Weddings in Green

Pink Lady

2010-10-16T12:20:00.001-04:00

Pink Lady by DC_lollipop featuring a victorian hat

New Fall DAY

2010-10-16T12:12:00.001-04:00

New Fall DAY by DC_lollipop featuring a plaid skirt

FREE Tickets to Great Bridal Expo

2010-09-02T12:55:00.007-04:00

2 Free Tickets to America's #1 Bridal Event!

Sunday, September 18th @ 11:00 a.m.
Hilton Alexandria At Mark Center
5000 Seminary Road, Alexandria, VA 223311

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Meet the best local and national exhibitors offering you everything you need to make your wedding dreams come true!

Taste everything from cakes to catering and find the perfect food for your reception.

Save money and time when you meet and choose from a wide variety of local and national vendors.

See the hottest wedding fashions in two New York-style fashion shows.

Win dozens of prizes including a honeymoon, airline tickets, jewelry and more!

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Email me to get the Promo Code

itslukia@gmail.com

“Greening up” Your Honeymoon

2010-04-12T20:47:00.003-04:00

After you plan your green wedding, you may also want to "green up" your honeymoon. Plan a honeymoon that can make a difference.

Imagine spending your honeymoon hiking to waterfalls, visiting hot springs, taking awesome yoga classes and at the spa. For all that and more check out the Jungle Bay Resort and Spa in naturally stunning Dominica!

Jungle Bay Resort & Spa offers plenty of on-site activities and facilities. The property is located on 55 acres of lush tropical Jungle ready to be explored.

Jungle Bay's Mission is to enhance the natural environment and improve the livelihood of surrounding communities so that the region is improved in a sustainable way, while providing quality, comfortable nature-based experiences for their guests. Jungle Bay Resort & Spa was built and is operated in alignment with international sustainable tourism guidelines. As an alternative to traditional Caribbean tourism, the focus is on enjoyable nature-based activities and wellness of guests with quality service, guided by the principles as set by The International Ecotourism Society (TIES): TIES defines ecotourism as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people."

There are some different choices for you to green your honeymoon. Choose to stay in a green hotel that is supporting the local community or having corporate social responsibility.

Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts's key brand value is Corporate Social Responsibility. It integrates green practices into both the physical and communal environment in countries where the resorts are located. Check out the website and find your honeymoon destination.

Ready to go?

You Don't Want to Miss This Dress!

2010-04-12T00:57:00.003-04:00

When people talk about green or greenish weddings they shy away from talking about the wedding dress. I think that’s because when people think “green clothing” they think hippie, and they don’t see how to reconcile their desire for a beautiful, elegant wedding dress with the image of a barefoot bride with daisies in her hair (not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it isn’t for everyone).Wearing a GREEN gown doesn't mean sacrificing style. You will be surprised when you find out how amazing these "eco-friendly" dresses are.

Inspired by several famous designers' SS2010 work, I find some similar work with eco-friendly fabrics.

All pictures above are from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

#1. Stacked Skirt Gathering and Layers

Designers focus on bunched layers and bulky fabrics sitting at the hips and thighs. This is fantastic news for the straight-framed bride, as this style creates a feminine hour glass effect.

WHERE TO GET IT

Puridee's adorable “Shanda” convertible bridal gown (above) crafted from organic fabrics and peace silks.

Pictures above are from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and Valentino.com

#2. One Shoulder Dress

Runways were awash with sassy styles, from Lanvin’s many bold, colorful pieces in everything from leopard print to huge shoulder bows, to Alexander McQueen’s short sharp shapes. Vera Wang, Badgley Mischka and Valentino also embraced the trend.

Where to get it

The cotten bride offers several one shoulder gowns. Check them out!

Moreover, I saw RecycledBride.com on the Eco-Beautiful Blog . RecycledBride is the world's first eco-friendly wedding resale website. They give brides a free, fun place to buy and sell new, sample, and gently used wedding dresses, accessories, bridesmaids gowns, decor, and more.

Do you think that selling your wedding dress can help save the world? There are 2.4 million weddings every year in the U.S. If half of the brides buy used wedding dresses, it would make a difference.

Save-the-Date Announcement

2010-04-11T01:27:00.007-04:00

How much time do you have before your wedding?
How far will people need to travel to attend?
Do you want to send something that can remind them to save the date or just announce your engagement?

