Eco-Friendly Wedding Flowers: How To Green Wedding Flowers

Floral arrangements are a key component of any wedding.Bouquets, centerpieces and boutonnieres are lovely to behold, and they also perfume the air with their scent and help unify the wedding's theme and color scheme. By their very nature, flowers seem to be 100 percent "green," or eco-friendly. But not all flowers are equally Earth-friendly in the ways they're grown, harvested and distributed.

A few factors that make flowers eco-friendly is if they're watered efficiently and aren't treated with pesticides. Eco-friendly brides must also consider how far the arrangements will have to travel, as well as the packaging and materials that might be required for the arrangements. In this age of heightened environmental consciousness, many brides are turning to florists that offer eco-friendly flowers or taking on the task themselves. Here are 10 inspirations for creative, lovely and eco-friendly floral arrangements.

 

10: Locally Grown Flowers

Often, it's not the flower itself but the gas-guzzling delivery truck or plane that comes with a heavy carbon footprint. Flowers imported from Bali might seem exotic, but they have to be shipped an awfully long way to be center stage at your wedding (unless you're one of the lucky people who lives in Bali, of course). Choose instead to feature locally grown flowers in your bouquet and centerpieces. For example, spring nuptials in Wisconsin can incorporate colorful, elegant options such as tulips, daffodils, cherry blossoms and peonies, according to the experts at Martha Stewart Weddings.

Read the other 9 Ways to Have Green Wedding Flowers here: http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/weddings/10-eco-friendly-floral-arrangements2.htm

 

 

Hoyt, Alia.  "10 Eco-friendly Floral Arrangements"  27 May 2010.  HowStuffWorks.com. <http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/weddings/10-eco-friendly-floral-arrangements.htm>  18 June 2012.

Mother`s Day Flower Ideas from Love Bug Flowers Timmins

via animoto.com

Succulent Wedding Favor Idea

from: http://www.weddingsbylilly.com/wedding-flowers/diy-succulent-wedding-favors/

Succulents are probably my favorite thing on the entire planet earth because of their unique beauty and incredible visual interest.

Due to their wide variety of options in color, size, texture and shape, you can create a personalized succulent wedding favor for each one of your wedding guests with a few simple steps. They can also double as a place card holder at your reception tables by writing the name of your guests on each one of the tags.

DIY Succulent Wedding Favors Tutorial:

1. Purchase small succulent plants from your local florist or hardware store. You might also have luck finding them at a local farmer’s market.

2. Choose your containers based on your wedding theme. This can be anything from a regular miniature clay pot to small tins, mason jars, or ever tea cups! I would even consider mixing them up a bit. You can choose a different themed container for every table.

3. Purchase card stock to secure your gift tags to. Wedding Paper Divas has a large selection of personalized gift tags to choose from. Be sure to leave room at the top of your tags for a hole punch.

4. Use twine, ribbon, or anything else of your choice that will slide through your hole punched tags and secure them around your succulent wedding favor containers. Another option is to glue your tags or place cards on a wooden stick and let them sit up right in the dirt. This idea actually works a little better if you’re planning on using them at your reception tables as place cards.

5. Now, just sit back and watch as everyone swoons over the impressive gifts that will surely be sitting in their kitchen windows for years to come. And, what an easy and fun diy project! Get the girls together and make an afternoon around it.

Interested in offering succulents at your wedding?
Read the rest of the article and see succulent inspiration here:
http://www.weddingsbylilly.com/wedding-flowers/diy-succulent-wedding-favors/

Valentine Gift Ideas

The month of February is often looked forward to by many the world over. This month besides ushering in the spring season, also brings in flowers and gifts for many.

As the valentine day approaches on the 14th of the month, there is love and radiance in the air. People plan out ways and means to express their feeling to their loved ones. Youngsters and the romantic at heart also consider this day very apt to plan ask their girlfriends for a lifetime companionship.

Though history puts forth the birth of this celebration from the Victorian era, the concept of cards and gifts too didn’t lag behind.

