Greening Your Wintery Wedding

On a very snowy December 5th, lori hill event productions served as the event producer for the wedding of Diana and Arthur at the James Rouse Visionary Center at the American Visionary Arts Museum in Baltimore. Here are some of the easy green initiatives that we incorporated into their special day:

 Centerpieces - because Diana and Arthur hated the idea of having centerpieces that would be used for just a few hours and then tossed (in the compost bin of course!), they had Crimson and Clover design 10” wreaths made from vertical crystallized white branches. These were given away to guests at the conclusion of the reception. The head table was adorned with the bridesmaids’ bouquets placed in vases filled with gems and wrapped in satin ribbon


 Because we were in one large room, we utilized 7’ fresh cut Frasier Firs decorated in lights from Plants Alive! Afterwards, the trees were used for other events and then recycled into mulch

 The couple’s travel-themed wedding inspired them to replace traditional escort cards with customized luggage tags that contained guests’ table assignment which was the name of one of the many cities the couple have traveled to during their courtship

 Instead of handing guests a paper program before the ceremony, the couple opted to not offer one and nobody seemed to notice or mind

 Both the ceremony and the reception were held in the same event space, saving on having guests drive to two different locations (all that gas and all those carbon emissions add up quickly!)

 Since most guests were from out of town, we transported them via mini coach bus instead of having them take separate taxis

 Because weddings generate so much waste, we contracted with Waste Neutral Group to take away not only food waste that could be composted, but also recycling. The cost was only a $1/person.

Coffee That is Good for You AND the Environment

I went to the ISES DC (International Special Events Society, Washington, DC Chapter) meeting yesterday at Longview Gallery. I saw cool artwork in a new event space and learned a bit more about social media. I think I’ve actually started to change my mind about Twitter…

Since it was a breakfast meeting, Travelling Bean – The Espresso Catering Company, was there to give us our morning fix of java. They are a small, family-owned company and really care about preserving the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River. In fact, in addition to using glassware whenever possible at events, or paper goods from recycled paper, they dispose of their espresso grounds in their flower beds!

They use local suppliers whenever possible and one of those is the Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company (CBRC). I first met CBRC when I was helping the Chesapeake Climate Action Network turn their annual Polar Bear Plunge green. What a cool company. Their coffee beans are Fair Trade Certified and USDA organic. They purchase and use 100% wind power and pledge 2% of gross sales to support community organizations and groups that make a measurable impact to the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. We all need to support companies like this. In 2010, CBRC coffee will be hitting more stores in our area. Look out for it and buy it!

Both Traveling Bean and the Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company will be at the Mid-Atlantic Green Wedding Showcase on Sunday, February 21, 2010 at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center at the University of Maryland and serving complimentary coffee and espresso to attendees.

Must-Read Book and Green Wedding Guide

While it is touted as "A no-nonsense, tough-love guide for savvy girls who want to stop eating crap and start looking fabulous" the book Skinny Bitch is also a great food and beverage guide for your green meetings and events. The most enlightening chapters are "Sugar is the Devil" which talks about the evils of artificial sweeteners and the wonder of Stevia. Do you really want to feed your guests poison? I think not.

As you may know, it takes 25 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of wheat, but 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat. If that doesn't convince you that a vegetarian diet is better for the Earth, "You Are What You Eat" outlines the evils of slaughterhouses. It was a tough chapter to read, but very enlightening. You'll never want to eat meat again when you hear what really happens to chickens, cows and other animals.

If you can't handle profanity, this book isn't for you (which means it was perfect for me!). Other favorite chapter titles include: The Dead, Rotting, Decomposing Flesh Diet; Pooping; and Have No Faith: Governmental Agencies Don't Give a Shit About Your Health.

While the title makes the book seem just for women, men should read it, too. In fact, I told my boyfriend to read it and he did. Unfortunately, he still hasn't kicked that diet Coke habit of his. One day at a time...

Green Tip:
Green Wedding Guide

Want to make your wedding green? Go to what Martha Stewart calls the #1 green wedding site - Portovert. It's your go to site for a sustainable wedding!