AisleDash

There is very little about planning a wedding, and in particular, a green wedding, that isn't covered in My EcoChic Wedding. There's a wedding classified market, where you can buy, sell, and trade items, there are lists of vendors and lists of questions to ask those vendors, there are budget worksheets, timelines, to-do lists for every member of the wedding party. They will, for a fee, host your very own wedding website, which they'll let you try out free for a week.

They even give you a free, down-loadable 43-page wedding planning book. This is a seriously all-inclusive site, and though eco-oriented, it's not preachy. Even if you're not interested in having a 'green' wedding, you'll find the site useful. And you never know, some of those green tips might save you a little green money!

The picture of the arrangement in a teacup comes from Teleflora, so you could just order a few of these, but how much more personal (and less expensive!) to make your own. If you don't have a collection of teacups, you can find pretty and inexpensive cups from department stores. Dollar stores have even been known to carry cups and saucers!

Instead of an arrangement of cut flowers, you could put in a small plant from your very own garden or indoor plants. African violets would work, Devon violets, marigolds, or any other plant with smallish blossoms and foliage.

For a bridesmaid lunch, for a shower, or even, if you have enough cups and saucers, your reception, these gifts can be recycled, obviously: replant the flower in a pot, and reuse the teacup as a ... teacup!

via: eco-chic weddings

Balloons are a bright and pretty way to add color to your informal wedding -- but they're not very environmentally friendly. If you plan a balloon release (check on this: it's illegal in many jurisdictions), or if a few manage to escape despite your precautions, it's a sad fact that deflated and popped vinyl balloons are a threat to wildlife. A shriveled balloon can look like a nice yummy worm to an unsuspecting bird, which is then choked by someone's "harmless" decor.

But balloons are fun. Are there alternatives? Well, there are Mylar balloons, of course, which when deflated, don't shrivel as latex does -- but they're not more bio-degradable. And then there are paper balloons.

Yes, paper, coated in water-soluble PVA. These paper balloons are completely bio-degradable, they can be filled with helium using a standard pump, they don't pop readily as do latex, and -- awwww -- they're shaped like doves. They've been around a while, too: they were released to great audience satisfaction at the 1998 Nagano Olympics. When released, they even look like they're flapping their wings.

via: Eco-chic weddings

When you're aiming for green entertaining, re-usable items are best. Sometimes, though, you may decide that it's just not feasible. If you're looking for a less wasteful alternative to standard plastic disposable plates, cups and cutlery, you might consider Preserve.

This company makes bright and informal tableware from 100% recycled plastic. It's sturdy enough that it can be reused dozens of times, and, when it's finally served its final meal, it can be recycled. You probably wouldn't use anything this informal for any but the most casual of weddings, but it could easily be used for a shower.

Recycled, recycle-able plastic tableware. It's not a perfect solution, but it's not the worst, either. A decent compromise for moments of need!

via: Epicurious

We often have the idea that going green is more expensive than doing it the old way. It sure seems so, with organic foods tending to cost noticeably more than non-organic, and with the whole range of new "green" items on the market. Want to go green? Buy, buy, buy!

Going green, however, does not mean buying a heap of new stuff with "green" or "eco" in the label. If you think about that for a second, it's pretty clear that "buying stuff" and "going green" are mostly opposites. Going green doesn't require trips to the store and a huge outlay of money: it requires creativity.

You could use it as a soup mug, you could have your iced coffee in it -- or you could use it as the makers intended, and plant flowers in it. You supply the picture and the text you want on your mug/cup/pot, and you will receive the finished product, filled with earth and the flower of your choice. You can choose from cosmos, forget-me-not, shasta daisy, shamrocks, sunflower, marigold, or, for a kitchen gardener, herbs, pepper or thyme.

A bit of color on a windowsill, and a happy memory of a happy day.

We've shown you all sorts of green and growing favors here at AisleDash, and we've found yet another. Like all green and growing favors, it's eco-friendly, it will last, it's waste-free and won't collect dust or be thrown out on the way out of the reception.

This one does all that AND it speaks words of love and romance. Yes, it's a bean. A plain old green bean in a cute wooden box. When it breaks the surface, about two weeks after you start watering it, it will emerge with your choice of a few different sayings on it: I love you, I miss you, Good Luck, and Happy Birthday. We're thinking you might want to stick with "I love you" or perhaps "good luck"!

