February 25, 2009

What have I done......or more importantly haven't......

Lots and lots, I think it's now dawning on me that I've focused heavily on the elements of the planning that I'm comfortable with and the other bits....

Well......er....who knows....you see I'm organising the lot and I'm no wedding planner but why should that stop me.........to give you an indication of what I mean, I just this minute asked my mother (who's staying with Ads and I) she's chirruping away in my ear about fascinators (I digress). I ask her what I haven't organised as I kind of drew a blank as soon as I started writing (a cushioning from wedding induced anxiety, a buffer for my poor mind) half expecting her to say....

I don't know what she was going to say actually but I wasn't expecting her answer to be so full bodied. She rattled off invitations, ordering tables, table cloths, cutlery, flowers (friends are growing most of them but do I know what the displays will be....no, bouquets...nope) and then I tuned her out to the sound of the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack.

Who cares!!!!

We'll sort it, but right now the hat block I've purchased is calling and I'm creating fascinators and cloche hats for the guests from all sorts of loveliness and vintage trimmings! It'll all happen.....why stress I say. There's plenty of tables in the world, invites....well I read somewhere they're meant to go out 3 months before (got ages).......

Time to pull me finger out me thinks!!!!!

Posted by Vicky - Blogger Bride

Posted in Green Wedding Blogger Brides , Natural Nuptials

Fairly traded

Launched yesterday down at the South Bank in London with a huge street party, Fair Trade Fortnight's well under way and you can find out what's going on in your area, join the great debate, tour the UK with fair trade farmers and workers, share your story, win funding for your own project or take part in the biggest banana auction in the world!

And we'll be bringing you some more ideas, tips, services and products over the next two weeks which are all in the spirit of fair trade.

Posted in Green Wedding Events

February 23, 2009

Charity bride in the news

Our blogger bride Vicky's got so hooked on collecting vintage china from charity shops for her very ethical wedding in August, that she's hit the news in a bid to persuade other charity shoppers to sign up for Gift Aid to benefit the shops they buy in.

St Peter's Hospice shop in Chipping Sodbury says that Gift Aid scheme could potentially raise an extra £250,000 for the charity in its first year.

The initiative will enable the shops to raise an extra 28p on every £1 taken at the tills at no extra cost to customers and Julie Trinder, manager of both shops in Chipping Sodbury, said: "Our shops have been promoting the Gift Aid scheme for the past two weeks and so far over 3,000 people have signed up across the region.

Did you know that it costs £5.3 million every year to provide our specialist palliative care? By signing up to the Gift Aid scheme in St Peter's Hospice shops you could help them to raise much needed funds that go directly towards patient care.

Read the whole story in the Gazette.

Image from the Gazette shows shop manager Julie Trinder with Vicky. Vicky will be blogging here about her wedding plans in the forthcoming months.

Posted in Green Wedding Charities , Natural Nuptials , News

February 20, 2009

ITV Four Weddings

ITV Living are currently looking for fun-loving couples planning a wedding or a civil partnership between March and June 2009 to take part in the show.

Each episode of Four Weddings is an entertaining romp through four extremely different weddings – the couples will be attending each others’ weddings and judging them according to a set of criteria. The couple with the highest score at the end of show will win a five-star luxury honeymoon.

They want to include a variety of weddings from simple and traditional to high-end and cultural, so why not an ethical wedding?

If you fancy taking part please contact Adeel Amini on 0207 157 4605 or email adeel.amini@itv.com quoting GreenUnion.

Posted in Green Wedding Press

February 19, 2009

Introducing Vicky & Ads

When Vicky contacted me about selling her soy wax vintage teacup candles in our eco chic wedding boutique, she told me of her plans for her own charitable dream wedding this year. Happily she's agreed to fill us in and keep us posted on the run up to her very stylish green wedding day.

Names: Vicky & Ads

Wedding date: 15th August 2009 (not long!)

Wedding venue and location: Treowen in Monmouthshire. A big old Jacobean manor house that can be hired for days or weeks at a time. We’ve hired it for 4 days so we can make a weekend of it as my Birthday is the following day. The house can accommodate 35 people and a sizeable group are camping in the grounds. The ceremony and reception are all taking place there and we’re responsible for organising everything from the food, booze, entertainments and décor.

