Crosswords and Handmade Pillows: Adding Personality to Your Wedding

Happy, Happy Friday! Try to take at least five minutes today to admire something beautiful - a picture of your family, your great grandmother's heirloom tablecloth, or an old favorite t-shirt. Whatever it is, remember life is fleeting! And always take note, there is no parking on the dance floor! :)

For today, I've got a few good examples of couples incorporating their individual style into their wedding. I hope it lends some inspiration to your own wedding ideas!

The groom gave this bride a sepia toned photograph of a birdhouse in a tree, so when it came time to choose their theme, nature seemed most appropriate for this budget wedding.


This ring pillow was made by the bride with vintage handkerchiefs bought on Ebay.


This same sex couple had their friend play "The Rainbow Connection" as they walked out.


This program featured a wedding themed crossword on the back of this couple's program.

Are you planning on adding anything extra personal to your wedding? If so, let us know what it is!

All photos found via NY Mag

Ravishing Radishes

Have you ever tried decorating with radishes or herbs? Minoo Hersinni, creative director, of Au Ciel Design Studio has done a pretty incredible job here! The displays included mint, parsley, radishes, enoki mushrooms, and upland cress. I might have to try this for my next dinner party, but I think it could also work for a wedding!

Real Wedding Inspiration

First off, I want to give everyone a big thank you for sharing your wonderful thoughts and comments on the last Healthy Monday post! I really enjoyed reading about Terra Wellness and how her commitment to Yoga gave her a deep appreciation for the environment. And how Ling Is My Name lives a green lifestyle due to her grandparent's belief, who raised a large family during war times, that nothing should be wasted. If I didn't mention you here, please know your comment is no less appreciated.

Okay, on to the Real Wedding for Wednesday. Check out this beautiful event, sent to me by Aaron Snow Photography. How's this for a unique idea? This couple ditched the wedding cake and instead decided to make smores around a campfire. (I probably would have crashed this wedding just for the smores, that is how much I love them.) It was held on the family's cotton farm that the bride grew up on and the reception was held in a grove of beautiful, tall trees. An organic chef prepared the food for guests on site.

Venue Shopping in NYC

Since we're a national blog with a national audience, we tend to focus on more national topics, vendors, or stores. But when I received an e-mail about this particular venue in NYC, I thought it worth sharing. The Housing Works Bookstore Cafe, located in SoHo, is a non-profit organization which donates all proceeds to homeless people in New York City currently living with HIV/AIDS. Part of the non-profit is their in-house caterer, which will be happy to help create vegan and vegetarian menus if so desired.

20 foot ceilings, spiral staircases, mahagony bookshelves all lend to a very stylish and sophisticated space. Capacity for sit down wedding is 125. Price ranges from $500-$750 per hour. Here's a link to their Flickr page. See map and contact info.

Healthy Monday: A Confession and A Question.

This is somewhat of a modified Healthy Monday post. I don't have any specific advice or information, so please consider this to be a more personal post while I touch on some healthy notes and environmental inspiration.


I've got a confession for you: In my early twenties, I rambled through life believing what the corporate giants told me, assuming if it was on the shelf it was safe, and I embarrassingly admit that the term organic was merely a word. It wasn't until a few years ago that I started to change my tune. The whole death becomes us global warming thing didn't get to me, although it was a well heeded warning. A decision born out of love rather than fear, it was the realization that we need to respect and appreciate that which we depend on: our bodies and our environment.

It wasn't easy. I always felt as if I was lagging behind, never moving fast enough. I was forced to turn down the metaphorical caffeine and slow down my life, where success was no longer defined by owning more stuff, but by simply being happy. I'm 28 now and sure, it's easy enough to do things like reduce, re-use, and recycle, but to make it a lifestyle that converges with the heart of your soul (excuse the hippie talk, I'm being very much myself), I find it important to continually seek out inspiration to further this lifestyle.

This leads me to the question of my post: Most Mondays I try to give you advice, but this week I'm turning the tables and asking you for input. What inspires you to lead a healthier, more environmentally friendly lifestyle? Is it something more abstract, like a morning rain, or more concrete evidence, like the knowledge that over 80% of marine pollution comes from land based activities? (source)

P.S. As you have probably realized, the picture doesn't have much to do with the post, it just has a nice reflective quality, which could be somewhat pertinent... Found via National Geographic

Recycled Bowls For Decor or for Dinner

A few weeks ago I had a post about unusual vase ideas. These colorful and sophisticated recycled bowls might also work well for candles or flowers. Found at Inspired Living (Found via EcoBeautiful Weddings)

Hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead of you! I'll be working a bit, taking care of the earth friendly brides we have the pleasure of working with at Earthly Affair. And if the weather clears up, we're taking the dogs to the park!

Wedding Cake Eye Candy

Here are some interesting cakes I came across on Nine29 Photography's site. I really love the first one with the owl toppers, which I actually found first on Backyard Bride. I'm honestly not sure where the tradition of a cake topper came about, but it's fun to see what quirky and unique ideas couples come up with. Vintage cake toppers are also a lot of fun and somewhat eco-friendly too! Check out this vintage "cowboy and little lady" cake topper form Orange and Blossom!

Real Wedding: Eri and Philip's Eco-Wedding at Glacier National Park

Recent customers of Earthly Affair, Eri and Philip, have been kind enough to share their beautiful, intimate wedding held at Glacier National Park, Montana. The mountains in the background seem surreal and must have provided a gorgeous backdrop.


