How to wear deep green
A vibrant shade of green is glamorous and flattering.

Read more on Brisbane Times

Cee Lo Green explores new musical frontiers
The hip-hop artist’s ‘The Lady Killer’ showcases his smooth vocals and his evolving sound. The hip-hop artist’s ‘The Lady Killer’ showcases his smooth vocals and his evolving sound.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Being eco-friendly or ‘green’ is fast becoming a key factor in many people’s lives and weddings it seems are no different. There has been a rising trend for ‘green’ weddings in recent years and wedding favors are one of the easiest parts of your wedding to make eco-friendly.

Typical green wedding favors revolve around plants and seeds but there are a number of other favors which would fit with the green ethos too.

If you are choosing edible favors then look for products which are made with organic ingredients and preferably locally grown/produced so they haven’t clocked up lots of food miles. Choose products which are from fair-trade producers as well, such as tea, coffee and chocolate – all of which are widely available now and can be bought fairly cheaply in most major supermarkets.

If you do choose plants or seeds then you need to consider a few factors before choosing your varieties. Introducing foreign species into local habitats has been a contributing factor to the loss of environment and many natural varieties. Bluebells for instance brought over from Spain have thrived so well that they threaten native varieties of the bluebell. Japanese knotweed was introduced by the Victorians as ornamental filler in landscaped gardens but this plant is a vigorous grower and is difficult to eradicate. It can populate huge areas and grows so densely it kills off any smaller plants trying to grow beneath it.

Choose local varieties of plants and native species, particularly for plants which will re-grow each year, spread seed by airborne means and in particular, be sensible with varieties of tree as tree saplings have become a popular wedding favor for green weddings.

Consider your packaging also. Choose boxes and bags which are made from recycled materials and which are biodegradable. Another option is to choose packaging which could be used for something else long after the favor itself has been removed: aluminum tins are a good example of this. Depending on your favor you could dispense with the packaging altogether and simply present your favors with a little ribbon and a thank you tag.

If you choose candles as wedding favors then look for ones made from natural wax or bees wax. Paraffin wax candles emit harmful pollutants when lit, defined by the black smoke they give off when lit. There are many natural candle companies out there and they needn’t cost much more than those produced from paraffin.

Finally, give favors which have some useful purpose and which your guests are likely to utilize. Decorative objects such as mini photograph frames or novelty items are often shoved away in a drawer somewhere or simply thrown in the bin. Giving a favor such as coasters, bottle stoppers or measuring spoons means they are more likely to be utilized than thrown away.

Anyone by any chance know where to get nice, elegant lime green/grass green shoes for a wedding? Searched lots of websites with no luck
Preferably UK websites/shops!
By lime green I meant colour like this

http://www.bonappetit.com/images/tips_tools_ingredients/ingredients/ttar_lime_v.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Z8Ta81_ajTA/SmsCw7QkTxI/AAAAAAAAAYg/6O_noGJIcj0/s400/green_wedding_shoes.jpg

Janine, many thanks!! You got my idea

In today’s world going green has become very important, and now going green is even applicable to weddings. More and more couples are working hard to make their weddings more eco-friendly. Believe it or not, there are a variety of excellent things that you can do to make your wedding a green one, and you’ll still have an amazingly beautiful wedding. Not sure where to begin? Well, here are a few great tips that will help you pull off a green wedding.

Tip #1 – Use Recycled Paper Whenever Possible – One of the main things that you can do to make sure that you have an eco friendly wedding is to use recycled paper whenever you can. You can get wedding invitations that are made out of recycled paper, place cards made with recycled paper, and even wedding programs that have been made of paper that is recycled. This is a great way that you can help to save the environment while still having a great wedding.

Tip #2 – Go Organic with the Food and Drink Choices – Going organic with the food and drink choices that you have is another way that you can have a green wedding. Consider going with foods that are organic and grown in your area. Also, wines and coffees that are organic are a great way to make sure your food choices don’t harm the environment. Choosing hor d’oeuvres that are meatless and offering seafood that isn’t endangered is another great choice as well.

Tip #3 – Go with Green Transportation Too – You can even choose to have green transportation at your wedding as well. Instead of using a traditional car to take you to the wedding and transport you to the reception hall, choose an alternate form of transportation. Consider a great hybrid vehicle for transportation, or if you really want a romantic option that is great for the environment, consider a horse drawn sleigh or carriage, depending on the season.

Tip #4 – Find an Alternative to Confetti – Traditional confetti can be a bad choice if you want to make your wedding eco friendly. Foil confetti can end up being harmful to the environment, so you need to come up with a great alternative. One excellent idea is to have well wishers throw flower seeds at you, which will either disintegrate or end up sprouting up. Another beautiful idea for an alternative to confetti is to have bubbles blown instead of using the confetti. The bubbles are friendly to the environment and they will look so beautiful at your wedding. Just think of the pictures of you and your spouse bustling away in a cloud of bubbles. 

Tip #5 – Plant a Tree for Wedding Favors – Wedding favors can be pricey, and many of them are really needless little trinkets, so you may want to consider something a bit different for your green wedding. For a green wedding, planting a tree for all of your guests is a great idea. It’s a wonderful way to help save the environment and no doubt your guests will be thrilled with the idea as well.

Tip #6 – Digital Photography – One option you may not have thought about that will make your wedding more eco friendly is to go with digital photography. All the traditional developing of film and even the manufacturing of it is not great for the environment, so find a good photographer that will shoot the photos for your wedding using digital photography.

As you can see, going green for your wedding is probably actually easier than you thought. With these simple tips you can easily have a wedding that is eco friendly, while still being beautiful and exciting. You’ll be starting a new life with your new spouse and helping to preserve life on the planet as well.