Gorgeous Succulents

Gorgeous and Green created another gorgeous wedding bouquet using local succulents and local dahlias. Many of the succulents were grown by me, and others came from local bay area gardens. As usual, I tried to use as many locally grown and non-sprayed flowers as possible in the wedding decor.

Most of the wedding was vivid jewel tones, a theme taken from the bride's collection of glassware that we used to decorate tables at the Berkeley Botanical Garden.

Since the bride was wearing a vintage inspired cream lace gown, we toned down the bouquet to give it the same vintage and feminine feel.

The great thing about cut succulents in a bouquet is that after the wedding is over, you can replant your succulents in soil and they will grow into a plant.

G&G

Impromptu Green Wedding

This Spring Gorgeous and Green had the pleasure of working with a bride and groom who walked into my boutique the weekend before their big day. They decided to have an impromptu wedding at a local winery called Testarossa Winery, and I have to admit that their quick decision making and planning was phenomenal. It also turned out to be quite green and sustainable because they were choosing from great local vendors and had sustainability in mind.

Besides myself, another sustainably-minded green vendor that they chose for their wedding was Cara of Cara Mia Photography. Not only is she a lovely person, but her work is beautiful, and I thought I would share some pics from the event as well as some interview questions I asked her.

GG bride's bouquet with local anemones, peonies, pincushion berry

How are you personally invested in sustainability and being green?

For me being green expands beyond my business which is just an extension of how I live life and the choices I make every day that effect the environment. I like to work with companies and vendors who are conscious of their carbon footprint and who offer real sustainable alternatives like recycled paper products, vegan leather and less plastic packaging. My work is all digital so there's less paper and chemical waste and I buy used equipment to try to get the most life possible out of electronics. At home, where my office is, we try to eat mostly locally grown organic food and compost our waste. My biggest passion is focused on raising awareness about plastic pollution in the ocean. I have a blog "A Mermaid's Tear" http://www.amermaidstear.blogspot.com/ where I share information about the devastating affects of single use plastic waste in the environment and ways we can change our habits. As I've learned more about this issue my awareness about both our spiritual and physical interconnection with nature has deepened tremendously and permeates my personal and business life.

GG local ivy garland with hanging amaranth, roses and local anemones

What are some of your favorite green ideas you've seen at weddings?

I always enjoy seeing handmade or eco-friendly favors like homemade jam or candy, plantable seed cards or beeswax candles. Any couple who chooses to work with a green caterer or florist that specialize in locally harvested and organic produce and flowers is my most favorite idea. That's the single most environmentally friendly thing a couple can do.

GG boutonnieres with local and non sprayed callas

Thanks Cara for your beautiful pictures and lovely thoughts.

G&G

Backyard Wedding

Here's a recent post from my gorgeousandgreen.wordpress blog that I thought I would share here as well. I hope to share more lovely pics when I get them!

The bride and her father

I haven't gotten the full photos yet from the Photographer, Amy Ellis, but I thought I would just share some sweet pics from a wedding Gorgeous and Green did a couple of weeks ago. Although it was in a backyard, it looked so very nice and quaint, perfect for a celebration.

The centerpieces

The bride and groom had asked for a lot of green and also wanted to include elements like blue thistle and lots of eucalyptus and kangaroo paw to note their heritage. (The groom is from Australia, so the kangaroo paw and eucalyptus or "gum leaves", were a special notation for him)

The happy couple

The bride and groom looked wonderful and they were a joy to work with. Cheers!

G&G

Succulent Wedding

Simple succulent weddings. I love including succulent rosettes in bouquets and arrangements. These succulents were grown here in Oakland, and the dahlias were grown in Half Moon Bay.

Photos courtesy of www.MicheleBeckwith.com

I also love simple weddings like the one featured here. The client asked Gorgeous and Green to provide the bouquet and boutonnieres for the Bride and Groom, family and special friends. There wasn't a big wedding party full of 10 bridesmaids in pink taffeta or 15 groomsmen in rented shoes. There weren't huge crystal candelabras or 7 layer cakes. Sometimes we can do those things and try to be as sustainable as possible (rent the candelabras and taffeta) But sometimes keeping those things off the list can actually make it easier to be sustainable with the concentrated amount of decisions left to make in a more simplified wedding.

