Your Very Own Web-Easy (and Eco) Wedding Workbook

I am quite a visual person.
I am also the queen of notes and "to-do" lists galore.

So, clearly, my wedding cannot be without either.  Which brought about the need for a super-duper organizer... preferably sans paper.

And along came My Wedding Workbook.




A personalized website that organizes your guest list, budget, every wedding event and detail while also keeping you on a structured timetable, the winning feature is that it provides lists of common and not-so-common questions to ask each vendor:

"Are you aware of safety issues regarding the need to keep food heated/chilled from cooking through serving?"

A bit type-A, granted, but still a viable question...
(I don't really feel like giving food-poisoning as a wedding favor-- hey, thanks for coming!).

Best of all, you can work on your workbook anywhere since it's on the web, but you can also download everything onto your own Excel to keep hardcopy records.

Oh but wait-- it gets better...

It's absolutely free.
Ahh, that word we brides-to-be never ever hear these days...

I just signed up for an account and it couldn't have been simpler.


And by the way, if any of these companies happen to read my blog, did I mention I'm available for PR contracting?  ;-)

The Bridal Book Club

A sign you're a bride...
you notice the need to join a book club that will force you to read about non-wedding subjects.

But while we're on the subject-- here's my current read!

The Green Bride Guide: How to Create an Earth Friendly Wedding on Any Budget.

Why I picked it:

1. The "any budget" part stuck out.  And by the way...  For any brides who are not on a budget... if you're out there.... would you like to make a donation to my wedding fund??  Thanks!!  :-)

In all seriousness, I like the "any budget" phrase because sometimes "Eco" gets a little too "Eeeek! Oh!!!"

(That's me upon seeing price tags for our caterer's plates of grass fed beef.  I know it's important to support a healthful life for animals, but wow, will people please buy more of it so we can make these prices relatively stomach-able??)

2. The book is clearly structured by topic.  Very, very easy to navigate for the exact answer you're looking for.

3. The author, Kate Harrison, provides super green alternatives but also pairs them with options that are more green than conventional choices.  So if you just can't bear having your ceremony without flowers, there are ways you can have your flowers and eat them too (on your organic cake!).

4. The cover is really pretty... Did I really just judge a book by its cover?  Whatever, I like the color.

Two Wedding Do-Gooder Deeds

This isn't "green" persay... just some tidbits of social responsibility to pass along.  But hey, when you want to do good for the planet, chances are you care about the people on it, too.

How to do some good on this day of you...
The one day when you can wholeheartedly focus on you (and your intended), as you rightfully should!  But in doing so, here are some thoughts on how to share that love.

This weekend my fiance and I participated in a "Pre-Cana Day" as part of our marriage prep and the priest recommended we consider giving one of our wedding gifts to the poor. 

"Ah, like donate one of the extra toasters," I mused to myself.  Of course that makes sense.

No, no.  Not exactly what he meant.


Take the cost of one plate at your wedding and buy nonperishable food with the amount.  Bring the basket to the front of the altar to be blessed during the ceremony (or rehearsal dinner) and then donate it afterward.

Simple yet effective.
I thought it was a wonderful suggestion for sharing from the wedding table of plenty.


Another thought-- compliments of that terrific Special E company who donates/recycles all leftovers:

"One Can"
I totally love the pun on this one.
Both a testiment to the fact that "One can make a difference" as well as the actual task. 

Guests are asked to bring one can of nonperishable food to the reception and then it will be donated to the local shelter.

Note: if you do go this route, just make sure to tell guests well ahead of time so they can coordinate the right grocery satchel to go with their dresses.... just to ensure that it's all good with the doing good.

The Eco-Friendliest of Bridal Magazines

A magazine devoted entirely to eco-weddings...
I'm in dream green wedding journalism heaven!

Eco-Beautiful Weddings

A completely Earth-friendly publication (paper-free and all), this seasonal magazine offers green ideas for each and every wedding detail.

At first, I was skeptical of how readable an online magazine would be... but it's incredibly easy and navigable.  

Plus, the beauty of an online magazine, especially for a scatter-brained creative type like me, is that upon finding an interesting idea, I can instantly go to the website and decide right away if it's worth further exploration... rather than just folding the page and telling myself I'll return to it later which usually turns into weeks or months later... 

Being eco really is both earth saving and time saving!  :-)

Place cards that bloom...

I'll be totally honest with you.  I really don't like junk.  

Actually, I hate it.... vehemently.

My Valentine's present this year from my fiance was a helping hand in eliminating all the junk I carry around among my assortment of bags and purses.

From expired coupons to a billion pens to dead batteries to torn receipts... I had no idea I was lugging it all with me from day to day.  (Not to worry, I recycled absolutely everything I could possibly recycle and donated the rest).

And I started thinking... this whole "Dream Green" concept can also simplify your life.  

It helps us say NO to junk!  Because after all, junk just ends up in the dump.

So, I have decided that the favors we give to guests should be something useful and lasting... not something that will just end up in the landfill the next day... and something that (hopefully) won't be carried around in their purses for the next two years.

Today I did some wedding favors research, and discovered Beau-Coup's Fine Favors-- a company that has green options with combo functionality.

To combine place cards with favors, here's this unique idea:

Beau-Coup's Plantable Seed Place Cards.

Simply dig up some dirt, place the place card inside, water, and watch your garden grow! 

Another one of Beau-Coup's lovely green options is a place card attached to a mini rose topiary... combining the place cards, favors, and centerpiece decor all in one (did I mention how much I'm a fan of efficiency?) 

Beau-Coup's Mini Rose Topiaries.

My favorite is the green and white one.

The lucky bamboo is cute too.  But if they die, be wary of disaster... my college roommates can testify to this.

Sure, I like these place setting ideas because they are eco-friendly.  But most importantly, they are memorable and bring more life and breath into your home.  I can just envision our little wedding garden in our future backyard...  :-)

A green, junk-free wedding.  

I will make my fiance proud.

We've Got It!

For those who are hesitant to ask me if we've set a date-
be reluctant no more!

Date:         May 14, 2011
Location:   Chicago's beautiful Lincoln Park

The ironic part is that this was one of the first places I had looked up when we got back from Europe in September.... and it only took 5 months to remember it again.

Needless to say, we are extremely relieved and excited. 
And I'd like to take this opportunity to rave about my fiance's diligence and extraordinary communication skills. 

Hon, I promise I'll take care of every detail from here on out.



Aren't you happy there's a blog for proof of my promises?   :-)

Something borrowed... "Like New"

The day-after story for the beautiful wedding dress that spent you months to find and a few pretty pennies in the process:

Folded, packed, boxed up, stored away forever. It was a good time while it lasted.

"Maybe my daughter will wear you someday," you think as you glide your fingers once more over the cascades of silky satin. Yes, yes- you are storing the dress because she will one day want exactly this dress for her day. Thirty years from now, it won't be out-of-style in the least.

With the chance she doesn't share your sentiment, for some odd reason, here's another option for you.

For brides-to-be on a budget and brides of weddings past, I've got the website that may help you meet your match.

The "craigslist heaven" for all bartering brides:
The Recycled Bride.com

This site is a trading playground for wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses (not that they would ever sell the dress you picked out for them!), mother of the bride dresses, registry gifts... even wedding rings.

The site is easy to navigate, allowing you to search for a particular designer, size, or location of the item so you could even arrange to see it in person.

Reusing is the eco-friendliest choice and, in this case, much more cost effective- saving you 50% on most all items... maybe even more if you're lucky.

And hey, it gets the "something borrowed" item checked off.

Just make it blue, and you're all set.