August 31, 2007

Who could resist?

With Labour Day weekend in the US being the unofficial start to Autumn, and the glorious colours that come with it, here's an inspiration for your celebration that's hard to resist.

Perfect examples of locally grown fresh picked flowers simply arranged and stealing the limelight.

Image from Rose & Radish

Posted in Green Wedding Flowers

Civil rights

Have you heard? A county judge in the US State of Iowa has struck down a ban on same-sex marriages as being unconstitutional. He has ruled that a law allowing marriage only between men and women violates the rights of due process and equal protection.

Same-sex couples are banned from marrying in 49 of the 50 US states and only the state of Massachusetts allows gay marriages.

Since we're for all things ethical we applaud his ruling and look forward to more US States following suit and joining with the UK to support civil partnerships. Read the full article on the BBC World News

Posted in Green Wedding Civil Partnerships , News

August 29, 2007

Organic Fortnight 1 - 16 September

If you're planning a green wedding and wondering where to start looking, Organic Fortnight starts this weekend and runs from 1 - 16 September. Organised by the Soil Association which is the UK's largest organic certification body, Organic Fortnight is a celebration of all things organic by individuals, businesses and communities across Britain. Events are planned across the UK, so there's bound to be one near you.

The fortnight kicks off this weekend, 1 & 2 September, with the Organic Food Festival at Bristol Harbourside. And its not only food and drink on show here - there's music and entertainment, and a relaxation zone with skincare, massage and therapy, and CREATE where you can learn all about how to make your home more eco friendly. There's also a showcase of the top names in eco chic and organic fashion with a twice daily fashion show.

If you live too far north to contemplate Bristol then there's another Organic Food Festival in Glasgow on 13 & 14 October.

Find out what's going on in your area over the next fortnight, and seek out some wonderful suppliers and producers for your eco chic wedding by going to the Soil Association website.

Posted in Green Wedding News

August 23, 2007

British grown flowers: A cut above

I recently had an enquiry from an eco chic bride wondering if there were any eco alternatives to wedding flowers and bouquets and it bothered me because flowers are just so much a part of any wedding. The real issue, in our view, is their provenance and what you do with them after your green wedding.

We feel that you should apply the same principles to flowers as you do to food - we all know about buying local and seasonal food, so why not do the same with cut flowers? Just as food farmers in Britain need our support, so do British flower growers who are being increasingly squeezed out of a £2 billion industry (which, incidentally, is the same worth as our music industry) by larger, more efficient, mono-cultural growing units in Holland and elsewhere. Ninety per cent of the flowers we buy here now come from elsewhere - scandalous.

Posted in Green Wedding Flowers

August 22, 2007

Pick-your-own hen party

Now the sun's come out, make the most of our indian summer by getting outdoors and enjoying the last of the summer sun. Buy seasonal fruit and veg from your farmers market and support the local farmers.

A great idea for a seasonal hen party is to plan an outing to a pick-your-own farm. Picking strawberries, raspberries and other fruit can be great fun if there's a group of you. Or you could go wild and take a hike into the countryside to pick blackberries from the hedgerows - it looks like a great blackberry year this year.

Take a picnic and make a day of it. Come home and have a jam making session with your friends. The jars of home made jam can be covered with pretty tops and labelled with your own designed logo and given to your wedding guests on the day.

Posted in Green Wedding Hens & Stags

August 19, 2007

There's still time to vote for your local food hero

UKTVfood says "There's been a resurgence of interest in local food traditions and commitment to quality - and with good reason. While modern farming methods, microwave meals, and food miles continue to cast a shadow, there's a growing band of dedicated people who care enough to make a difference on what we buy and how we eat. We're looking to support small-scale businesses that exhibit pride and passion for their craft. These are the unsung food heroes that don't compromise on quality in favour of making a fast buck on mass production lines."

So get voting! Tomorrow's the deadline and if you care about all those wonderful people who make delicious food, give them your support now.

Image: West Yeo Moor Farm Shop near South Molton, Devon

Posted in Green Wedding Caterers, Food & Drink

August 18, 2007

What's in season?