Not a garden party, but a garden shower. The first is tea and sandwiches in a gorgeous garden -- the second gives the bride and groom the tools to create their own gorgeous garden. It would be fun to have the shower outdoors, but if that's not feasible, you can maintain the garden feel indoors.

Give out colorful seed packages as favors. The guests can bring whatever they like: hand tools, larger tools, bulbs and seeds, gardening gloves, decorative flagstones, even garden furniture, a bird bath or sundial! If you just can't decide, there's the versatile gift certificate for a garden center. Have all the gifts put into a shiny new wheelbarrow, and roll them in to the blossoming bride!

Confetti is fun and attractive, but we all know it's messy, it's a pain to clean up, and it's environmentally unfriendly. Bubbles are slippery, rice is now suspect, and birdseed, while better for the environment, is every bit as hard to clean up if it gets indoors.

Which is where ecofetti comes in. As the name suggests, it's eco-friendly. Though the site doesn't say what ecofetti is made of, it does assure us it's entirely biodegradable. Ecofetti is sold in cones or envelopes, and comes in vibrant colors as pictured above, or the pastels you see below. It's pretty and fun and won't harm the environment. The custodial staff will love it, too: just hose the stuff down, and it melts right away. It isn't slippery, and it doesn't stain.

Sounds like a win-win-win for the eco-conscious bride and groom!

Wednesday Wedding Wrap-up is a weekly roundup of highlights from the past week, covering wedding blogs and websites, reality TV, even particularly hot scoop right here at AisleDash. Think we missed something? Leave your favorite highlight in the comments!

Black*Eiffel has some of the most unique and playful wedding photos we've ever seen -- life is so unfair!

Portovert wants you to know that a green wedding doesn't have to break the bank, so they're telling you how to have a "freegan" wedding.

The Preppy Wedding gets us ready for summer weddings with pictures and links to bridesmaids' dresses in one of summer's classic fabrics.

Brides.com has a fabulous "Go Green" gallery, sure to inspire even the least eco-friendly bride-to-be.

Handmade recycled paper stationery is great for green weddings. Use it for invitations, place cards, favors, and thank you notes. You can also take the green paper idea a step further when you buy stationery with embedded seeds. You can literally plant the paper right in your garden, and the paper will dissolve cleanly while the seeds grow into wildflowers.

If these special cards aren't in your budget for all your paper needs (they are definitely a bit pricier than standard stationery), consider sending these unique cards as thank yous to everyone who bought you a "green" gift, or just the special folks on your guest list that you know will appreciate the cards and plant the seeds.

Botanical Paperworks has seeded cards for all occasions, including a wide selection of wedding uses, like favors, invitations, thank yous, and more, at around $1.25 per card.

We've already told you that vegans can have the cake of their animal-product-free dreams, but what if you're a vegan and not terribly interested in a traditional wedding cake? No worries -- we've got you covered there, too.

Well, actually, Portovert, one of our favorite green wedding sites, has you covered. Whether you're looking for a candy buffet serving fair trade and organic chocolates and treats or you're more interested in serving a variety of tasty organic cookies to your guests, you've got options.

And, for the industrious, DIY vegan, Portovert recommends My Sweet Vegan, a cookbook focused on amazing, delicious vegan desserts that you can make yourself. The book promises that "this collection of recipes will satisfy any sweet tooth, and leave people asking, 'Are you sure this is vegan?'" And that in itself is pretty sweet.

When Earth Day comes around, it's a good reminder that it's time for us to think green all year round. Your house is a good place to start, and if you're setting up a new house with your spouse, you can cut your workload by starting out green. Lots of big name stores carry a selection of green home products – everything from Earth-friendly tableware to green cleaning products. Here are some resources on the Web for finding and identifying green products and setting up a green wedding registry.

When I think of all the poor plants I've killed over the years, I imagine a graveyard that stretches for miles and a huge sign that has my picture on it with a big red X. Yes, the good folks at Home Depot see me coming and hover over the ivy plants and ferns like they're protecting their children from a nuclear attack.

So, when I came across this wondrous invention, I jumped up and down for joy. No more dead plants! The creative people at Grobal have a self-watering pot that does all the work for you.

All you have to do is check the reservoir of water to make sure it's filled at a certain level and the Grobal's special watering system draws the appropriate nutrients to keep your plant or flower lush and thriving. At $24.95, it's a nice price for a simple wedding shower gift or even an Earth Day gift for your honey. No more black thumbs!