Real Vintage Wedding

There's a trend in brides collecting vintage paraphernalia for use in their own weddings. This particular wedding, featured on Once Wed, is another great example. The bride spent 18 months collecting 100 plus vintage plates to use at her wedding and she only spent about $1 on each plate. Afterwards, she was able to sell each and every one of them.

Some other interesting facts: The bride and her father made elderberry jelly to give as favors and the groom purchased his entire wedding day outfit at Target.

Found via Once Wed. Photo Credit: Joshua Caine

Forestbound

All girls need some sort of clutch or handbag on their wedding day. Something small enough to be somewhat inconspicuous, but big enough to hold those mid-wedding touch up necessities (tube of lipstick, powder, mirror, etc...). For a vintage themed wedding, this upcycled pouch from Forestbound would make a lovely addition, made from Vietnam era military laundry and applied with antique lace. And it certainly is casual enough to use again.

A few other goodies from Forestbound are found below. If you're a knitter, you'll be happy to know the yarn is dyed naturally with plant extracts. And they have a few clutches in other colors if white isn't your thing.


Found via Modish

Fun With Vintage

Somtimes searching through Etsy is a bust and sometimes it's like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Lots of fun bows and bags, shoes and shirts! The vintage keno cards and bingo numbers could be fun to upcycle for a vegas style or casino themed wedding. Plus, they've got numbers - always useful for save the date cards. Hint hint - think inspiring thoughts and get down to planning your wedding!

Listed from top to bottom:
Vintage Keno Cards: Road10
Blue Shirt: VJones1
Gold Clutch: Allen Company Inc
Embossed Bingo Numbers: Totally Vintage
Red Shoes: Allen Company Inc
Vintage Keno Cards: Road10
Olive Hat: Bonnie's Knitting

You don't have to wear white.

It's hard not to love this wedding. Such wonderful colors and the dessert table is darling. This couple did a great job of letting the scenery do most of the work, eliminating the need for a lot of decor and floral details. And while it may not be everyone's cup of tea, the bride is wearing a dress which can easily be worn again. It looks stunning, no?





Photos From One Love Photo

Healthy Monday: Practice Your Posture

"Stand up straight! Pull those shoulders back! Stop slumping!"

Who didn't hear those words at least once as a child? Unless you were blessed with perfect posture, achieving that graceful Ginger Rogers-esque line from your butt to your head can be a somewhat elusive accomplishment. But there's reason to work on it! One, there's nothing worse than a great wedding photo ruined by habitual slumping. And two, it's good for your health! Poor posture can lead to back pain, spinal dysfunction, joint degeneration, rounded shoulders, and (gasp!) a potbelly! Fun stuff.

Here's a great video, found on Bloomacious, all about harnessing the power of posture!



Sources: Better Health Channel
Photo Credit: Karen Wise

Headgear

Photo Credits
Top 3 Photos: Sloan Photographers
Bottom 2 Photos: Leigh Miller Photography

Thank you!

Thank you to Style School, the blog of InStyle Weddings, for featuring us in their January 16th, What's Hot in Weddings on the Web post! Mwah! Much love to you all.

Succulents

If you're willing to scour antique and thrift stores for a whole year, you might just be lucky enough to amass a collection of vases and vessels as nice as Kristina's from Lovely Morning.

And then if you have a lot of patience and diligence, you might just be able to create a very unique set of succulent centerpieces for your own wedding or event.

The best part? It's a lot more eco-friendly than importing flowers and as Kristina mentions in her blog, each of the little vessels make for great favors for your guests. Fortunately, succulents are pretty easy to maintain and hearty little fellers too. See how Kristina did it!

Trinkets and Finds

Such interesting trinkets and finds, placed together in neat little designs.

Sounds like a line from Dr. Seuss! All rhyming aside, Allison Woodward, the designer behind Reverie, treats us to some seriously delightful jewelry, all created from antique materials. By contrasting unique elements and gathering inspiration from "all things historic," Woodward creates contemporary jewelry with a vintage twist.

oh-so-cute

Bayou Salvage creates many different awe-worthy accessories and clothing from vintage and reclaimed textiles. The shrug at the top would look adorable with the right kind of wedding gown.

Beautiful Boutonniere

Elations Designs created this male boutonniere for an eco-chic wedding feature in Richmond Brides Magazine. This is lovely inspiration and the little horseshoe would be so fitting for a western or ranch inspired theme.

Healthy Monday: 8 x 8

Today's healthy living tip is a simple one: drink water!

For years, we've all heard the "8 glasses a day" or the "8 x 8" rule. And while many of us have it ingrained in our head, few of us heed the advice. (According to one study, that seems to be all that it is - "advice". Not doctor's orders or an essential dietary requirement, simply an "urban myth.") However, conventional wisdom tells us water aids in our health by cleaning out toxins, protecting our organs, lessening the burden on our kidneys, and carrying nutrients and oxygen to cells.

According to an article on Mayo Clinic , you don't need to actually down 8 glasses of water a day to make sure you're getting your full intake. Tomatoes and watermelons are actually about 90 percent water and many other liquids, such as juices and milk contain water. Not to mention it's inexpensive and calorie free, so switching your daily soda with a daily water might not be a bad idea!

