• Skip diamonds (for the most part) and give eco-friendly jewelry instead.
• Serve organic treats, wine, and champagne.
• Give organic flowers.
• Green that night o’ love and recycle your unmentionables.
• Get sexy and stay green.
• Make your own cards – more special than store bought and you can reuse supplies you’ve got around the house. Or be sure to buy Valentine’s Day cards made with recycled materials.
• For romance light organic soy or beeswax candles.

Looking for kid specific green Valentine’s Day ideas?

Coming up I’ve got some specific examples of the ideas above.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Here’s what we covered in May…

Basics:

Green Wedding Planner: Helpful Links for Wedding Planning

Announcements & Invitations:

• Engagement Party & Wedding Invitations Go Digital
• Perfect Digital Wedding Cards
• Alternatives to Reply Cards
• Eco Friendly Paper for Your Green Wedding

Wedding Dresses, Wedding Party Clothing & Accessories:

• Where to Find Earth Friendly Wedding Gowns
• Quick Eco Wedding Tip: Greenest Wedding Gown
• Eco-Wedding Ring Options
• Wear A Tree: On Your Wedding Day

Cake:

• Green Wedding Idea: Wedding Cake Toppers
• Green Wedding Cake Ideas
• Quick Green Wedding Tips: More Wedding Cake Ideas

Food & Beverages:

• No Disposables: Rent Your Wedding Dishes and Napkins
• Planning an Organic or Vegetarian Wedding Menu?
• Organic Beverages for Your Green Wedding

Gifts:

• Your Green Wedding Gift Registry – Where to Register
• Eco Wedding Favors – Four Ideas
• The Perfectly Green No-Cost Wedding Anniversary Gift

Special Touches:

• Green Wedding Candles
• LED Lighting for Your Green Wedding

Extreme Green Weddings:

• Extreme Green Wedding Tip: Only ONE Bridesmaid
• Extreme Green Wedding Tip: Elope!
• Extreme Green Wedding Tip: Green That Honeymoon Sex

I hope you enjoyed this special feature – we sure did. Don’t forget to look for a new feature in June.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

These are a few random tips I was thinking about.

Before I mentioned you could have edible cake toppers – a very green choice. However, I forgot to mention that you could go ahead and make them yourself. We have a post here on making candied flowers, and Linette, over at Mother Earth’s Garden has another option for creating candy violets.

Then I was thinking that one budget idea for green weddings is this – make cupcakes. Actually wedding cupcake cakes have become very popular, and there’s no limit to how you could decorate them. Cupcakes are a winner too, because no dishes are necessary. Linette (yes, again) has some Simple Summer Cupcakes you might like. Cupcakes can be any old flavor you choose too – here are some organic flavor ideas.

Other great links for ideas:

Bridal Shower Cake Ideas (also, by the way from Linette – she’s too smart for her own good.)

Marye at Baking Delights did an entire amazing series on making your own wedding cake – from choosing the shape, to cake flavors to assembly; plus some wedding food ideas. To read all about it see: Weddings: Cakes, Foods, Favors. Remember, any cake can be made with organic ingredients.

Ok, let’s hope I’m done with the cake ideas. Geez.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Go organic.

There; two words. That’s not a post. When it comes to the cake, you’ll simply have to make it, or have it made, with organic ingredients. If you have it made, you’ll simply need to search out a local bakery that will go organic.

Since cakes are out, I thought hey, let’s look at cake toppers!

Your best bets for green cake toppers include:

• Seek out a company that makes eco toppers (rare).
• Buy something for a topper that you’ll love to look at forever, not simply store away.
• Make it yourself out of green or recycled materials.
• Use fresh flowers or herbs, leaves, etc., only – stuff that will compost.
• Use candy. Eat the topper.
• Have pie instead

Here are some ideas:

Robot Bride and Groom Wedding Cake Topper Wood Statues with Base – this is too cute and unique. You could keep this out and look at it all year. More choices available.

Adorable bird cake toppers – made with mostly vintage and antique fabrics and garments. Currently artist Ann Wood is out of these toppers, but if you sign up on her mailing list, you can learn when more are coming. Go see all of the different styles she’s made!

Max Kitano of Sugarworks, LLC was making amazing sugar art that would look fabulous on a cake. I wrote about his work at another blog of mine, and he actually sent me one of his sugar Origami Cranes and it was beautiful – it looked just like glass. Now to save breaking he’s using casting resin, for wedding cranes, which makes his cranes break proof, and thus not stress inducing if you’re getting married. These resin cranes last forever, and are perfect for a cake topper and available in all sorts of color choices. Actually, Sugarworks offers an entire page of wedding favors as well.

DIY Cake Topper – cutest topper ever! Made partially with scraps from the bride’s dress alteration. I LOVE these. Click the image to see the entire topper.

Do you have any other ideas?

