Eco-Chic Weddings

Today, I would love to share some green tips with you. More and more, brides are looking for ways to make their weddings eco-friendly. So, with the help of my team, my vendors, and some of my brides, we put together this list:

INVITES
- Use recycled, non-bleached paper for everything from your invites to your programs.
- Send Save-the-Date postcards- not only are they cute and personal, but it saves an envelope (and postage). Do the same for your response cards...
- Set up a wedding website rather than sending printed directions. This can also be a great resource for you, and your guests.
- Forgo tissue and inner envelopes- good for your budget, and the environment!

LOCATION
- If you plan your wedding for spring or fall, you are already ahead of the game. Having your wedding during a cooler month can cut your air conditioning costs in half.

- Have your ceremony and reception at the same site so your guests do not have to drive from place to place.
- Choose a botanical garden or greenhouse as your venue. Not only are you surrounded by lush natural beauty, but the site fee goes to support the garden.

DECOR
- Use potted plants throughout the ceremony and reception. After your wedding, they can be re-planted near your home as a wonderful reminder of that special day!
- Use local, in-season flowers! This not only cuts down on carbon emission from trucking and shipping, but also saves on energy and water used in greenhouses.
- Use fruit in your centerpieces and to decorate your tables. It is a great way to punch up the color of your decor, and you can donate it to a food bank after the event.
- Donate your flowers so people can continue to enjoy them after your event. If you are in New York or LA, check out Flower Power- http://flowerpowerfoundation.org/.

FOOD
- Like your flowers, try to focus your menu on seasonal local ingredients.
- Work with a caterer who uses organic produce and is committed to sustainable agriculture.
- By serving local wines, you incorporate your setting, and also cut down on carbon costs.
- Most food banks do not except perishable food, but organizations like Second Harvest (http://www.secondharvest.org/how_to_help/donate_food/) will collect the food from the reception and use it to feed the hungry.

FAVORS
- Give away bulbs or wildflower seeds and encourage guests to plant them.
- Make a donation to a charity in the name of each guest rather than giving them something material.
- Include sustainable, eco-friendly products- like bamboo housewares, hemp and soy products, and organic linens- in your registry.

For more great tips and advice, check out Portovert Magazine. http://portovert.com/

My White Party

The calendar says fall is here, even if it does not feel like it yet. The days are getting shorter, if not cooler, and I think it is a great time to have people into your home. As you know, I love to bring nature inside- and I love working with fall colors. The theme of one of my favorite events- which is showcased in Inspirations- was Autumn. But I also love to surprise my guests!




















This is my Thanksgiving table from last year. I invited my family and some close friends into my studio, which is an extension of my home, to celebrate! The sleek white is quite a contrast to the deep oranges, golds, and browns that most people are expecting. Anyone who is familiar with my work knows that I love to choose one color and layer and repeat it in every aspect of the decor. Using the same color throughout the room exaggerates each individual element and creates a cohesive look. Here we accented the white with a crisp green. I placed Narcissus on the table for their lovely scent, and to break up the vertical space above the table.

With a monochromatic palette, it is important to create texture and layers with your flowers. These white arrangements gain depth from the fluffy hydrangeas and garden roses. I love when there are details on the table for the guests to continue to discover throughout the night. These bouquets decorated the table during dinner, and everyone got to take one home at the end of the night!

A Paper Story, and A Thank You

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Learning Annex event on a rainy Tuesday night! I had a great time, and I think we had a really great discussion about this crazy business! For those of you who missed it, here are a few shots from the night:

The other big event in my week was a shoot we did here in my office for the "Paper Story". My designers and I have been playing around with paper a lot and trying to come up with new ways to use it to decorate a table. We have all seen the terrible monochromatic paper throws, but I really wanted to use it in a new way where you would never guess what it was. What do you think?

Can you believe these are all paper? The one on the left is a single sheet of paper that we folded over a chair, hole punched, and tied with ribbon. The next one is a thin paper chaircover glued together at the edges to secure it and festooned with paper cutouts. We used a flower shaped hole puncher on colored poster board. We used the thick paper because we wanted to make sure the flowers had some dimension to them. For the third one, we glued two sheets of paper together to make a chair cap. We added pom pom trim to the edges, and let the pattern of the paper do the talking. The last one is also a chair cap, this time with ruffled paper trim along the bottom edge. To make the chair caps, we took the measurements of the chair and then added a half inch to each side to make sure they fit. I really love the accessibility of paper, and also the idea that you can create something totally different with a material that is all around you. Go ahead, try it!

Marcy Blum

Hello again! I am down in Antigua checking out a venue, and all I can say is WOW! http://www.antigua-barbuda.org/. I always thought that Turks & Caicos had the most magnificent beaches, but I am starting to re-think that... The weather is perfect, and I have some "work" to do, but I wanted to make sure I introduced you to my friend Marcy Blum. If you have not already, check out her website- http://www.marcyblum.com/.

In addition to being one of my closest friends, she is also one of the world's premiere event planners. They had to create a new word to describe her singular talent and style- Eventiste! Her ability to read her clients and bring their events to life is what makes her one of the best in the business. I have had the pleasure of working with her on a number of events, including JJ Philbin's wedding, and she never fails to come up with something that surprises me!

When it was time for the first dance at JJ's wedding, the couple took the floor and as soon as they began dancing the tango, every person's jaw dropped. They were amazing, and moved like total experts. As it turns out, they were! With Marcy's help, JJ and her groom had hired professional dancers and outfitted them just like the newlyweds. It was a great show, and the guests loved it! It is this kind of spontaneity and creativity that make a good party unforgettable.