Wedding Plans

This wedding is green, local, inexpensive and beautiful.
Assuming a local Church wedding, close to the wedding reception in the garden of the bride's parent's home. This could be a very informal wedding.

Surely what is sought is a stress-free day which everyone who attends will remember fondly. The less informal the event, the more enjoyable it is likely to be.
The date.
Choose your favourite season, when the bride and groom's favourite flowers will be in bloom and freely available for the bride's bouquet and to decorate, the church and the reception venue.

Venue for the service and the reception.
The wedding venue is a very personal decision, i.e which Church, or even if the ceremony is to be held in the in the Register Office of the Town Hall.
The wedding reception could be held at home in the garden or in a public place and once again this is a very personal choice.

Choose venues large enough for the numbers of potential guests and where you will be happy with the photographs.

Transport, this depends very much on requirements and on your budget.

Flowers should be in season and local and can be hand made rather than commissioned from the florist shop.

Entertainment
Invite musically talented guests, or hire a local jazz band or folk group who will provide music that everyone can enjoy. Not everybody enjoys loud pop music and more folk-oriented style of  music will appeal to a wider audience.

Food
Self-catering is the cheapest option but check out the local caterers and compare prices. If you adhere to a menu using local, in-season ingredients, your could offer your wedding guests a delicious and memeorable feast.
Children   Make an early decision about whether to include children among your guests. If it is stated at the outset and the decision adhered to,this will minimise confsuion or resentment that caould later follow.
Children can find a wedding day very long, but they can bring their own unique distractions and joy to the other guests; the choice is yours.

The Bride's and Groom's attire.

The Wedding Dress.

Choose a dress design which suits you and enhances your best features.
Think of colour and of the fabric that feels to you to be right for your wedding dress.
If you can sew, then a hand made dress made by the bride or a friend or relative is the most economical option.

For a green and beautiful wedding, natural fibres are best. Silk has that gorgeous sheen whilst cotton or muslin have that wonderful country feel and can be just as lovely in their own way as the more expensive silk option.

Simple designs are more flattering and can be beaautifully adorned with real flowers and other natural decorations.

Veils and bridesmaid's dresses should follow the same principles as for the wedding dress; simple and natural and choose colours which feel right to you, the Bride and Groom.

What should the Goom wear. I would say an outfit which does not have to be formal. It ought to be comfortable and complement the Bride's attire.

To be covered in later chapters:
The stationery
Photography.

Who to talk to and book
Preparing the venue
Food and drink
The table
The cake
Gifts for the couple
Gifts for others
Transport home
The honeymoon
Preserving the day of memories.

So here is the overview of all that makes the perfect, stress-free and memorable wedding day.

green and gorgeous wedding day, beautiful and memorable

Beautiful and memorable weddings do not have to cost a fortune.
They can be environmentally responsible and organic and the components can be local and fairly traded.
Some of the prettiest wedding photographs I have seen have been those which have to come to life on a budget.

I am inspired by two things:

• first of all my local town of Wallingford is promoting the excellence of the town in bringing together everything needed for the perfect wedding day, from the wedding dress to the flowers, to the gift list
• and secondly, I have seen magazine articles on the most gorgeous weddings which have used beautiful and inexpensive things and the most memorable are those which have been designed to make as small an imprint as possible on the environment and preventing starting out on married life in debt.

This post and others to follow, is my version of a green and gorgeous wedding day.

Example

The decoration on this wedding invitation card is made from crepe paper, paper flowers and oddments of ribbon and lace.

buying vegetables

Buy loose vegetables. When I buy broccoli, I usually buy the unwrapped version and put it straight in the trolley, without a bag.
This keeps the use of plastic down.
Sometimes the organic vegetables, i.e. the carrots often come in plastic bags; but these can be used again, next time you go shopping for apples and onions etc.

Better still, grow your own on an allotment, like this one!

make hummous

From the kitchen of the house shown below. Purple Door Cottage
Save on packaging and maximise taste.

One can of chickpeas
Huge dollop of Tahini
A large clove of garlic
The juice of a lemon
Chilli flakes
Cumin powder
Pepper
Olive oil

Blend all of the ingredients in a food processor until the desired consistency.

Serve with Rye bread and grapes

So delicious!
How is this ''green''?

• no packaging
• no petrol, ingredients are from the store cupboard
• saves money, cheaper than shop-bought
• very healthy

                                                

Inspired by another blog

I had to have a blog which encompasses ''green'' as a way of life.