Thinking about having a "green" wedding?

When planning an environmentally friendly "green" wedding, there are three words that comes to mind:  Recycle, Re-purpose, Rent!  Borrow or buy containers that have already been used for a wedding. Look around your home and decide if there is anything you can use to hold flowers:  pitchers, vases, interesting jars, and even cleaned out cans with colorful labels!  I've done flowers for a party using an Italian food them in Italian tomato cans!  Some of them have fabulous labels!

 

I recycled beer bottles and turned them into vases for a party.

 

 

 

Even blue jeans can be re-purposed and turned into vases.

 

I've re-purposed an urn I bought at an auction and used my mother's golf clubs to create this golf container.

 

 

These flowers were arranged in a re-purposed cigar box.

 

 

I've also created flowers in baskets for a wedding.  The groom's mother had taken basket making class and they sat in a bag in her attic because she didn't know what to do with them. As soon as I heard that I suggested we use them on the tables and make each one a bit different for the wedding.

There are now several manufacturers who also make their glass vases out of recycled materials.  I have used these for several events.  And I also use "crepe" containers, particularly for ceremonies, that are made from recycled materials.  And a way to not involve flower foam when using these containers for centerpieces is for your florist to arrange flowers in sand rather than floral foam.   And if you can rent anything for your wedding - that's a great way to go.  I work with Mile Hill Wicker in Trooper that rents out lots of wonderful vintage and rustic items for a wedding.  I'd be happy to show the containers or techniques to a bride who is interested in doing something like this. 

 Another thing that a bride might want to consider is her flowers - do you want them to all be from local gardens where no pesticides are used or can the be flown/shipped/trucked from other states or countries?  This is a completely personal decision and it does limit the seasons when you can have a wedding to make use of garden flowers.  I've used hydrangea, zinnias, dusty miller, branches, mock orange and more from my garden for many of my weddings.

We carved this log from our backyard with a chainsaw.

Logs cut from my backyard to hold placecard birds.   I also rent these out.

Mock orange from my yard for this placecard table arrangement.

 

A tree fell in my back yard and we turned the trunk into containers that we rent out to our brides.

 

I used twigs from my yard that I painted to make these houses for a party.

 

This is also a tree trunk from my backyard that I turned into a placecard table arrangement.

Please keep in mind that all flowers are biodegradable and can be put in a compost pile.
 If you've used fruit or vegetables in your centerpieces - would you consider donating these to a local food pantry after the wedding.   How about donating your centerpieces to a geriatric center or nursing home?  All of the centerpieces at this wedding contained fruit. It was all donated to a food pantry in Phoenixville.

 

These apples in this centerpiece came from the orchard of this couple's grandparents.  I also added hosta from my garden.

 

 

 

The birdseed in this placecard table arrangement was left at the arboretum to feed the birds.

 

 

And finally, this flower girl basket was filled with bird seed - instead of rose petals or flowers.  The birds at Tyler Arboretum graciously ate them up!

 

 

 

So even if you're not having a totally "green" wedding, there are many things that you can do to help our environment in small ways.

 

Jennifer & Chuck - Beautiful birch

 I have been very fortunate to work twice with the lovely Roth family.  This time it was son Chuck's marriage to Jennifer.  Jenn wanted a rustic look to their wedding so we based everything around birch and a color palette of pinks.  We also used green as a contrast to highlight the pink in several ways.  I loved being able to use various shades of pretty pink. . I think Jenn's mixed pink bouquet was gorgeous!  I used the bright pink rose for Chuck's boutonniere.

 Bridesmaids carried bouquets of Malibu roses collared by salal tips.  The green really "pops" the pink roses.  Groomsmen wore matching rose boutonnieres.

 On my rental "steps", I placed silver buckets of hydrangea, dark pink spray roses, and green hypericum berries to decorate the placecard table.

 A memory vase held a flower for each person the couple wanted to remember at their wedding.

