Green Weddings Just Make Cents

For over a year now I have been networking with local wedding professionals who may have varying opinions about "global warming", especially as most of the world experiences ridiculously abnormal cold weather. However, whether global warming is a reality or a really great hoax, it just makes sense to be good stewards of our planet.

Why not hope that prudence now, pays off for generations to follow? Why deliberately trash our planet just to see the movie Wall-E turn into reality? We'd be pretty short-sighted and selfish to continue on that path of destruction. So what to do?

One proposal I have is to really think through every decision you make during your wedding planning and to seek out professionals who share the same philosophy as you about wasteful weddings. What are some ways to think green you ask? I'll outline them over the next coming weeks - but let me start with the one which will have the biggest impact - slash your guest list.

Think about it - nothing will reduce your budget more than inviting fewer guests - for every 8 guests attending you add a table, chairs, centerpiece, place settings, linens, food, beverage and other miscellaneous expenses such as favors. That's just for starters.

Can you think of other details impacted by large weddings? I would love to hear your comments.

I Do Vow To - Coordinate a Wedding at Blue Hill Farm

While doing research for a great new destination couple I serendipitously happened upon an exciting venue probably unknown to most of us Midwesterners but very well-known to those lucky enough to live in the Northeastern corner of the US. Blue Hill at Stones Barn in Pocantico, New York opened in 2004 as a working four-season farm and educational center just 30 minutes from New York City.

Their mission, which aliens perfectly with our commitment at I Do Vow To, is to create a consciousness about the everyday food choices we make. Here is a little history taken directly from their website: "For family proprietors Dan, David and Laureen Barber, Blue Hill is the name both for their two restaurants, and for the farm that inspired them.

"I used to walk up Blue Hill Road every week, for years; sometimes everyday. I loved Blue Hill Farm more than anything in the world.

"Back then it was a dairy run by two brothers. What a mess! They had cows pasturing in the front yard, for god's sake... And the barn and house were run-down and so dirty I couldn't believe it. And you know what? I loved it. I loved the open pastures, I loved the backdrop of blue hills, I loved that I felt like a queen every time I came up here.

"But whenever I told the brothers I wanted to buy the farm, they just laughed. ‘Lady,' they'd say, ‘This farm has been in our family for three generations. We're never selling.'

"I'd return the next week, and they'd say the same thing. ‘Never selling.' This went on for years.

"Then one day I arrived at the top of the hill and one of the brothers came running over to me. ‘Ma'am, do you still want to buy this farm?' I couldn't believe it. He didn't even let me answer. ‘My brother and I have gotten into the biggest fight. If we don't sell it now we're going to kill each other.' I told them I was interested. ‘Ma'am,' he said, ‘we're selling it now, or forget it. Right now.'

So there you have it straight from the horses mouth - what a great story. I can't wait to visit so I'm going to try to get there in May. I think there's a lot more than meets the eye...

Earth Friendly Wedding Albums

Although I'm a day late in posting for Earth Day, it's never too late to promote an environmentally friendly product and conscientious service I believe in. Renowned photographer, Ruth Harper of Happily Ever After offers Earth Friendly wedding albums made entirely in the United States with 100% recycled archival pages.

Contact Ruth at ruth@happilyeverafterphoto.com or check out her website Happily Ever After for more information. Thanks Ruth, for sharing this valuable tip for not only brides and grooms, but wedding planners and others in the wedding industry. You are definitely a trendsetter in the world of environmentally friendly weddings.

Our I Do Vow To Commitment

Our commitment at I Do Vow To is to not only help couples plan the wedding of their dreams, but also to create a wedding experience that has implications into the future. A couple's wedding day is a time they will remember and cherish hopefully into their twilight years, but the day is just that...one day.

After the flowers have wilted, the linens returned and the guests have gone home the wedding day is over. It's a lot like Christmas with all the hard work, all the anticipation, cooking, wrapping, cleaning and finally it's here...but just for a few short hours, then suddenly gone.

While Christmas will return again, your wedding day will not. However, a wedding designed and coordinated by I Do Vow To will provide the assurance that the impact of your wedding day will be felt long after the day has passed. For example, I Do Vow To will commit to eliminating waste in two ways. We will not knowingly waste valuable dollars on unnecessary or frivolous purchases such as favors, nor will we contribute to the ever growing piles of waste in our landfills.

While I love the world of weddings, I also recognize how terribly wasteful they can be. I have posted previous blogs about wedding waste and favors, so will not repeat myself except to say, I believe we can reverse the wasteful trend and start a new one.

For example, I agree that Save-the-Date cards are a great tool for couples, but they are another wedding product that ultimately ends up in the trash. Why not prepare an online, interactive Save-the-Date invitation like my friend and colleague, Andrew Vick did for his upcoming wedding. Bookmark the link on your computer and you have everything you need to save-the-date.

I believe couples can make another important and long lasting impact while planning their wedding by being selective with the vendors they choose. Every vendor that I Do Vow To recommends is involved in philanthropic work in one form or another. For example, Laurie Schneider of Laurie Schneider Photography volunteers time and pledges funding for Home For Life an animal rescue in Wisconsin where all animals are kept until they are adopted or there to stay. These animals are never euthanized but are loved and cared for and these animals are truly Home For Life, forever.

Andrew Vick of Vick Photography sponsors a child for one year through World Vision in the name of each couple that hires him for their wedding photography. That couple has the option to continue the sponsorship at their anniversary.

These are the commitments and focus that drive I Do Vow To and I sincerely hope you agree that we can plan a fabulous wedding for you but at the same time make a lasting difference in this world for children, animals and us all.