You may need a save-the-date. It is the first communication can let people know how formal your wedding will be. It also shows your taste and sense of the style---the first impression of the couple you will be. There are a lot of ways to make your save-the-date card. It can be as simple as a postcard. Couples do collect postcards and chose a different one for each person they invited. If you would like to have some privacy, you can send a mail with the save-the-date card in side. You may also combine it with a holiday card. For example, it could be a new year’s card or a Valentine’s Day card. You can take a photo of yourselves holding a sign with the date and send it with your card. You can also find chic vintage cards on Esty.com.

I have a recommendation here. Let me show you how to create an eco-friendly interlocking announcement. I found this inspiration in “the paper bride”—A book about how to do wedding D.I.Y. with paper.

Materials:
Scissors
Pen
Graphic Knife
Construction Paper/ Tissue Paper/ Recycled Paper

Step 1. Cut a rectangle from a piece of paper. Make sure it would fit in your envelope after being folding. Here I use the purple construction paper. (4 dollar for 96 sheets with 8 different colors) You can use a tissue paper as well.

Step 2. Fold the rectangular paper as it is showed in step 2.

Step 3. Fold the paper towards the middle line of the paper as it is showed in step 3.

Step 4. Draw 2 hearts on the paper. The one on the right is slightly larger than the one on the left.

Step 5. Cut off the half portion inside each heart. Cut the half heart on the outline of each heart just like the picture above.

Step 6. Plan your words, typesetting or hand writing, and write onto the paper. Or print several copies of your words and attach it to your cut-out card. You may also put a bit of tape or glue and paste your photo onto the card.

Step 7. Interlock the card as it is showed in step 7.

Step 8. Fold and insert the card into the envelope.

This is an easy D.I.Y save-the-date card template. You can figure out how to make it look good once you’ve figure out how it works. Your save-the-date experience will let you know how involved you want to be with your actual invitation. By sticking to the theme of this blog, just remember to use recycled materials to send out a message to your guests that your wedding is going to be a green wedding or you want to give them a green bride or groom image.

You may also like Table Decor and Flowers

Catch The Tail End of Cherry Blossom

2010-04-10T21:26:00.003-04:00

Source:“Cherry Blossom Elegance” Mini-Pillar Candle

History of National Cherry Blossom Festival:
The blooming of the cherry trees around the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. has come to symbolize the natural beauty of our nation's capital city. The famous trees, a gift from Japan in 1912, signal Washington’s rite of spring with an explosion of life and color that surrounds the Tidal Basin in a sea of pale pink and white blossoms. Thousands of city residents and visitors from across the nation and around the world come here to witness the spectacle, hoping that the trees will be at the peak of bloom for the Cherry Blossom Festival.

Source: Sakura Photography, Wedding theme: sakura

Spring is in the air, and you can bring it to your table with these beautiful, cherry blossom themes inspired by Japanese Sakura in bloom. You can make this theme as subtle or overpowering as you like, but here are a few item you might want to introduce to your green spring wedding:

Some nice pictures of the bride and gloom together under the cherry trees, a stunning hand-crafted sakura tiered cake, lovely sakura invites from Etsy, customised wine bottles with these cute sakura stickers, cherry blossom crockery,sandalwood fan and pink Cherry Blossom light from blend boutique.

Source:Cherry Blossom Eau de Toilette , Initialed Monogram Sticker, Japanese Cherry Blossom Reed Diffuser, Sakura Wedding Cake

Fill your home with the decadent, light floral fragrance of Japanese Cherry Blossom using a decorative and natural scent diffuser from Body Shop. Get a stunning cake taste as good as it looks. L'OCCITANE Cherry Blossom Eau de Toilette uses the Luberon cherry. The extract obtained is very rich in AHA fruit acids and sugars. It therefore has hydrating properties.

The picture on the top left was taken by me. I like the small flowers. They look so lovely.In Japan, the cherry tree is a symbol of integrity, modesty and courtesy. The unique window cling on the right top can be used on any glass surface. Here is a great way to personalize the windows of your getaway car in a sophisticated manner. Also, consider using these on the windows of church doors or reception halls to help direct your guests. Check out Cherry Blossom Window Cling at Bliss Wedings Market .