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in June 2008

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Here are some organic wine companies. Although, I’m not a wine expert – so knowing which the best are is not my bag. If you’re looking to ask a question about a wine you can visit Behind The Vines.

Other resources include:

• A nice F&Q about organic wine from the Organic Wine Company. Of course, they also sell wine.
• Clearing up the Confusion about Organic Wine
• Frey Vineyards
• Organic Wine Journal

Of course organic champagne, spritzers, beer and other organic drinks will work as well. Resources for these sorts of beverages include…

• Organic Bubbly
• The romance of organic Champagne
• Organic Beer and Wine
• Get the Organic Buzz
• Santa Cruz Organic – juices, spritzers, sparkling beverages, and sodas

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in May 2008

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

We have a wedding planning blog here at b5 – Our One Heart, and although, the ideas are not green exclusive, you can draw ideas from the blog, and adapt them to your choosing. Then we also have Marriage Actually – a fun read written by Cory and Kerri. And yes, they’re an actual married couple. Now you can see what life might be like after the big event.

We also have an extensive travel section here at b5 where you can learn about place to go on your honeymoon. Some examples:

• The Hawaii Traveler
• The DC Traveler
• The Seattle Traveler
• The Disney Traveler
• The Paris Traveler
• The Sydney Traveler
• And way more.

Then there’s She Knows Parties. This blog is written by two of my favorite bloggers and covers a wide range of topics that will interest anyone getting married.

• Should You Hire a Party Planner?
• 5 Things You Will Need for Any Type of Party
• Should You Have an Engagement Party?
• Simple Summer Cupcakes
• Lighted Punch Fountain
• Party Punch Decorative Ice Ring – with little flowers and the right ice mold shape, it’s perfect for a wedding!
• Adventure Bachelor Party – Stepping Away from the Traditional Route
• And more – visit for plenty of party helpful ideas.

Now you know where to go when our wedding feature is over, and you’re having withdrawals.

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in May 2008

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Oh, and we’ll discuss cake and wine later.

Planning a Vegetarian Wedding

UK organic caterer search

Co-op America’s organic food providers

‘Green’ Wedding Ideas: Your Menu

San Francisco based, Work of Art has a cool sample menu for an Organic and Sustainable Cocktail Dinner you can look at for ideas.

Find a green marketplace for DIY food.

Vegetarian sample wedding menu

Sample vegan and vegetarian menu ideas 

Eco-friendly Catering for your Wedding or Special Event

Whole Foods, other natural food grocers, and many co-ops have party platters available, from simple to full score meals. Of course you’ll also want to check with local caterers; even if they don’t say they’re organic, they may be able to prepare a fully organic spread.

Feel free to add your idea in the comments.  

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in May 2008

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Plantable Petal Cones Kit (for holding flower petals, lavender grains, rice, etc.) from Favor Creative

“The Perfect Pair” Cookie Cutters from the knot wedding shop

Organic Chocolate Bar Wedding Favors from Endangered Species Chocolate

Redwood, Pine, or Spruce trees from the Arbor Day Foundation – each plant ready tree comes in a recyclable container that converts into a bird feeder. You can also personalize your messages on the tree container.

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in May 2008

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

If you need home items then obviously gift registry is the way to go. There are very few whole green stores in most cities. There are actually very few comprehensive green registry places online. That said, you could compile a list of items you’re looking for to give to friends and family, or you might consider registering online at a few of the following places.

• An Eco-Gift Registry for Green Weddings
• Gaiam
• 3r Living
• Greenfeet
• Re: modern
• Fire & Light

By far the absolute best option I’ve seen for green wedding registry is the Alternative Gift Registry from New American Dream. This registry service is awesome. You can search the entire web, and post links to green items you adore, but keep them all together in one handy spot. Bonus, you can ask for help or other things vs. gifts. Such as this example from their sample wedding registry:

“John and I want to know your favorite recipes. We’re especially looking for quick or crock-pot dinners, since we’ll both be working full time and will be hungry and out of energy when it’s time to cook, but we’re also really eager for holiday and dessert recipes that are worth a little extra effort.”

AND

“John and I don’t get too excited about cake, and since this is our wedding we thought we’d have a dessert we both absolutely love: pie. We’re looking for people to make and bring their favorite kind of pie, whatever that may be, to serve for dessert in place of a wedding cake at our reception. Don’t worry, we’ll still make a big deal about cutting one up.”

Seriously, what a great idea – and no worries you can also say things like, “I just love these organic sheets from…link.” The registry is just like a regular registry and keeps track of all gifts sent or bought. I’d go with this option if I was planning a green wedding.

Coming up, good green gift ideas for those of you attending a green wedding, plus more green wedding goodness all month long.

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in May 2008

[photo via stock.xchng]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

In the meantime, if there’s a green wedding issue that you’re dying to learn more about, leave a comment, and I’ll try to prioritize a post on the topic.

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in May 2008

[wedding couple made with dried maize leaves via stock.xchng]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family