How many guests are coming to your wedding and where from? 60 to the reception and a further 60 for the evening. Ads and I live in Bristol and my family live in Wales, however the majority of guests aren’t local. So whilst my family are not traveling far, his family live in Surrey so have a reasonable distance to travel and we’re encouraging them to travel in convoy in minibuses (move over Gavin and Stacey). Family and wedding party are staying in the house, and then the vast majority are camping out in the 300 odd acres.

Posted in Green Wedding Blogger Brides , Inspiration , Natural Nuptials

Professional wedding video offered for no cost

Want a video momento of your green wedding but can't afford it? Read on for this generous offer.

Two creative young film graduates are looking to break into the wedding video industry and they are offering to come and film your wedding for free! All footage will be shot on High Definition and the sound will be professionally recorded. They are a discreet two man crew (sound man and camera man).

The service will provide you with:

Their professional service
Natural, creative and unobtrusive filming
A tasteful and creatively edited version of your special day on DVD
If you wish, they can also supply you with the unedited footage too

All this completely FREE OF CHARGE!

REQUIREMENTS
The wedding must be taking place before the end of March this year (2009).
You agree to let us use the video as an example of our work on our website.
We will require you to sign a release form allowing us to do this.

LOCATION
The location of the wedding is quite important to us.
Ideally they would like picturesque surroundings such as an interesting older style building with plenty of character etc.
They want to capture as much of your day as possible, before the wedding, during the ceremony and the reception too.

CONTACT THEM
If this sound like it might be good for you please can you send the details of your wedding to:
richardridout@yahoo.co.uk

Posted in Green Wedding Giveaways , Photographers

Did you watch it?

If you watched Episode 7 of Its Not Easy Being Green last night you probably won't have heard anything you haven't already heard before but two things stood out for me:

The couple only had £5000 to spend and managed to enjoy a fabulous day dispelling the popular notion that you can only have a green wedding if you've got plenty of money in the pot.

The bride's comment at how surprised she was that she hadn't had to compromise on her dream of the perfect day to ensure that her wedding was a green one.

Go green weddings!

Posted in Green Wedding Natural Nuptials , News

February 17, 2009

Its Not Easy Being Green

Don't miss Its Not Easy Being Green tonight on BBC2 where Toby Sawday meets a young bride at a wedding fair and sets about trying to green-up her wedding and her honeymoon.

We worked hard with the BBC to give them information and advice during the planning of the feature, and our partner Wedding Tree Favours is featured on the programme, so we're excited to see how it panned out.

Could be fun and you may get a few tips too!
Happy viewing - BBC2 8pm tonight.

You can find more stories of real green weddings here.

Posted in Green Wedding Events , Natural Nuptials

February 11, 2009

Oxfam Bridal Competition

Oxfam Bridal Store in Shirley, Southampton let us know about their exciting competition to celebrate 'Donate your Dress Month'.

Be in with a chance to win a gorgeously romantic break at Lyndhurst Park Hotel (or one of the other 17 hotels in the Forestdale Hotel Group) in the New Forest and take your preloved wedding dress along to the store before 5th March.

Oxfam Bridal's a great way to give something back. Your dress gets a second life and gives someone else a chance to buy something stylish and economical. And it helps less fortunate people to overcome poverty and suffering through the Oxfam programme worldwide.

You can find the Oxfam Bridal Store in at:

76/78 Shirley Hgh Street,
Southampton,
SO15 3NE

'Donate your Dress' month runs until the 5th March 2009.
The lucky winner of the romantic break will be announced on the 8th March 2009 at the Lyndhurst Park Hotel Wedding Fayre.

Posted in Green Wedding Dresses & Gowns , Events

February 09, 2009

Keep Valentine's Day British

For romantics who want to celebrate an all British V-Day, buy direct from a British flower grower for an in-season bunch of delicate flowers from the fields.

A sweet and simple posy of Devon violets straight from the nursery evokes days gone by while a fabulously fragrant bunch of Scented Narcissi heralds the spring.

Or seek out something more creative, home grown and hand made.

Go to Catkin Flowers for seasonal bouquets with sentimental messages of love, Snapdragon Garden has beautiful pots of paperwhite narcissi decorated with a dogwood heart and Sweet Loving Flowers will make a heart of red cornus, eucalyptus and skimmia for you to send to your true love.

Make haste though and don't forget that with V-Day on Saturday you may have to pay more for delivery on the day and last orders are 11th February.

For more information on florists supplying seasonal British flowers this Valentine's Day go to our green wedding directory.

Posted in Green Wedding Events , Flowers