Eco friendly flower girls

If you're looking for flowers with impeccable eco-credentials and an authentically quirky edge, you wouldn't go far wrong in enlisting the services of fresh flower company Bella & Fifi.

Bella & Fifi work exclusively with gorgeous, seasonal and locally sourced handpicked flowers in the Bristol area. They create stunning, original wedding bouquets, buttonholes and flower arrangements that demonstrate their individuality, their artistic backgrounds and their self-taught floristry skills, free from the restraints of formal training.

When I asked them what made them start a flower business that concentrates wholly on the local and seasonal flower trade (because, let's face it, it's a whole lot easier to buy flowers off a lorry from Amsterdam) they replied: "We wanted to do something creative, useful and environmental, and above all to spread a little happiness. Sustainable floristry just seemed to tick all the boxes, so Bella & Fifi was born."

Posted in Green Wedding Decorations & Details , Flowers , Seasonal Celebrations

Valentine’s flowers from Rebel Rebel

Earn rave reviews from your leading lady with Valentine’s flowers from Rebel Rebel. Sweep your leading lady off her feet this Valentine’s Day with flowers to take her breath away.

Flowers - gorgeous, fresh, fragrant flowers – are always affordable, always romantic and always rapturously received. Bouquets are beautifully hand-tied, swathed in chic colours of tissue and beribboned, is romance with a capital R.

For an extra romantic touch, you can even send your flowers with a literary message of love - maybe a pocket volume of Everyman’s ‘Love Poems’ or a slim paperback from Penguin’s ‘Great Loves’ series all wrapped up in matching tissue and silk ribbon. Rebel Rebel has teamed up with independent booksellers The Broadway Bookshop to enable you to send the perfect title to your love, even if it is The Gruffalo...

Rebel Rebel delivers anywhere in London. Visit www.rebelrebel.co.uk or call 020 7254 4487 for personal advice and orders.

Hand-tied bouquets from £40
Flower-filled handbags from £80
Book supplement from £10

REBEL REBEL
5 Broadway Market
London E8 4PH

Posted in Green Wedding Flowers , Gifts & Favours , Seasonal Celebrations

A special Christmas gift voucher

Penrhos can solve your Christmas shopping dilemma. They are offering a special gift voucher for Christmas which includes:

Special Offer - three nights for the price of two on one of their courses during January.

Stay an extra night and totally unwind with a free massage.

2 day Women's Health 8th - 10th January 2010

2 day Food & Health 13th - 15th January 2010

To buy a Gift Voucher follow one of the links above or phone: 01544 230720
or email: info@greencuisine.org

For more information on all Greencuisine courses visit www.greencuisine.org

Posted in Green Wedding Gifts & Favours , Seasonal Celebrations , Special Offers

Christmas wreath making fun

Favourite florists Rebel Rebel will be joining in the festive frolics at Broadway Market in London with their own Christmas wreath-making workshops.

Everyone is welcome to try all sorts of different styles, from traditional pine and dried fruit numbers to feather boas and sweeties, like a winter version of this fluffy summer wreath.

Rebel Santa will be on hand with heaps of help and advice......

Broadway Market’s late night shopping evenings are on the next two Thursdays December 10th and 17th.

Posted in Green Wedding Events , Flowers , Seasonal Celebrations

Luxurious layers for a winter wedding

When Louise Broad joined our wedding directory we just knew that a winter bride's dilemma of how to dress in up layers to keep warm but still look gorgeous was finally solved. Just look at the pictures and say you don't agree!

Louise makes the most beautiful shrugs, shawls, wraps and hair accessories by fusing gossamer light silk and merino wools together creating the most beautiful ethereal fabrics. It's called nuno felting and it's all done by hand.

Posted in Green Wedding Dresses & Gowns , Seasonal Celebrations , Shoes & Accessories

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

The most magnificent bridal suite in Somerset

It's renowned for the most magnificent bridal suite in Somerset and the King's Room is a truly magnificent bedroom to spend your wedding night in. Incredibly sumptuous with a huge four poster bed, the 'Great Bed of Maunsel', deep rich red walls, luxurious antique furnishings, a copper bath and old masters on the walls.

If you've always dreamed of a wedding steeped in history and the English countryside you couldn't choose a more perfect venue than Maunsel House in Somerset. With its history dating back to Doomsday, the most recent incumbents have been there since 1772 and take special care to preserve their heritage. It is without doubt, a great party house and comes to life when packed full of people. The atmosphere, flow and configuration of it’s rooms lends an enormous amount to any occasion, helping your family and friends to feel relaxed, comfortable and most of all, at home.