The magnificent redwoods and ferns that make the lush landscape of Stern Grove in San Francisco was plenty ceremony decor for the couple. I've asked the photographer for some up close shots of the bouquet, since it was so lovely, but in the mean time you can peruse these lovely shots of the couple from afar. Very romantic.

G&G

Another Community Center Extravaganza

Last year Gorgeous and Green had the fortune of being able to help decorate a grand affair at the Piedmont Community Center, and the outcome was fantastic. I whole-heartedly reccomend Community Centers for events when a budget is on the line. And when you spend less on the venue you have all the more budget to spend on flowers and decor!

Photography by Amy Ellis

The bride was looking for a vintage inspired decor using a lot of greens and vivid jewel tones. We rented what we could and used as many local flowers as possible.

The bridesmaids wore dresses that were dyed at home, and I was able to get a hold of some of the dyed material to wrap the bouquets and boutonnieres.

Photography by Amy Ellis

Photography by Amy Ellis

The Bride and her Maid of Honor loved succulents and made cute little planted succulent punch glasses as gifts for guests to take home. They went wonderfully with the fern and succulent displays Gorgeous and Green created for some of the table centerpieces.

Photography by Amy Ellis

It turned out very romantic and classy. I love Vintage! Besides the fact that a vintage look is fabulous, it is also a great way to use used and recycled items! Way to be green!

Photography by Amy Ellis

Photography by Amy Ellis

Gorgeous!

G&G

Interview with an Event Planner

I have had the privilege of getting to work with Vera Devera, a local event planner here in the Bay Area, on a number of weddings. I've asked her to answer some questions about event planning and specifically, green-er events. Enjoy!

1. What kind of services do you provide couples?

Va de Vie Events specializes in month-of wedding coordination,

especially for brides who prefer planning the major elements but recognize the need for help with organizing the event flow, managing vendors, setting up decor and determining the final details. We also offer partial to full planning, including providing overall event design consultation and selecting and booking vendors.

Andi Hatch Photography (c) 2010

Salvaged lace served as the base for an escort card display (recycled kraft paper that was hand punched) and attached to a wrought iron gate.

2. Why would someone want to hire a planner/coordinator?

A wedding coordinator is like the quarterback between the bride and groom with their vendors and key family members. We act on your behalf to ensure that your vision for the day is executed. The greatest value we offer is our ability to troubleshoot and put out fires. Murphy's Law applies to even the best laid plans and it's our job to make sure you don't even know there was a problem and enjoy your wedding -- after all you have invested a lot of time, energy and money into making it extraordinary!

Belathee Photography (c) 2010

Principal event planner and owner, Vera Devera

3. What kind of advice/suggestions do you give couples who are trying to stay green while planning?

1. Determine how green you want to be. What are your priorities in minimizing your carbon footprint and how does it impact your wedding's look and feel and its budget? For example, when it comes to shopping for a wedding dress -- is the greenness of the material and getting a new dress made of bamboo fiber more important than finding a dress on Craigslist and getting it customized with vintage embellishments? Where are you going on honeymoon and how are you getting there? Are you volunteering together, engaging in an eco-tour or just having a relaxing getaway within 200 miles of where you live?

2. Go local! Where is your venue? Is it near public transit? Does it already have the tables and chairs that you need (or do you need any at all, especially if you're getting married on the beach)?

Greg Raphael Photography (c) 2010

Unbleached cotton market bags printed locally with vegetable dye.

3. Hire vendors who share your values. As you're researching or interviewing vendors, find out if they share your philosophy around being green. For example, is your photographer going all digital and will they post a gallery online for your friends and family to view photos? Find out if your floral designer can make a bouquet that you can plant later (e.g. succulent bouquet) and ask your caterer where their ingredients come from and how it's grown or raised.

4. Consider the season, especially for your food and flowers. It doesn't make sense to eat fruits and vegetables out of season and that have to be flown in from south of the equator for your wedding.

5. Shop smart. Thrift stores, antique flea markets or retail outlets that specialize in salvaged materials are great sources for "found" objects that you can incorporate into the look and feel of your wedding. Or, you can shop online. Our go-to is Etsy.com and we suggest searching for vendors (especially local ones) that recycle or use sustainable materials in their work. Keep in mind that it's best to buy locally -- for example, if you find an amazing antique trunk in New Jersey, it's not cost effective or environmentally friendly to get it shipped out of state.

