During National Tree Week the online tree gifts company is offering customers a massive 50% discount for all native tree gift orders placed on Wednesday the 26th of November through to Sunday the 30th of November. Saving you over £12 per native tree!

Tree2mydoor's native tree gifts include one native tree with tree care guide and one greetings card that you can personalise at time of order. The trees are individually boxed in unique packaging and can be mailed to your chosen recipient so they make perfect wedding gifts, or order enough for wedding favours and send your guests home with a little green gift of their own.

This generous offer is only valid for 5 days during National Tree Week 2008 so visit www.tree2mydoor.com/national-tree-week.asp to claim your tree now!

To claim the discount, simply use the following promotion code when placing an order online: 5thgift

Lovely hearts from POSH Graffiti would make beautiful Christmas tree decorations or tie your guests names on with ribbons for place names and they double up as wedding favours. If you haven't got a tree to decorate and don't want to have ribbon everywhere then their brilliant POSH Graffiti® on sticks can be use for all sorts of ideas - stick them into containers with your table decorations, use them to decorate your cake or pop one into every guest's desert and it will double up as a wedding favour. The ideas are endless.

And using these decorations will make you feel good about the love you have to give because...

Indonesia has a reputation for cheap and cheerful handicrafts that does not do justice to the expertise of the producers. The collection is an example of how beautiful objects can be produced if people are encouraged to make them.

You couldn't do better than buy this gorgeous Enamore princess line dress from our Eco Chic Boutique. It's made from a sustainable blend of hemp and tencel and has a silkey yoke detail and a ribbon sash (or you can personalise it with your own belt and accessories). The fabrics are gotgeously soft and move satisfyingly with your body.

Apart from a must have Christmas party dress this would be an ideal bridesmaid's dress. After the wedding your 'maid will be able to dress it up or down for every sort of going out.

So its hard to see how a wedding photographer would stand out from the crowd as having a more ethical business than others. But some go that extra mile and MyWeddingStory.co.uk is one of those. Having already committed to going carbon neutral when he joined GreenUnion in 2007, Jonathan achieved his goal and gained his certificate in January 2008.

Here's how they did it...

2. On top of that they've cut down dramatically on driving. Although Jonathan says that you're always welcome to meet up with him, last year 2 of his weddings were entirely booked by email, MSN, Skype and telephone.

3. All their new stationery is now printed on recycled or 100% FSC approved stock.

4. They conducted a green audit of the business, assisted by GreenUnion's green gauge and while90% is good, they're we’re working on the rest.

5. They worked with the Carbon Neutral Company to offset the pollution that’s unavoidable. You can see the certificate above.

6. Their new gallery is built using local carpenters and FSC managed timber.

Lots of good reasons to choose MyWeddingStory.co.uk as your sustainable wedding photographer.

So it's always a worry that the jewels you choose could hold some dark and dirty secret. If you are determined to be as eco conscious as possible with your wedding plans and outfits, then the only way to be sure that your engagement rings and committment bands have come from completely ethical sources is to buy from a totally transparent company.

Bario-Neal is one of these. A collaborative work of designers Anna Bario and Page Neal who handcraft all their jewellery in Philadelphia, USA. Bario-Neal promotes total transparency, fair trade initiatives and the development of third party certification systems for ethical jewellery.

Their gorgeous collection is made from reclaimed metals derived from recycled jewellery or industrial materials, while diamonds and gems are sourced from the Tanzania Women Miners Association, TAWOMA. They sell on line but if you want to take a peek at their work and you just happen to be in New York, they'll be at the Metal Pop Up Shop opening at the Tribeca Issey Miyake Flagship store from 7th to 15th November.

They participate in the Madison Dialogue: a cross-sector initiative established to promote communication and collaboration among companies, civil society groups and others seeking to encourage best practices, sustainable economic development, and verified sources of responsible gold, diamonds and other minerals.

And as if that's not enough, after so much frustration and dead ends in their own research, trying to access information from suppliers, processors, and other jewellers about their materials and methods, they decided to publish their findings in a Research Blog which they hope will be useful to other designers and consumers, encouraging the creation of a more transparent jewellery manufacturing industry.

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...

Established by Rowan Clark, a forest ranger who saw the benefit of offering a green gift idea for parties and celebrations. She loves to think that every little green tree she nurtures will make a difference and, as well as being a beautiful gift, could become the family Christmas tree in years to come. The company prides itself in being as environmentally friendly as they can with products being almost enitrely 100% recyclable.

Rowan's Little Green Wedding Favours are little Christmas tree saplings rustically wrapped in individual hessian sacks tied up with a tag which can be personalised. They will do a great job of doubling up as place settings for each guest too and come in clusters of 10. A gift idea that won't break the bank and will give everyone something to celebrate!

