Eco-chic Weddings

In case, you missed this before, I'm sharing it again because there are so many great ideas, I don't want it to get lost in the shuffle of my blog! I recently finished reading "Eco-chic Weddings" by Emily Elizabeth Anderson and have LOTS of great information to tell you about. As you know my passion is sharing eco-friendly ideas that you can consider for your wedding, it doesn't have to be everything, even a few green efforts can make a big difference. This will be a pretty lengthy post, so stick with me, have a cup of coffee, get a piece of paper to take notes, or get ready to click on links and bookmark them! Most of this information is directly from Emily's book and some I have added in.

Facts To Think About:

• According to Conde Nast Bridal Group- American Wedding Study 2006 the average American wedding is now $27,825 in 1990 it was $15,208
• Prioritize!! What is the most important part of your wedding that you are willing to spend money on and what could be edited out?
• Borrow -  Emily wrote in her book that she borrowed her friends pearl bracelet which was special since her friend couldn't be at the wedding. Maybe borrow someone’s veil too.
• Think about one-time-use items like your wedding shoes that you will only wear once, do you really want to spend that much on them?
• According to the Bridal Consultants of America, October is now the most popular month of the year to get married.
• Ask and find out if your venue/caterer compost leftover food? Could they donate to a compost community garden?
• Reduce: Send your wedding invitations earlier than planned so that you don’t have to send out save-the-dates, or it’s too late to send out save-the-dates so you just send invites
• Self-adhesive stamps come with non-recyclable plastic sheet backing so if possible get the moisten and stick stamps
• Recycle your ink cartridges, more than 300 million ink cartridges end up in landfills every year. You can take them to Staples and get a discount!
• Average money spent on honeymoon is $3.700
• This is a BIG FACT I DID NOT KNOW!! 10% of honeymooners go on a cruise, but did you know that one of the largest waterway polluters is the cruise ship industry! Discharge into the ocean by cruise ships is not covered under the Clean Water Act. I have actually never been on a cruise but it's such a huge industry for tourism.
• Consider going to a “green” location and doing “green” activities and rent from Enterprise Rent-A-Car since they have the Toyota Prius

{Vendor Spotlight} Chocolat by Adam Turoni

I lurve chocolate!! Yep, if I could eat chocolate everyday 24-7 I would, so when a local chocolatier contacted me about tasting his gourmet handmade luxury chocolate, I said YES of course. Adam has a long history with chocolate and many years in perfecting his skill. He says that, "with lessons learned from the kitchens of my grandmother to Chez Panisse to Chef Greweling I am spinning chocolates that taste like the magic of memories". You will remember his chocolate too!!! You can find his chocolates at all Wright Square cafe and Paula Deen's store or place an order with him for your event.

I was impressed with Adam's beautiful presentation of chocolates seen below, his gorgeous office space which is located on Desoto Row one of the few certified “green” buildings in Savannah, but more so by how delicious the chocolates were! Adam supports local businesses such as Savannah Bee Company, PERC, Brighter Day, and local spice and tea shops. He only uses premium chocolate chips to start with in order to make his delicacies. All of his chocolates tasted amazing, but my favorites were:

• Raspberry Mouse ganache, always a favorite combination but WOW he is good!
• Peanut Butter Cup, he makes the peanut butter from scratch and you can tell since it's so fresh and smooth.
• Sourwood Sea Salt Honey Caramels are soooo good and my husbands favorite (I let him sample my leftovers!)
• Cafe Americano has a nice robust infusion of local PERC coffee which is right across the street from Adam, perfect for an after dinner dessert with fresh brewed coffee!
• Blood Orange and Grand Marnier Truffle is very BOLD and sophisticated.
• Chocolate Covered Candied Orange Peel is also potent and a nice compliment to the orange truffle.

I loved this wall in his office that he painted and created a fun frame display!

Here is a close up of his signature Almond Bark Lion Medallion

Chocolat by Adam Turoni
2423 Desoto Ave, Savannah, GA
(570) 510-1820
chocolatat@ymail.com
http://www.chocolatat.com
facebook

{Organic Wednesday} Mirage Lip Gloss

On Sunday and Monday we had a blast working on styling for a Victorian Styled Shoot along with a handful of talented wedding professionals. More details to come on that adventure, but my exciting news to share with you today for {Organic Wednesday} is this new all natural lip gloss. Gwen of Pretty Woman Day Spa did the make up for our model and used their mineral based oil free make up and WOW so beautiful!! Plus it didn't feel caked on and lasted for the entire shoot without any retouches!! Gwen used her new mirage lip gloss that they just launched and are now selling it at the spa located at 23 Plantation Park Dr., Suite 302, Bluffton, SC 29910. The lip gloss has a mirror on the side of it and it even lights up! So cool. 
This is definitely on my wish list!

UPDATE!! I finally went by the Spa and bought my very own mirage lip gloss! 

I bought the Color "New York" LOVE IT!!

Unique Ring Bearer Idea

Paloma's Nest is home to the *original* Ring Bearer Bowl™...
creating a new tradition in modern weddings around the globe!
Paloma's Nest is dedicated to creating pieces for the home and for the heart. These pieces are intended to become modern heirlooms, to be cherished by you and for many future generations to come.
Each and every piece in the Paloma's Nest collection is designed and hand-crafted by Caroline Colom Vasquez in our studio in Austin, Texas, with care, pride, and passion. Caroline uses only all natural materials including fine clays, wood, paper, and cloth, knowing that these items will be passed on for many generations.
They also make great bridal gifts such as Words on wood that wrap around your wrist, as seen on Good Morning America and The Today Show!
Paloma's Nest combines the simplicity of natural wood and the purity of some great words (or special names or dates) to make a striking statement. Let us stamp special names (perfect for Moms and Grandmothers!), phrases or dates on your custom bracelet to create a piece that will be cherished!
You have your choice of a thin 3/4" bracelet, or the thicker, chunkier 1" width. The bracelet is sealed to protect the inked words, but it is NOT shiny or glossy.
Check out their Etsy Shop Here