The cherry blossoms are so lovely that you may want to decorate your tables with cherry blossoms, don't break the branches of the lovely trees. You can make Origami Cherry/Sakura Blossoms. See the pattern and instruction on Flirty Guide or you can purchase high quality imitation cherry blossoms (sakura) from Bliss Weddings Market. The Silk Cherry Blossom Petals Toss make a lovely flower toss for your cherry blossom wedding! Whether scattered down the aisle by your adorable flower girl, tossed by your wedding guests as you exit or sprinkled on tabletops, the effect is fresh and romantic.

Hey, if you are getting married this spring, why not have a Cherry Blossom theme wedding?

What about Wedding in Wonderland?

2010-03-06T21:19:00.018-05:00

I saw Alice in Wonderland with my friend on the opening day of the movie this week. Tim Burton’s version of wonderland looks amazing, often colorful, but equally often ravaged and desolate. I like this movie although I had to wear two pairs of glasses and the 3D glasses kept slipping from my nose.

Inspired from the Burton’s new movie, my post of this week is about green wedding ideas of Alice in Wonderland. They are creative theme wedding ideas and green wedding ideas as my former posts. Hope you like it.

Sources: Annie Leibovitz, Annie Leibovitz for Vogue, Lyndie Dourthe

I like these Alice in wonderland photos that Annie Leibovitz shot for Vogue in December 2003. They are very creative. The designers acted like Alice's friends in the movie and helped her in her adventure. Marc Jacobs as the Caterpillar in this picture. I think almost every couple gets help from their family and friends for their big day.

At the end of the movie, the caterpiller turns into a beautiful butterfly. How adorable this handmade table decor is. Imagining these butterflies flying on your table. Check it out at Lyndie Dourthe.

Sources: The Wedding Chicks, Annie Leibovitz, Brandon Christopher Warren's Flickr,

Charm Bracelet on Esty, The MAD HATTER invitation, Yarayuki's Blog.

Vintage is in and what better way to save precious resources than to re-use. With a little bit of research, you can find some incredible gowns at reasonable prices. Wearing a gorgeous blue ruffled wedding dress, the bride can attend this lovely tea party reception. A tea party recption is a great idea for couples planning an early reception. It's ideal for anyone who is looking for ecological and financial reception (using daylight,less alcohol and less food), but still an unique experience for both the guests and the couple. Remember, always source green for your flowers,invites and food. You might be interested in my older post on Wedding Ideas---Table Decor and Flowers.

Sources: Express Monorail's Flickr,Bracelet by Brightcolorart and Karolinfelix,

Shelton Muller's Flickr, Style Amor, Dr. Blythenstein's Flickr,

Queen Of Hearts Gold Necklace, butterfly table decor also from Lyndie Dourthe.

Find a fairy tale like place to take your wedding pictures, such as the Australian forest like this. It's not often these colours are seen in Australian forests, but for one shining moment just for you two ...

I decide to post one picture with Johnny Depp because his performance was perfect in this film : ) I like his dance. The red queen's performance was remarkable as well.

Sources: Fashionbride's Weblog, Tea party pictures from The Wedding Chicks, handmade craft from Esty.

Keira Knightley looks elegant in this blue gown. Are you planning to wear a blue wedding dress?

I would like to mention all these adorable handmade crafts as well. They are small eco-friendly things that can make your wedding as unique as the adventure of our little Alice. Have a nice weekend!

Table Decor and Flowers

2010-02-22T13:20:00.010-05:00

Fresh cut flowers are not the kindest environmental option, mostly because of the environmental effects on the land, the chemicals and fertilisers used and the fact that they do not last more than a few days. For many brides, fresh cut flowers may still be their absolute must have for their weddings.

Here is an idea you can decrease the impact of your event on the planet. Using origami roses is a pretty good idea to replace some fresh cut flowers for table decor.

How adorable are these origami roses? I love this idea from Bloomize for Origami roses. Even though they look a little complicated, I am sure some of you want to create your own.

1. Kawasaki rose

2. Bird base rose

3. Standard rose

DIY---Origami Heart Invitations ②

2010-02-21T16:58:00.009-05:00

Hey,these are the pictures of the origami heart invitations I made from construction paper. Do you like it? I uploaded this tutorial video. Enjoy the video and pictures~See more about this green wedding invitation on DIY---Origami Heart Invitations!

See my other post on Green Wedding idea, go to DIY---A Different Ring for Your Love !

DIY---Origami Heart Invitations

2010-02-21T00:29:00.011-05:00

I saw this on Eat Drink Chic today. These were used for the blogger's engagement party.

Such creative and unique invitations!

In fact, one of my classmate taught me how to do this when we were in high school. I will make a video tomorrow and share with you.

