October 28, 2009

November promotion - 15% off all orders at Pebble in the Pond

Eco friendly wedding stylists and decorators Pebble in the Pond are offering our readers an amazing 15% off all orders placed in November across their complete range – whether you choose their styling service, hire their vintage china and linen or simply opt to order the sweetest wedding favours we've come across.

So if you are mulling over ideas for decorations or favours then they'd love to get their thinking caps on!

Find out more at pebble-in-the-pond.co.uk, email info@pebble-in-the-pond.co.uk or call for a chat on 07538 176829 (Emma) or 07538 176833 (Alex) and quote GreenUnion to claim your 15% discount.

Posted in Green Wedding Decorations & Details , Special Offers

Learn how to arrange your wedding flowers

Fantastic floral arranger Sarah Pepper has just published her winter flower arranging course list and she's offering some great ideas for those wanting to know how to arrange their own seasonal wedding flowers themselves.

Festive foliage door wreaths, garlands, 'green' Christmas decorations, table arrangements and Christmas gifting (recycling and making inexpensive gifts and decorations) are all on the list of fun days with Sarah. There's a choice of flower arranging courses both at her own studio and also at several National Trust Properties and venues around Devon.

And if you're planning ahead, Sarah offers a choice of other courses and demonstrations throughout the year:

Wedding Design Demonstrations - A whole day to see Sarah making stylish bridal bouquets, buttonholes, wedding table arrangements and more. Sarah's top tips will inspire you to 'have a go'.

Posted in Green Wedding Events , Flowers , Hens & Stags

October 26, 2009

Crackling bonfire wedding theme

We love autumn and think the end of October and Bonfire Night are the perfect excuse to throw an alternative wedding. Not only do you have the chance of finding a really great off season deal on your wedding venue but it can also be the best excuse for a dress down wedding party. Forget formal and think more cosy wollies, snuggly boots and fireside tales.

A giant tipi in the garden warmed by a fire pit, candles and fur lined benches will keep guests piping warm for a feast of crackling locally sourced sausages, baked potatoes, zingy chilli and organic roasted squash. Scrumptious apple cake served with clotted cream will round off the warming feast. Keep it casual with eco friendly disposable picnic plates.

Dot the garden with cut out pumpkins glowing with tea lights and create richly coloured seasonal decorations of apples and colourful squashes piled high on organic table linen glowing with fragranced candles.

Serve grown ups with home made steaming mulled wine in porcelain mugs and let the children sip hot chocolate with marshmallows. Hand out cones of roasted chestnuts and cosy blankets as the evening draws to an end and the finale of chinese flying lanterns will have your guests sending wishes high into the sky.

Images courtesy of Martha Stewart

Posted in Green Wedding Inspiration , Seasonal Celebrations

October 20, 2009

Fabulous farm wedding

When Lisa Dawn, a West Country photographer sent in these photos of the recent wedding she shot in Somerset in England, we just had to post them here. The photography is great and, of course, Huntstile Organic Farm where the wedding was held this summer, is one of our favourite wedding venues.

Posted in Green Wedding Natural Nuptials , Photographers , Venues

Get baking!

On the second day of National Baking Week it seems absolutely appropriate to encourage all you brides out there to contemplate making your own wedding cake, or at least asking a close friend or relative to have a go.

Images from BBC Good Food.

If you follow a good recipe and have a trial run, you'll find its really not all that difficult to make a delicious and gorgeously decorated cake to grace your wedding reception. The great thing about making your own is that you can choose to use only the best, if not organic, ingredients and you know exactly what's gone into it.

Although I love baking and make cakes quite a bit I had never made a celebration cake until earlier this year when I was 'volunteered' to make my mother-in-law's 80th birthday cake. You can imagine the terror and nightmares that ensued! But I enjoyed every moment of the making, testing and tasting once I had decided to make a one tier zingy lemon cake with polka dot decoration. And I was pretty pleased with the result!

BBC Good Food has a really good wedding cake recipe by Jane Hornby. There's the bottom layer of chocolate cake, the middle layer of zingy lemon cake and the top layer of light fruit cake with a special section on how to put the whole thing together and ice it. There is everything you need with size guides for guest numbers, quantities, timings, step by step pictures and video tutorials too. Its so well laid out that even a beginner could make a fabulous wedding cake from scratch.

You could decide to make all three cake flavours, choose just one flavour, make a three tier, two tier or one tier cake depending on the number of guests you are having at your wedding reception.

You can't go wrong, give it a go!