Exclusively yours for the duration of your wedding, with no restrictions on how you wish to celebrate, Maunsel partners with excellent, reasonably priced caterers providing delicious, locally sourced, seasonal food to suit all tastes. You can choose to have your wedding guests stay at the house with you all weekend for a fabulous house party in the 13 beautifully furnished bedrooms.

Posted in Green Wedding Seasonal Celebrations , Venues

Happy Christmas

It's been quite a year!

Year of the Frog, Olympics, Obama, black holes, Planet Earth, glorious green weddings...
Now it's time for a break, for family and friends.

Whilst we're off for the Christmas hols, we know you'll be planning for your 2009 (or 2010) weddings so we leave you with ideas for your green wedding, a list of the finest ethical wedding suppliers and beautiful hand made and eco friendly products to buy.

If you're worried about the credit crunch and wondering how to promote your eco friendly wedding business find out more here.

So, celebrate and rejoice, it's a beautiful world. We'll see you on the other side.

Till then...

Posted in Green Wedding Seasonal Celebrations

Samhain or Hallowe'en?

Samhain (pronounced 'sow'inn'), at the end of October, marks the beginning of a whole new cycle for the Celts, where they believe that in dark silence comes whisperings of new beginnings, the stirring of seeds below ground. For Christians, 31 October is Hallowe'en or All Hallow's Eve and 1 November is All Saints' Day. Many faiths mark this time of the year as one of significant change - Hindus celebrate Navarati and Muslims mark the end of Ramadan with Eid-Ul-Fitr.

The harvest has been gathered in, the animals sheltered for the winter and its a joyous time as families come together for warmth and to chase away the spirits with bonfires and feasts. What a wonderful time for a loving union of souls - a time of new beginnings, warmth, golden light, apples and nuts, loved ones are remembered.

Think gorgeous, glowing golds and reds, candle light, flares and bonfires for atmosphere. Roasted chestnuts, delicious squash soup, poached pears and baked apples, spices and mulled cider. Hot toasted sausages, baked potatoes and apple pie.

Do I need to go on...

Posted in Green Wedding Decorations & Details , Inspiration , Seasonal Celebrations

Greetings to the Winter Solstice

If you plan to propose this Christmas consider throwing a solstice wedding in 2008 - a perfect time to start your fresh lives together and an auspicious time for the greenest of green weddings.

May the light now increase, shine your blues away and encourage the chickens to begin laying eggs again!

Posted in Green Wedding Seasonal Celebrations

Celebrate on Apple Day

What a brilliant idea for a wedding theme!

Throughout October, wherever apples are grown and loved round the world, communities celebrate their own apple day. In England its 21st October, and throwing a green wedding on, or around Apple Day will go a long way to demonstrating to your guests and the world that you are in tune with the countryside and the seasons.

Celebrate the wonderful variety of our apples which vary from region to region, even village to village in some cases. Have your wedding feast in the midst of an orchard, use apples in your floral decorations, drink apple juice, cider, cider brandy or have a warm apple punch to welcome your guests to the reception.

Posted in Green Wedding Caterers, Food & Drink , Seasonal Celebrations

Samhain or Hallowe'en?

Samhain (pronounced 'sow'inn'), at the end of October, marks the beginning of a whole new cycle for the Celts, where they believe that in dark silence comes whisperings of new beginnings, the stirring of seeds below ground. For Christians, 31 October is Hallowe'en or All Hallow's Eve and 1 November is All Saints' Day. Many faiths mark this time of the year as one of significant change - Hindus celebrate Navarati and Muslims mark the end of Ramadan with Eid-Ul-Fitr.

The harvest has been gathered in, the animals sheltered for the winter and its a joyous time as families come together for warmth and to chase away the spirits with bonfires and feasts. What a wonderful time for a loving union of souls - a time of new beginnings, warmth, golden light, apples and nuts, loved ones are remembered.

For your late Autumn green wedding think gorgeous, glowing golds and reds, candle light, flares and bonfires for atmosphere. Roasted chestnuts, delicious squash soup, poached pears and baked apples, spices and mulled cider. Hot toasted sausages, baked potatoes and apple pie. Do I need to go on...

Posted in Green Wedding Inspiration , Seasonal Celebrations