See my last post on Green Wedding idea, go to DIY---A Different Ring for Your Love !

DIY---A Different Ring for Your Love

2010-02-20T19:51:00.017-05:00

Hi,everyone. I would like to tell you how to make pretty origami rings.These origami rings are so easy to make and cost as less as 10 cents each! You can save more if you keep some of those tissue paper you get when you buy clothes and use them to make something echo-chic.

Use these eco-friendly rings as your napkin ring in your green wedding. Is it a great idea?

Step 1. Cut a rectangle from a piece of paper. Here I use the construction paper. (4 dollar for 96 sheets with 8 different colors)

Step 2. Fold the rectangular paper as it is showed in step 2. Make sure that the width of the smaller rectangle is from 1cm-1.5cm. The wider you fold, the larger the heart will be.

Step 3. Fold the paper in a half.

Step 4. Fold the top end in catercorner relationship to the center of the rectanglar.

Step 5. Fold both side.

Step 6. Turn the paper over.

Step 7. Fold the top trangle.

Step 8. Turn the paper over again.

Step 9. Relieve the folded part.

Step 10. Relieve both side.

Step 11. Fold the 3/4 of the paper from top end in catercorner relationship to the center.

Step 12. Fold both side and you will see two small trangles if you are doing correctly.

Step 13. Turn the paper over and pull out the trangle on the back.

Step 14. Fold the paper according to the width you want for the band.

Step 15. Fold the the whole paper expect the heart part.

Step 16. Roll the band part with a pencil.

Step 17. Wrap it around your finger and fix the length. Apply a tape to secure the ring in place and you r done~

Hope you like it. Feel free to drop a comment.

See the video on Youtube.

About "Green" Wedding

2010-02-19T10:54:00.009-05:00

What is a "green" wedding?

A green wedding or an eco-friendly wedding is any wedding where the couple tries to decrease the impact of their event on the planet. Couples plan their weddings by integrating eco-friendly alternatives, such as eco-friendly invitations, flowers, dress, photography and more! Going green doesn’t mean you have to compromise on your big day, though. These eco-friendly products can be as pretty as ordinary wedding products or even more adorable.

What are the benefits of having a green wedding?

There are many benefits to having a green wedding. I want to say something about environmental, social and economic benefits.

(1) The environmental benefits. With 2.5 million wedding a year in the United States the impact is enormous. With the average cost of a US wedding running at around $20,000 it seems obvious that weddings have a huge footprint, both ecological and economical. The truth is wedding makes a lot of waste.The average wedding produces 63 tons of CO2 and 400-600 pounds of trash. We can make a difference if we integrating the eco-friendly principles in the weddings.

(2) The social benefits. The average wedding costs almost $20,000 and weddings are a $60+ billion industry. When you start talking to vendors about green choices, and explain your choices to your guests, you support the green economy and change the way people in your community as well as your family and friends think.

(3) The economic benefits. Being green usually saves you money. In today's economy, everyone is thinking about how to cut their cost. By making simple substitutions and eco-conscious decisions, like using paperless invitation, it is easy to decrease your impact on the planet and the cost of your event simultaneously.

Are green weddings more expensive?

Most people might think that if organic foods and flowers are used in a green wedding would make it more expensive. No! Serving organic foods and using organic flowers is not the only way you can integrate green principles to your wedding. By buying local seasonal flowers, using recycled elements, and incorporating things you and your friends already own into your decor you can save a lot of your wedding!

How can we find green vendors in our area?

Well. There are a lot of source you can find green vendors. There are a number of blogs that introducing green weddings ideas. For example, The US Couture Wedding Consortium is a website that consists of the leading wedding professionals in the USA. It has a list of green vendors on its website. I have the link to the website in my blog home page. "Weddings in Green" is also a source you can find green vendors because I will introduce some green vendors in the future.

What can I learn in "Weddings in Green"?

I will keep posting green wedding tips and events in this blog. I will write about eco-friendly weddings information and tips of invitations, clothing, jewellery, decor, flowers, gifts, photography, catering and honeymoon. I will share my vedio of D.I.Y on Youtube. I am happy to share and discuss with you of pretty things about love. You are welcome to send me email with your unique green wedding photos, green products or ideas on green weddings.

To learn more about green weddings, here is a quiz of "How Green Is Your Wedding" by Planet Green,Take the quiz

Thank you for viewing my blog!