Posted in Green Wedding Cakes , Events

October 12, 2009

Gorgeous green country wedding venue

We're so excited to welcome Winkworth Farm to our green wedding directory!

Set in 230 acres of organic farmland, this former Cotswold stone threshing barn complex with a capacity for 200 seated guests is a fabulous new wedding venue for couples planning to throw a wedding in the Wiltshire/Gloucestershire countryside. Renovated by local craftsmen, using some ancient building methods combined with the very latest environmentally friendly technology, this lovely new venue is being sympathetically restored with a high-end finish throughout, including the furniture and fittings.

The Barns, reached by a mile long private drive, are surrounded by already well established lawns, herbaceous borders, a Cotswold stone sunken garden and acres of organic meadows with ravishing views and is yours exclusively for your wedding day.

There's a Farmhouse too which can be hired from 1 to 4 nights, with meals prepared by a local chef. The perfect place for you to prepare for the big day with your immediate family.

What's so special about Winkworth Farm is the fact that the Jeremy and Melanie Newman will not compromise on any aspect of the building work, or the way they will run the venue when it opens in June 2010. Although the farm business has diversified from its original beef farming roots, they still believe in supporting and promoting local suppliers and producers. They are employing a local architect, builders and craftsmen to realise their dream venue and they use renewable energy with the latest green technology to reduce the farm's carbon footprint.

Having hosted wedding receptions in the cattle byre with a marquee attached since 2004, the Newman family are old hands at making your day go without a hitch and they are now looking forward to hosting weddings year round in their newly renovated and licensed Cotswold venue.

If you fancy taking a look and talking to Jeremy and Melanie about Winkworth Farm, they will be welcoming visitors for ‘hard hat tours’ of the barn complex from Autumn 2009 and they are already taking wedding bookings starting August 2010 through to 2011.

To find out more go to their website or contact them by email at info@winkworthfarm.com or tel. 01666 823499.

Posted in Green Wedding Venues

October 06, 2009

The Designer Wedding Show

Once again, this weekend, the Designer Wedding Show will be taking place in Battersea Park, and they're promising an even better show than previous years.

First timers will be showing their collections alongside established bridal designers in the bridal catwalk shows taking place four times a day. This is the place to catch up on hot trends (like this one inspired by Nature) and spot talented new wedding providers and services, showcasing products which are often created right here in the UK by skilled designers and makers.

Only the cream of the crop is chosen from the fields of fashion, catering, millinery, stationery, venues, etc., all carefully chosen for their stylish wedding services and we're proud to say that several of our own partners will be there leading the way. Come along and talk to Berry Scrumptious for wedding favours, Maunsel House for a fabulous country venue and The Alternative Wedding List for ideas on charity gift lists.

So whatever stage you've reached in your wedding planning journey, whether you're newly engaged and looking for ideas, or need a bit of inspiration, its always and exciting and inspiring event to attend.

What: The Designer Wedding Show
Where: Battersea Park (courtesy bus operates from Sloane Square tube station)
When: Friday 9 October to Sunday 11 October 2009 from 10 am to 5 pm
Contact: www.designerweddingshow.co.uk or call 0871 230 5579.

Image courtesy of Elisabeth B. Photos of Clé Maraini.

Posted in Green Wedding Events , Inspiration

October 05, 2009

London wedding showcase

If you didn't find the ideal wedding venue on your travels round the wedding fairs, or at the National Wedding Show, this weekend and you fancy throwing an eco chic wedding right in the middle of London's West End, then here's a chance to view one of our favourite wedding venues of all time.

The RSA House in WC2 is having their very own Wedding Showcase right in the heart of the big city next weekend and its dedicated team are excited about opening the doors of this beautiful House to show off their facilities for Weddings and Civil Partnerships.

The House's Georgian facade conceals many unexpected delights of both contemporary as well as traditional architecture. Whether you seek the inspiring grandeur of the Great Room or the intimacy of a candlelit ceremony in the vaults it's the ideal wedding venue to make your day memorable.

PLUS! Everyone attending will be offered a FREE wedding cake designed by Fancy Nancy when they book their wedding at the RSA. Who could refuse!

So do go along and meet the team and their suppliers. Find out about one of London's best kept secrets.

What: RSA House Wedding Showcase
Where: RSA House, 8 John Adam Street, London, WC2N 6EZ
When: Sunday 11 October 2009, from 11 am to 3 pm - Refreshments will be served throughout the day.
Contact: weddings@rsa.org.uk Tel. 0207 7451 6815

Posted in Green Wedding Events , Venues