Janette Blakemore of Sacred Life, an Interfaith Celebrant, has put some thought into the subject and here's her very sound advice about the whole wedding thing. Over to you Janette...

HOW TO CREATE A WEDDING CEREMONY THAT TRULY REFLECTS YOUR VALUES & BELIEFS

To the spirit, relationships are the perfect vehicle to help us walk back into the experience of love, wholeness and unity together.
Miranda Holden

You are thinking about having a Green Wedding because you know that how you choose to spend your resources effects us all and that sustainability matters.

You also know that sustainability in a loving relationship has nothing to do with whether your wedding chair covers match the serviettes!

All human relationships are hallowed ground; intimate relationships with a significant other are highly impactful and important, and holy matrimony is a contract of extraordinary meaning and consequence.
Neale Donald Walsh

Marriage is a deep and profound sharing, one of the most rewarding and challenging adventures any of us can undertake. A true marriage is an act of spiritual transformation, a profound mystery of creation and re-birth. The wedding ceremony and the vows you say to each other are the gateway into this mystery.

Your marriage is unique – an expression of our love that is both public and private, a precious and sacred union.

Marriage is a spiritual tool, a sacred device, used by evolving beings to play out their soul’s agenda and to complete that part of their journey that involves mutuality with a particular Other for the purpose of growth and the continued recreation of Self.
Neale Donald Walsh

What you say and do at your wedding ceremony can create a sustainable, beautiful and truly memorable foundation for the rest of your life together.

What’s different about an Interfaith Wedding?

Couples who want their wedding to be meaningful, spiritual and unique are discovering the power of an Interfaith Ceremony. Founded in the UK in 1996, The Interfaith Seminary ordains independent ministers and spiritual counsellors to serve the spiritual needs of people from all faiths and none.

We are a spiritual rather than a religious organisation, believing that there is One God/Truth and many different paths leading to the Source of All. We offer an inclusive approach to spirituality, embracing the universal truth at the heart of all spiritual traditions.

So who has an Interfaith Wedding?

An Interfaith ceremony can be particularly helpful if:

• You are keen to express your spirituality but feel uncomfortable with conventional religion. Recent surveys suggest this is, in fact, the majority of the UK population
• As a couple, you come from different religious backgrounds and wish to honour more than one faith tradition
• You or your partner struggles to feel included in traditional faith settings – perhaps due to divorce or sexuality

The choice is yours

We are independent, non-denominational ministers which means that we have no vested interest in guiding your ceremony to a particular ‘religious’ outcome. Any form of spiritual, religious or non-religious beliefs are welcomed and honoured.

Marriage provides opportunities – for growth, for full self-expression, for lifting our lives to the highest potential and for intimate reunion with God through the communion of two souls.
Neale Donald Walsh

Our job is to help you find ways to express the depth of your love in a way that works for you. This may involve using favourite readings, songs, chants, music and rituals from your own religious or cultural heritage. Alternatively, you can choose from an extensive collection of readings, poems, blessings and sayings from many time-honoured sacred traditions.

As wedding blessings are without legal restriction, we can also hold the ceremony at a place that has the deepest personal significance for you.

Of course, no ceremony alone can create a marriage. Only the two of you can do that – with love, patience, commitment and understanding.

Learning to live your life together based on what truly matters is key to a successful marriage and that can start with your wedding.

Take your first step to a truly sustainable union

Hopefully, you will never get married again so you want your ceremony to be one of the most precious memories of a very special day.

Take action today to make that a reality

For an initial free discussion about whether an Interfaith ceremony is for you, contact Janette Blakemore on janette@sacredlife.co.uk or call 0191 422 3088

© Janette Blakemore & Sacred Life 2008. All rights reserved.
www.sacredlife.co.uk

APPLE DAY celebrating the heritage of English apples, is on 21 October this year and there are heaps of events all over the country this weekend or next, celebrating the quintessential qualities and diversity of the appplicious English apple. You can find out more at Common Ground or just do your own thing. Full of rich symbolism, the apple is a wonderful way of carrying a theme through your wedding day if you're marrying in the autumn. Delicious to eat cooked and raw, beautiful to look at and a jewel when used in decorations, place settings or as wedding favours, use apples to your heart's content.

William Crump, American Mother, Adams Pearmain, Tom Putt, Lucombe’s, Pine Major, Woolbrook Russet, Upton Pyne, Plum Vite, Hoarry Morning and Slack ma Girdle are just a few of the wonderful names of apples - use them for your table names.