To keep their wedding environmentally conscious, Eri purchased a 100% silk dress made by eco-wedding dress designer, Olivia Luca and her wedding ring - a recycled white gold with conflict free diamonds - was made by Etsy artist, SingleB beautiful.

The above photo was taken by the groom, Philip, in a spur of the moment shot.

In lieu of favors, the couple donated to The Nature Conservancy's Plant A Billion Trees Project. They also made a donation to CarbonFund.org to offset all the traveling by guests required to attend their wedding.



Eri and Philip also included the use of a good old fashioned Polaroid camera.

The Polaroid also allowed guests to take pictures and leave a message as well!


Unless noted otherwise, all photography above by Rachel Robertson

Eri and Philip chose the Juliet invitation, shown below.

Addressing Invitations With Your Own Two Hands

It was second grade. I was seven. And I was learning cursive for the first time. At the time, I found it marvelously fun. I would practice making a big loopy “J” and then I had seven subsequent letters (to spell out Jennifer, my name) that flowed right into each other. When I graduated to high school, I was super excited to finally be able to use a ballpoint pen, whose smooth ink glided across my college ruled notebook. When it came time to address my invitations though, you would think I would have carried on this love of flourished letters and graceful penmanship, but I didn’t. I’m not sure why I hired a calligrapher to address my invitations. I guess I wanted them to look pretty and I figured since my handwriting wasn't perfect, that was the traditional thing to do. In hindsight though, I think invitations addressed by moi, with imperfections and all, would have been a nice way to incorporate my own personal style. It also would have cost a lot less. This is not to say you shouldn’t hire a calligrapher, which may be helpful if you have a ton of invitations to address, but I suppose the point to this story is that you don’t always have to go the traditional route. Especially if it means not making things perfect.

Photos Clockwise: Addressed invitations from WeddingBee, Hi-Low The Fax, Katy Elliot The Book Cover, Hi-Low Yard Sale Sign, Hi-Low The Fax, Hi-Low Boxing Day.

Healthy Monday: Buying Organic

Here at Earth Friendly Weddings, I typically like to start off the week with a "Healthy Monday" post. This can cover anything from nutrition, weight loss, fitness, recipes, well being, and tips on leading a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.


The old joke about Whole Foods is that it's so pricey, it's typically referred to as "Whole Paycheck". I remember going there for lunch one day and spending the equivalent of a full meal at a restaurant. Of course, that could have been because I got a little all-natural-food-happy, but let's face it: Organic, all natural, grass fed, free range, etc... it can put a strain on your wallet. And so can a wedding! If you're responsible for your own wedding in the monetary sense, you might find yourself in the midst of sticking to a really tight budget or maybe just watching your finances a little closer, but here's one way to make your buck go farther. You don't necessarily have to buy all organic fruits and vegetables. For instance, the Environmental Working Group notes that pineapple, avocado, and onions are less dangerous in their non-organic form, while apples, bell peppers, and peaches should be bought in an organic variety. They've even got a whole list of products, broken down into two categories, so you'll know what's safe and what it isn't! It's designed to fit in your wallet and be easy peasy to use - get your own here.

Photo by Lucyrk in LA

Jewelry Week 2010: Eco-friendly accessories found around the web.

It has been so much fun sharing an entire week of jewelry with you, but unfortunately the week is coming to our close and so shall our posts of eco-conscious accessories. Well, at least for now... We'll soon be adding everything featured here to our eco-wedding directory, so don't forget to peruse that little part of our blog in the future. ....


Today, we conclude with Green Diva, a spectacular little eco-boutique specializing in all eco-jewelry. There you will find necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and accessories made with recycled silver, fairly traded gems and pearls, and vintage pieces. They follow through with their policy of transparency by providing a nifty little eco-key, so you know just how environmentally friendly each piece is.




And last, but definitely not least, is the extremely whimsical, Shelley's South Shore Jewelry (aka SSSJ on Etsy). Created by a grandmother who set out to revitalize her life by making jewelry on her 50th birthday, the shop features an eclectic array of earrings, necklaces, and brooches, but my absolute favorite are the lockets! Each locket seems to be a functional vintage locket with additional vintage pieces, such as rhinestones and brass beads. So cute and great as a gift!

Jewelry Week 2010: Eco-friendly jewelry found around the web.

I hope you're not too jewelried out yet. :)

Today you'll find KateyLove Jewelry. Created in her Northern Californian studio, Katey features an eclectic and modern array of accessories that incorporate silk, recycled/vintage leathers, and conflict tree stones.





And below is the work from True Blind Faith. They specialize in modern, vintage headpieces, which I realize isn't exactly "jewelry," but it's definitely an accessory and deserves to be mentioned during Jewelry Week. Susan, the main gal over at TBF (and a pretty cool lady too!), explains what makes them special:

Our inspiration pieces are previously loved vintage jewels and findings that originally began life as brooches, bracelets, earrings or other adornments. We hand select each item with a vision in mind. Embellishments are then added in the form of Swarovski crystals, freshwater pearls, silk ribbons, feathers or birdcage veils. The finale results in a one-of-a-kind headpiece unique in style, form and color.

Jewelry Week 2010! Eco-friendly jewelry found around the web.

And welcome to Wednesday! Beyond the Rocks deserves some love! They offer some of the most beautiful jewelry and judging from the interaction I've had with them in the past, they really care about their product. They handcraft each piece using fairly traded gems, recycled, renewed, and re-purposed metals and materials.





Combine lots of recycled tin and brass with ornate vintage beads and you get the uber unique Little Black Rabbit! If you enjoy a nice bit of color and pattern around your neck, this is your shop!