The Sustainable Wedding

I have the privilege of participating in The Sustainable Wedding on September 5th 2009 and being the first certified green florist in the Twin City area! Tonight I attended my first Green Wedding Training Course at the Live Green Live Smart Institute. I didn't know exactly what to expect, but was very please and impressed with the whole concept.

The 2,200,000 weddings held in the US this year will account for the greatest CO2 footprint and largest single source of waste for any type of event held by individuals in 2009. A one-day wedding can create the same amount of CO2 produced by a family of four during a five year period (outside of the US), will send to landfills up to 1/4 tons of trash, waste up to 38% of the food served and thru the selection of jewelry and clothing inadvertently causes the deaths of 3 or more individuals in 3rd world countries.

Scary and sobering details! To be honest, it kind of freaked me out a bit and was overwhelming... How in the world do we even begin to combat this? I expected the answer to be a drastic "debbie downer"-weddings can't be fun, they can't be pretty and the bride has to wear hemp... I was so wrong!

The main message I took away from tonight was; you don't have to say no to things, this is still a celebration-just rethink things and be responsible! There are many subtle (and some not so subtle) things you can do to help your wedding or event be sustainable. First and foremost, seek out "green" vendors. Because of the efforts of this organization there will be local options for green certified vendors in all areas of event planning. Feel free to email me or visit http://www.livegreenlivesmart.org/ for more information on how you can make your event green!

A Week and a Day...

Details, details! Green, white, black and pink composed our color sheme.

We created a tiered centerpiece of sorts and incorporated paper flowers with the fresh.

A week and a day ago I participated in The Duel of the Design 2.0. I was paired with Todd Pinzuti of Bungalow 6 Design and Chef Asher Miller from 20*21 and we won!!! I had a blast! I see it as an honour to work with Todd, he is truly a master of his craft.

For whatever reason, I was not very nervous. I think this was for 2 reasons... 1. I've been so busy that I didn't have time to think about what was happening-me in front of 300 people, no idea who or what I'm working with, a mystery item and a tight time line! (just saying it now makes me nervous!) 2. I knew the talent of all involved and knew that however the teams ended up, I'd be in good company. Both of these reasons, along with great food and drinks, an amazing crowd and the support of friends and family made for an amazing evening.

All in all, it was another great celebration for Summer Harsh Botanical Artistry! This year, as young as it is, has been extremely fun and busy. I am exhausted but will not complain! I had a wedding yesterday, I will be participating in the Twin City Bridal Fair on Sunday and then off to Philadelphia and Orlando to design centerpieces for some corporate events. I've always said "have flowers, will travel" and I finally get to mean it! I can't even think about all of this without this strong feeling of gratitude welling up inside. I could not be doing this without the support of my friends, family and colleagues. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

It's Winter, naturally...

In Minnesota, you can't fight Winter... The best thing you can do is embrace it. I learned that on a trip to Reykjavik Iceland a few years ago. That adventure forever changed my outlook on this not so appealing season.

Icelandic people know how to do Winter. They line the snow banks with candles, they actually look good (sexy even) while staying warm and they don't let a few feet of snow stop them from going out and having a good time. So where am I going with all of this? I recently worked on a Winter wedding that made me feel good about my nemesis season. I've dubbed it the "Narnia" wedding because the decor and feel reminded me of that mythical winter wonderland.

The coolest part about this whole process were the bride and groom. They love the outdoors and wanted to keep everything very natural-no glitter, no silver paint and no blue! They went out and collected (fallen) birch wood which we incorporated into just about everything. We also used fresh green moss and rock salt to give it an "icy, yet still alive and fresh" look . I loved the concept and challenge of keeping things rustic but formal. Of course, formality was not an issue for The Landmark Center and the gorgeous chocolate satin chair covers and floor length linens from Linen Effects. The overall event design by The Style Laboratory was breathtaking and I was happy to be a part of it!