{Eco-Chic Weddings} by Emily Anderson

*unruly things* and emily post

i have long recommended skipping the save-the-date and save-the-paper instead. i still think a printed wedding invitation is a special and important part of the experience...but no judgment if you do send everything electronically. i know some people feel this is not proper etiquette. but i like to say that the internet wasn't around while emily post was alive, and her recommendations have always been based on good common sense as well as being selfless, rather than a selfish person.

alyson of sunali design can bring beauty to your wedding. and make your wedding more eco-friendly. and save you money too. i am giving alyson the "Eco-Chic Weddings Editor's Choice" award. i hope she approves of my own novice design skills ;)

you can read more about alyson and sunali, as well as an excerpt from my book about mindful weddings on the indie weddings guide...

and as for the great wedding-email debate, publsher's weekly wrote in a review of emily post's updated book "etiquette" this: 

"The original book was considered revolutionary in its time because it recast manners from rigid Victorian rules into behavior that was based on ethics, values and common sense."

don't have a green wedding

I am not a fan of the "green themed" wedding, as I think I've said before. For me, this is not about a theme...it's about a way of being. Saving resources, including your time and money, and enjoying the process is what it's all about.

Actually Eco-Chic Weddings is a little bit of a misnomer--because the way I define Eco-Chic doesn't necessarily have any connection to "Eco." At lease not in the traditional sense of the word. Eco-Chic Weddings  just seemed like the most expedient title at the time...plus, it's pretty catchy.  But what I really meant to say was "Sustainable Weddings." But at the time (2003), my editor didn't think anyone would "get" the word sustainable.

The idea is to have a wedding to match your lifestyle. We all need to be a bit more of a conscious consumer, and planning a wedding is a great way to start. The person I think about as my "inspiration" is my great-grandmother Sullivan, who was married on Sunday morning after Church in the parlour of her parent's home in Rock Island, Illinois. Following the ceremony, the guests retreated to the backyard for tea sandwiches and punch. Simple, sweet, and quite memorable.

I really don't want you to feel like this is just another layer to add to the already complicated matter of planning a wedding. It is the complete opposite. It is about taking a deep breathe and letting go of expectations, going with what feels natural. (the beautiful image above is from Brown Mouse Photography. Click here for more of their fantastic work.)

Still confused about what "sustainable" is? Click here for Sustainable Table, an excellent reference.

happy saturday + steering clear of crazytown

For those of you checking in this weekend, I'm posting a recent photo of my little girl, Sydney Lucille. She is the light of my life, and as you can see, she is already interested in pretty things...just like her mama.

It's been five years since I met my husband, and it took me a long time to find him. But it was worth the wait, because now I'm with a partner who has the same values that I do. We keep each other balanced. Before we got married, we went to pre-marital counseling, which isn't the same thing as meeting with a priest or rabbi, etc. We actually went to a marriage therapist, and it was probably the best thing we could have done. I highly recommend this to everyone. So how is this related to being eco-chic? You know...keeping your priorities straight, building a strong relationship that's based on love, support, understanding, acceptance...instead of going to crazytown during the wedding planning process. It's all about mindfulness and keeping true to your intention. Trust me, when I look at Sydney's beautiful little face, I never think about how I wore my hair on my wedding day ;)