6. Leverage your existing network and consider the reusability of materials. Can you borrow mason jars as vases from a friend? Can your crafty aunt share scraps from fabric projects? Could your grandmother's treasured brooch be tied to your bouquet?

4. What is your favorite part of planning an event?

Partnering with our clients to find solutions to their needs -- whether it's finding a DJ on a particular budget, determining the best layout for the reception, or creatively communicating seating arrangements to guests -- is one of the most rewarding aspects of our work. We pride ourselves in being resourceful and leveraging our community of talented vendors. And ultimately, it's seeing all the moving parts come together that's the best part of our job. We often work with couples months in advance leading up to the day-of and to see the bride and groom, their family and friends and the beautiful details come together is truly awe-inspiring.

Cake photo at top:

Davina + Daniel Photography (c) 2010

The cake table is a salvaged piece from Mignonne Decor. Also featured are scraps of ribbon to connect vintage letters with a felt heart in the center, champagne glasses (from her mother-in-law's wedding 35 years prior), an antique white milk glass cake stand found at a local flea market and fresh dahlias.

Small and Simple doesn't have to be Blah

Last year Gorgeous and Green did the wedding flowers for a couple who were having an intimate gathering in the North Bay. The bride had some specifics, like purple veronica and dahlias. Her groom was going to wear an orange bow tie so she wanted some orange pieces. I decided to make the bouquets and centerpieces "wow", with lots of dahlias in bright and mellow oranges and pinks. I also threw a bunch of wispy ferns in and around the bouquets, to give them a lot of texture. They came out looking spectacular and the bride loved them.

Although the wedding was small and the budget was on the smaller side, the flowers added such a nice and snazzy touch. And of course, all the flowers were locally grown and the dahlias and sweet peas were non-sprayed and organic.

As a florist, I read the client right and made an artistic statement that hopefully she will appreciate for a long time. If you are a bride looking for something out of the ordinary, you'll want to pick a florist who can tap into their creative and unusual side. It's also important to share your style and likes/dislikes with the florist and most importantly, make sure you give them space to be creative!

Destination Wedding Minus the Destination

Last year Gorgeous and Green provided the floral decor and design for a wedding that took place locally. The inspiration was a Carribean Island. The bride's fiance is from the Dominican Republic, and rather than send everyone there for the wedding, she chose to bring the island here. And keep the carbon footprint a little lower too.

The bride was concerned about being green and so we included some green practices:

-The bride used non-paraffin candles made from sustainably harvested palm oil which I carry at the G&G boutique

-I chose a few hundred locally grown roses, hydrangea and lilies instead of flowers grown in South America or beyond

-The bride opted to rent many of the vases we used and what she didn't rent, she purchased as gifts for her guests to take home and use.

-I did not use any floral foam in any of the designs, and that was a challenge, especially with the beautiful cascading bouquet she had ordered. In case you don't know, floral foam is made of a type of plastic that has lots of hazardous chemicals in it to make it so nice and spongy! It's bad for the environment, and bad for those who come in to contact with it on a constant basis, so I won't touch it. There are other ways to find beauty in flowers, they are from nature after all.

The colors were reminiscent of the clear carribean sea and peach conch shells. Although it all felt so much like a beach vacation, we were not more than 20 miles outside of Oakland.

All Photos in this post by Lucie XYZ Photography

I guess you can have your island and be sustainable too!

G&G

Lovely Vintage Adornments

I've mentioned it time and time again, but the best way to be green these days is to reuse what's already been made. It makes so much sense. It's also important to support small business and individuals in an economy that's been so difficult for small businesses. That's why I prefer to support artists and small businesses doing their part to be green. In the coming weeks I will continue to share posts on some green folks I've come across, and will start with a new individual today.

I recently re-happened upon some lovely wearable decor and gifts made my green-eyed girl, a Brooklyn-based designer and fashioner of green and pretty things. Most of her items are made of repurposed or vintage materials. There are some great feminine items to adorn brides or bridemaids, or anyone looking for some sparkle or swirls. Some of her items include these lovely vintage beaded collars fashioned with bows, flowers or little things:

And for the more modern and whimsical bunch, here's a fun necklace made with vintage old-stock zippers:

And a fem ruffly flower belt made of old stock silk:

But my favorite item is this lovely refashioned silk head piece with sweet vintage millinery buds attached:

Her ideas are sweet and green. That's hard to beat.

G&G