Go pick a few apples or support your local farmer's market and wander home to make this delicious apple cake:

Cream together 125gms butter and 125gms soft brown sugar and mix in 2 eggs beaten.
Sift 200gms self raising flour into a separate bowl.
Peel and core 500gms cooking apples and cut into quarters (or eighths if very big).
Fold the flour into the butter/sugar/egg mixture and then spoon the thickish batter into a 22cm round cake tin.
Push apples deeply into the batter and pack them in as tightly as possible.
Mix up a tbsp brown sugar and a tsp cinnamon and scatter all over the top of the mixture.
Bake at 180C for 40-45 min.

Eat warm with lashings of clotted cream! Mmmmmmmmmm...

If you're thinking of an autumn wedding and wondering how to decorate look no further than new partners' Ochre & Ocre where you can find the richest coloured organic cotton and linens all dyed using the Oeko-tex method to give you the cleanest / greenest materials you can buy. They also sell sweet lavender bags filled with Cotswold Lavender, scented soy wax candles in tins and beeswax pillar candles to warm your heart.

We heard that in the Chinese art of Feng Shui, ochre earth shades give a feeling of stability, serenity and resistance to time, and vibrations from these colours are very beneficial - a great start for newlyweds so put Ochre & Ocre on your wedding gift list today!

The flower is made from vintage blankets which have been felted and dyed and each corsage is made by hand which means that they will all be slightly different. The stylish embroidered corsage will liven up a coat, cardigan or hat and keep you in good cheer for the winter to come, knowing that every single penny, that's 100% (not just the profit) of the sale price will be donated to Cancer Research!

Snapdragon is run by Jane Lindsay who grows and sells cut flowers, during the spring and summer months, from her cutting garden in Scotland. She also makes and sells one off, or small runs of, unique gifts, homewares and accessories from vintage and recycled fabrics.

If you're up in Yorkshire next weekend make time to go along to the Lovely Green Wedding Event at Norristhorpe. There'll be heaps of fun and frolics, and of course a celebration of green and local wedding ideas.

Be warned! If you’re used to the usual wedding fair conveyor belt, go prepared for something refreshingly different. There's an action packed timetable. From hay rides, pints of Black Sheep beer, an eco-couture showcase, organic make-overs and a range of Yorkshire’s finest green wedding innovators, the day is all about proving your wedding can be green but with bags of style. Forget the Jesus sandals and lentils, they’re talking full on sophisticated fun and glamour!

When: Sunday 19 October from 1 pm 'till 4 pm
Where: Low Farm, Lodge Lane, Norristhorpe, Yorkshire, WF15 7LE
How: For directions see website.
How much? Tickets are £10 each or £15 for two which includes an organic fair trade afternoon tea served on vintage china. The day will be a non-profit making event with all the proceeds going to Radio Aire’s Cash for Kids Charity.

To make a ticket reservation please contact Olivia Brabbs on 07779345819 or Claire Ellis on 07778 653501 or e-mail hello@lovelygreenweddings.co.uk

Believe it or not it is the aspiration of many Liberian brides to get married in white, but in this worn-torn land where a woman's daily wage as little as a dollar day, the dream is often out of reach. The West African country is in the process of recovering from 15 years of civil war and it now has a stable government with Africa's first democratically-elected female president, so there is an air of optimism in the country.

Alpha and Louise plan to take the dresses to West Africa where their local partners will loan them out to Liberian brides for a small charge to cover the costs cleaning and so on. And they're not stopping there - men's suits and bridesmaids dresses are welcomed with open arms. Funds are also being raised to help with transport costs when they take the clothes to Liberia.

Dresses, suits and bridesmaid dresses can be dropped off at St Cuthbert's Church, on Barnsley Road, any Sunday morning, and donations can be made payable to Action Love Liberia and sent to St Cuthbert's Vicarage, 7 Horndean Road, Sheffield, S5 6UJ.

Call Louise and Alpha on 0114 261 1605 for more information.

See Sheffield Telegraph for full story.

We want to provide and promote gorgeous and ethically made products with high value in terms of skill, content, design and beauty. From bespoke event stationary to hand made holiday tipis, the products we have carefully sourced are eco friendly, organic, hand made, fairly traded and British. World products also feature where they are sourced with a clear conscience.

The range includes lingerie and dresses by Enamore, exclusive wedding stationery by Seed, bespoke maps by illustrator Marta Munoz, gorgeous hand made jewellery by Maura Nicholson, exclusive handmade candles by Hapi Bean and much, much more...

Come and see for yourself! GreenUnion Eco Chic Boutique

Devon Open Studios is a huge project being held over the course of two weeks across 9 trails throughout Devon. The initiative started on 6th September and runs until 21 September, so get out there enjoy the countryside and meet some artists, designers and craftsmen.

Take this beautiful bed for instance, made by David Ames in North Devon, what a fabulous idea for a lifetime of cuddles!