pieces combine delicious details and surprising combinations--reversing lapels, sewing a vintage silk ruffle onto a muslin petticoat.

The world Frocky Jack Morgan creates is Alice in Wonderland-like, where pieces that shouldn't fit together do...a perfect backdrop for the in love with love wedding crowd...

So how about it, come fly with me and let go of the should-be's of the rigid wedding march, and let your spirit open up to things that will delight you, and leave you tickled pink well after the wedding day ends.

here are somethings that leave me tickled pink:

Wise Travel

Real Eco-Chic Brides

Pretty Things

Sweatshop Free

Women Who Dared

ladies who lunch (or lunch ladies?) + angel sanchez

Yesterday I had the honor of attending a perfectly lovely lunch hosted by Michelle Preli and her fine team over at the Brides.com blog "Wedded Bits."  They were kind enough to invite a group of us wedding bloggers to dish about weddings (of course!)

[Favors from Plaza Athnee; Cake by Ron Ben Isreal]

But oh what a sweet surprise when the mystery guest showed up--Angel Sanchez. He brought three of gowns from his most recent collection, and shared some of his favorite things, including embroidered organza and silk gabardine. He was absolutely charming and inspiring.
*all images Angel Sanchez Spring 09)