Valentines Day even in a technologically digital era, is represented by red roses, life sized cards and huge heart shaped balloons, besides a variety of Valentines gifts. This is one season of the year when the business men actually can earn a lot of profits. Youngsters in their attempt to charm their boyfriends or girlfriends into a longer relationship go out of their way to express their feeling.

Every city and town the world over gets painted in red. Surprisingly not very much is known why the red color, however, people consider it to be related to the blood that St. Valentine shed for his loved one.

The leading card designers’ prints cards for every Valentines Day as per the studies conducted on the choice of cards. This allows them to provide their customers enough variety of cards to choose from.

Further, with technological innovations, one can send in a card in electronic format or even browse online from the online shopping portals. After selection of cards come the time to shop for gifts.

Shopping for Valentines Day Gifts for the loved ones has to be the best valentine day gift for him or her. First and foremost before one reaches for a gift, one has to be clear about the individual’s choice of colors, hobby, liking, past-time activities and interests. Understanding all these factors of a person would help one to zero in on the unique valentines day gift.

The next step is to browse through a variety of stores to choose a gift which would suit the individual’s persona. However, in today’s techno savvy world, browsing through a number of stores has also become easy. With a number of stores having their footprints on the World Wide Web, one can browse and buy anything from the comfort of ones home.

What To Expect for Christmas Décor in 2011

from: http://www.proflowers.com/guide/2011-christmas-decorating-trends-you-want-to-know

Here’s what you’ll be seeing in the stores this year that’s considered “new:”

• Christmas Sentiment: Less is more. Simplicity. With widespread economic uncertainty, more consumers are reporting that they will comparison shop, use more coupons and be more careful with money in general. That said, the National Retail Federation estimates that 2011 Christmas spending will rise 2.8% over last year’s figures--not a great boost, but better than 2008’s 4.4% drop. Shocked by unemployment and stock market gyrations, American consumers have developed a new-found interest in simplicity. The soon-to-be released felts and decorated tins with folkloric accents indicate a longing for a simpler, earlier time.
• Christmas Flowers:  Decorators have long been encouraging homeowners to try flowers other than the ubiquitous poinsettia. While no specific Christmas flower trends have emerged per se, lookfor deep red Calla lilies and red or white tulips on professional decorators’ Christmas mantles and tables this season.
• Christmas Color:  A subdued mix of frosty green and silver will appear in the Christmas windows of the biggest retailers this year. Any store window displaying bright reds and greens will suddenly seem dated. Think of two Christmas balls, one silver and one more of a metallic gray-green. Woody and other natural accents complement these shades beautifully. Again, these hues are less garish, reflecting the cautious attitude that’s struck most families.
• Christmas Metals:  In keeping with the subdued hues of silver and frosty green, this year’s metal accents stick more closely to tin, pewter and burnished bronze rather than sparkling golds. The trend toward simplicity emerges in metal mesh pieces coated with uneven paints which renders an earthy texture, as well as the folklore-themed felts and tins. Even the glitters (popular again this year) lend more color than shine. The more sophisticated “superfine” is again the glitter of the day, and it’s showing up in plastic gift wrap and home décor in swirl and plaid patterns.

Color Trends for Winter or. If you found me quoted in a magazine regarding wedding color trends / combination, then you know I dedicate my ‘spare’ time researching wedding color trends a year in advance. Since 2001, I’ve been helping brides with th

from: http://www.mypersonalartist.com/blog/2010/01/27/2011-weddingcolor-trends-part...

If you found me quoted in a magazine regarding wedding color trends / combination, then you know I dedicate my ‘spare’ time researching wedding color trends a year in advance. Since 2001, I’ve been helping brides with their wedding color decisions by displaying color trend swatches and ideas on my website.

I was TRULY delighted with my findings this morning! The 2011 year in color will be BRIGHT and amazing! As shown above, tropical, fun and whimsical!

Apple green, mauve, lilac, hot pink, slate grey, celadon, aged gold, coral, red, violet purple, mocha / chocolate / brown, navy, emerald / pine green / dark cyan, clementine orange, and yellow.