If you're planning a green wedding at this time of the year you or your florist won't find it hard to source locally grown seasonal flowers that haven't been flown from the other side of the world. At Churchtown Farm on the Isles of Scilly they grow wonderfully scented pinks throughout the summer and autumn. Arrange them with other summer flowers like daisies, veronica, grasses, cornflowers, nigella seed pods and cosmos for a relaxed laid back affair like a picnic or country vintage theme like this one by Idyllic Days.

You'll be spoilt for choice with an abundance of local seasonal food. Courgettes, beans, peas, tomatoes, peppers, courgettes, wonderful cheeses and salad leaves, soft fruits like raspberries and strawberries, gooseberries and blackcurrants. Fish, especially local lobster, is at its best if the weather's good, but our small boats in Devon have had a hard time of it trying to get out this month because the weather's been too rough, so fish is in short supply at the moment. Get your caterer to source only the very best local and organic food.

Posted in Green Wedding Caterers, Food & Drink , Flowers

August 17, 2007

Trash the dress ... or not

Image by Hollye Schumacher Photography from Trash the Dress

Ever thought what you'd do with your dress after the big day?

I have a confession to make, my gorgeous hand made dress is in the attic. Because it's not a typical wedding dress, I thought I'd dye it and my shoes an interesting colour and wear them to parties and balls in the future or, at least, my daughter would want to dress up in them and dream of her marriage to a handsome prince.

Sadly, the parties didn't call for such a frock and we weren't blessed with children so my beautiful wedding dress still languishes in the attic, and now I've grown out of it. But I'm still not sure I can give away this very tangible memory of one of the happiest days of my life.

So what will you do with yours?

Posted in Green Wedding Dresses & Gowns , Photographers

August 14, 2007

A bicycle made for two

Mandy and Jonathan, who kept us up to date here at GreenUnion HQ about their wedding preparations, were married in May and here's an extract from an original article about their wedding by Julie Lastarade for French Elle on 4 June 2007 and translated for us by our partner Diane who runs covert cabin in the Perigord Vert region of France - the ultimate in honeymoon hideaways.

The greenest day of their lives

Dress made of fairtrade cotton, guests discouraged to come by car. In England, the eco-chic are getting married in the same way they live their lives, by respecting the planet. And from these good principles real businesses are emerging.

Posted in Green Wedding Natural Nuptials , Press

August 09, 2007

Eco chic wedding inspiration

If you haven't found the information you're looking for on GreenUnion, then you may like this inspiring book, eco-chic weddings by Emily Anderson who, after a decade of working in the fashion industry and then designing weddings and events at Martha Stewart, was inspired to create Eco-Chic Weddings in 2003. She wanted to show the fashionable, chic couple how to incorporate sustainability into their celebration without sacrificing style.

A girl after my own heart!

Posted in Green Wedding Books

Stuck for an eco chic wedding gift idea?

Well here are some brilliant ones from Oxfam Unwrapped. What better gift for an eco chic couple than a living, breathing garden, bringing life and prosperity to both the environment and people with a greater need than our own around the world. Oxfam Unwrapped's gift-giving program makes the most of your donations, providing financial assistance to Oxfam’s many programs, while giving a gift that supports those who benefit most. Give just £16 and plant 50 trees, while £200 will buy a plot of land for families to plant crops which they can sell in local markets and earn their own living. We're all for the ethical and ecological focus of these gifts which stress the sometimes overlooked connection between humanitarian efforts, environmental commitments, and issues of local food and agriculture.

Posted in Green Wedding Charities , Gifts & Favours

August 08, 2007

Recycle your wedding dress and exchange it for everyday clothes

If you think you won't wear your wedding dress again, how about indulging in a bit of recycling at Whatsmineisyours, where you can sell or swap your clothes for others on the site. A new wedding section has just been added to the site, so its quite small at the moment, but give it time and numbers will swell.

They have a fabulous selection of vintage dresses which would suit a bridesmaid or a bride who's looking for an unconventional outfit for her wedding like this stunning original 1950s tulip style evening dress.

Also on the site there's a detailed guide to buying vintage for your general knowledge. Buy and swap to your heart's content happy in the knowledge that you can come back and recycle time after time.

It would be good to see a bit more vintage and interesting menswear on the site too, for those alternative grooms who don't want to hire the conventional wedding suite or leave a huge footprint on the earth.

Posted in Green Wedding Dresses & Gowns