Personally speaking, I think water does make a big difference in health. I feel healthier and I don't experience the sugar crashes and caffeine withdrawals I've experienced with sodas and coffee. Not to mention there is also one other small, but important fact: water is essential to our survival. We may be able to survive days, weeks, even months without food, but only two to ten days without water. I can't think of any living thing on this earth that can survive without water, so Mother Earth must know what she's doing.


Sources: Reuters, Survival Topics, Mayo Clinic
Photo credit: Miss_CM

Heads Up

Heads up ladies! The site, Pre Owned Wedding Dresses, is holding a contest for one lucky winner to receive a completely free wedding dress. And it's not the kind of contest where you're stuck with one of their odd sized, can't-seem-to-sell gowns. Nope! You get to actually pick your own dress and if you win, they'll cover the cost up to $1500. Get the details and enter to win here!

Would you ever wear this?

Nothing wedding related...or even green related. Just kinda weird. Would you or wouldn't you? Me? I don't think I could.





Found at Smitten

Itsy, bitsy, eco-friendly, bikini...

She wore an itsy, bitsy, teenie weenie, eco-friendly, polka dot bikini...

Who's ready for the cold?! The high in Atlanta today is supposed to be 32. 32!!! If you're freezing your a** off like me, you can take pleasure in two things: One, you have about six months to get your butt in shape to wear a bikini like this, and two, you can wear a swimsuit like this knowing you're helping to recycle plastic bottles! Check out the entire collection at Aaron Chang.

Found via InStyle.com

Happy Planet

It's easy to assume that having an environmentally friendly wedding will only make things more complicated, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Think of it this way: Less stuff = less waste. And less waste = less to worry about. And that makes for a happy planet. For instance, simplify things by picking out a few vintage vases and adorn your tables with locally grown or organic flowers. As you can see from the wedding above, it can look just as lovely, if not more so, than a big, floral centerpiece. And in this less than optimal economy, it won't cost as much either.

Picture found via Green Wedding Shoes

Umbrellas!

I've been noticing a lot of umbrellas lately! Not because it's been raining here in Georgia (and boy, has it been raining!), but because they've become quite the popular item to add to your wedding. And why not? They're fun, they add a certain uniqueness, and they look great in photos. Best of all, they can be rented, which allows you to take advantage of the ability to reuse and recycle.

update: It's not raining anymore. Now it's just really cold!

Photo Credits:
Top Picture - Natalie Moser
Second Picture - Jessica Claire
Third Picture - Tec Petaja
Fourth Picture - Morgan Aileen

Adornments

Three words: Brass Paper Clip. Aren't these cool? Vintage and vintage inspired flowers and accessories. Wouldn't they look lovely in a sweeping updo? I know I've seen pictures of flowers like these actually being worn by brides, but I can't seem to find them at the moment. If you know where any exist, please feel free to share in our comment section.

Found via Bride Sophisticate

Healthy Monday : Superfoods!

Still chugging pomegranate juice? Indulging in pomegranate martini's? Taking a bath in pomegranate? (Kidding about the last one. It's expensive enough as it is!) Hate to break it to you kid, but you are sooo last year. True, pomegranate's are fantastic for you, but sadly it's time for them to grab their hat and clear the stage. No need to weep, they've still got a matinee show, but it's about time we make way for the next big showstopper - Goji Berries! Hailing from the valleys of Tibet and Mongolia, Goji berries are packed full of nutrients, offering more beta carotene than carrots, more vitamin C than oranges, and more iron than a steak. All of this protects your heart, skin, and immune system and even has the potential to fight cancer. They've also been touted as having superb anti-aging properties.

Typically found in their dried form and somewhat resembling a cranberry, they can be eaten straight from the bag, tossed with salads or sauteed greens, included in baked goods such as muffins and breads, or get the juice and mix with a morning smoothie!

Resources: How Goji Berries Work , Mighty Foods

Engagement Photo Inspiration

These pictures remind me of the song, "tiniiieee bubbles..." Thoes are the only words I know, but I feel like a slideshow of these pics would work well with that song in the background.

These awesome engagement pictures are from the always entertaning Joanna Goddard of A Cup of Jo.

Sustainable Wedding Dresses

Eco-friendly fabrics, low-impact dyes, fair trade labor, organic cotton, formadlehyde free silk... This should be music to your ears! Rene Geneva produces environmentally friendly womens clothing, including wedding dresses that are 100% sustainable and made out of hemp silk.

City Hall Wedding

Easier on the earth, easier on your budget, easier on your mind... Okay, so a city hall wedding isn't always easier on the earth, but at least it won't rob your wallet, And since you don't have to worry about chairs, flowers, decor, etc..., it's easier on the stress front too. What do you think? Would you get married at city hall? Do you want to get married at city hall, but feel pressure from family and friends to throw a big wedding?

Pictures found at Smitten.

Fellow Blogger Love

We don't normally do shout outs, but we're making an exception today. One of my favorite fellow bloggers, The Broke Ass Bride, is a finalist in the Trees Instead Green Wedding Contest!
Now she needs help reigning in those votes, so if you get a chance, go check out her fabulous blog. Here are the details on how to vote or visit this post to learn more:

You can vote once per day on their website, but note that the questions change up every day or so...
Names: Hunter Stiebel and Dana LaRue
Wedding date: May 24, 2009
The location of one of their planting grounds - all of which can be found here
Their toll-free number: 1-866-972-8733
Any other answers are usually quite easy to locate.