What is your favorite color in this palette?

2011 Color Trends Palette Part Two now available to view …

January 27th, 2010 | Category: brown, gray, honeysuckle pink, inspiration boards, lilac / lavender, orange, pink, red, spring colors, summer colors, wedding colors, wedding ideas, yellow

Planning A Stylish Winter Wedding

from: http://weddings.about.com/od/traditionscolorsthemes/a/winterwedding.htm

In the movies, everyone seems to get married in June. But a winter wedding can be terribly glamorous, cinematic and magical.

With the right elements, your winter wedding will be a wonderland. Attire for Your Winter Wedding Think about you and your sweetie in the elegant look of old Hollywood; the groom in tails, and the bride in a white long silk dress with a white fur or faux fur wrap.

Evoke the season with "ice" –diamond or diamond-like jewelry. 90% of wedding dresses are strapless or sleeveless, but that's not so practical for a bride who wants to take pictures outside, or needs to walk any distance.

Look for wraps, shrugs, and capes, or dramatic coats. I've always loved the look of a bride in a white dress and a large red shawl, huddled against her groom who has a red boutonnière. And don't forget your bridesmaids! An attractive wrap to wear on the day of your wedding and beyond makes a great bridesmaid present.

Where to Have a Winter Wedding

Look for an inn with a fireplace for an intimate winter wedding. For a larger affair, you may be able to use a historic mansion or private club that will still have intimate warmth. Unless you're getting married in a state that will have guaranteed snow during your wedding date, avoid a room that has a large picture window.

You may imagine drifts of beautiful snow, and end up with a grey rainy day. Be sure to ask what seasonal decorations they use – you'll save money as many sites are already heavily decorated. Also, check to make sure your site will be adequately heated during the winter months; old churches can be especially drafty.

Planning the Menu

You can have all of your favorite food but add some winter touches like a squash dish, or warm pumpkin soup. Consider serving eggnog, spiced wine, or hot chocolate (alcoholic or non-) as special treats. Look for an all-white cake, decorated with snowflake patterns, silver embellishments, or sugar sculptures. Ask your caterer about using a decorative snow globe as a cake topper

Winter Wedding Flowers

Decide whether you want to go for a silver and white elegant look, or celebrate the season with reds and greens. For those who like silver, look for dusty miller, silver-dollar eucalyptus, and baby blue eucalyptus, mixed with white flowers such as roses, football mums, crocus, lilies and stephanotis.

If you're looking for a brighter bouquet, consider red roses with holly and pine-tree greenery. In season flowers such as tulips, roses, and ornamental berries generally will be less expensive choices. (Talk to your florist, as your region may have different availability)

The Décor for Your Winter Wedding

Decorate your tables with simple and inexpensive white poinsettias, or fill the room with light by arranging pillar candles on a bed of pine branches At the after-Christmas sales, stock up on strands of small white lights, then string them decoratively around doorways, over tables and on archways.

Bright red cranberries in a bowl surrounding floating candles make an easy and inexpensive centerpiece. Look at this article for other simple holiday centerpieces.. Or, decorate a pre-made gingerbread house for each table, and center it on a bed of greenery with candles around it.

Favors

If you and most of your guests celebrate Christmas, an ornament makes a perfect favor. An inexpensive homemade favor is a pretty tin of spiced hot chocolate mix or hot cocoa mix with marshmallows. Also consider a snow globe, with a bride and groom inside, or a holiday cookie cutter with a cookie recipe attached that says your names, wedding date, and "truly cut out for each other".

Special touches

Have the bride and groom travel by horse and carriage to the reception, complete with a fur throw to keep them warm of course!
Decorate the reception with miniature and life-size Christmas trees. Commission an ice sculpture to decorate the reception hall Use a crystal bouquet for that extra wintery feel. As a bonus, you'll get to keep your your bouquet forever.

Greet your guests with warm coffee or hot chocolate as soon as they come in the ceremony or reception site.