 Glass squares of green hydrangea, dark pink spray roses, and green hypericum berries also contained green acrylics in the base. These were used on the buffet tables.

 We made three different types of centerpieces in the containers Jenn chose for her tables.  I filled square birch covered squares with very full green hydrangea and "dotted" it with bright pink mini-carnations.

 In the round birch bucket holders I made arrangements of a variety of pink flowers with a touch of green hypericum berries.  The blend of colors is so pretty!

The last third of the guest table centerpieces were made up of different heights of birch log candle holders. Several of them held candles of course, but I placed reflexed roses in two of them.  I love how this technique makes roses seem so much larger!  Tables were named after places the couple had visited with cards put in pine cones by Jenn.

I put two of the birch containers filled with flowers and candle holders on the couple's sweetheart table.

Congratulations to Jenn and Chuck!  It's been such a pleasure getting to work with more of the Roth family!

Christi and Patrick - Yankee

Christi is very much in love with Patrick (and vice versa). Patrick is from the Bronx and a huge Yankees fan. Putting it simply, that's how this very brave couple came to have a Yankee themed wedding in Blue Bell Pennsylvania - Phillies territory! Since the Yankees'  colors are blue and white, this entire baseball themed wedding followed suit.

Christi's bouquet was made up of beautiful white peonies and wrapped in blue ribbon. I used a white rose for Patrick's boutonniere.

Bridesmaids carried bouquets of white spray roses and blue delphinium. Groomsmen's boutonnieres matched.

I attached a garland of greens and white carnations to the arch  for Christi and Patrick's ceremony.

Round glass bowls filled with peanuts were placed on the cocktail tables. Christi supplied Yankee pennants and I added the hydrangea and soft baseballs.

I used a mix of blue and white flowers on top of a glass container filled with baseballs for the placecard table. If you look closely you'll notice the little blue cups of peanuts that we added to the flowers. Christi made "tickets" for her guest placecards attached to boxes of Cracker Jack.

Yankee blue presided on all of the guest tables. I used blue acrylics in the base of round bowls filled with hydrangea and delphinium florets. The table numbers were adorable!

I used smaller versions of the centerpieces on the sweetheart table alternating with Bride and Groom signs and candles.

Congratulations to Christi and Patrick.  For your sake, I hope the Yankees resolve all of their third base problems!

The Meaning of Flowers

Did you know that your bouquet can “speak” for you? In Victorian times, people used more symbols than words to communicate. Thus certain flowers were assigned specific meanings so that when a bouquet of flowers was sent, the gesture meant more than just pretty flowers and wonderful scents. Today, a bride has the option of choosing various flowers for her bouquet that send a message to her groom without her ever saying a word. Any questions? Contact WhimsicalWelcomes@yahoo.com and I'd be happy to help you put together your bridal bouquet at a consultation.

Alstromeraia – Devotion

Anemone – Brings good luck

Asters - A symbol of love

Bird of Paradise - joyfulness

Carnation – Fascination

Chrysanthemum - Optimism

Daffodil – Stay as sweet as you are!

Delphinium (and larkspur) – Ardent attachment

Gladiolus – Infatuation

Hydrangea – Heartfelt

Iris – The three upright petals represent valor, faith, and wisdom

Lily – You have made my life complete

Lisianthus – Appreciation

Orchids – Pure affection

Peony – An omen of good fortune and a happy marriage

Ranunculus – I am dazzled by your charm.

Stock – happy life and contented existence

Sweet pea – blissful pleasure

Sunflower – conveys warmth and happiness

Tulip – Elegance and grace

Lavender Lisianthus

Blue Delphinium

Purple Stock

Peach Carnations

Orange Ranunculus

Hydrangea

Red Roses

White Lilies

Yellow and White Mums

Pink Asters

Peonies

Sunflowers

Tulips, Iris, and Alstromeria

Orchids

Thanks to Ron DLutz Photography for many of these photos.