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The Sail’s in Motion

June 23, 2011 By

Creating a romantic atmosphere for a wedding and events leading up to the big day is usually pretty important to the bride and groom.  Hollywood films and stories from past generations have much to say about love and the ideal setting for an enchanting evening.

What better way to celebrate than to spend an hour, an evening, or even a whole day on a sailboat?  Captain Dan of Berkeley is here to provide this service for you.  He has 35 years of sailing experience and offers sailing tours on the bay.  Just imagine arriving at your wedding locale on a boat – talk about making an entrance!  You could also choose to sail off as you start your honeymoon, into the setting sun or a bright, cloudless day.  It’s really up to you.  Captain Dan wants your day to be just that – as you wish.

Sailing would also provide a great alternative for a meeting of the parents.  A nice glass of champagne or coconut water, good conversation, and the gentle breeze of the fresh air coming off of the water would create the perfect setting for what could otherwise ends in embarrassment and unforgettable awkward moments.

If you’re still not convinced, think of the fun you could have with friends at a bachelorette or bachelor party.  The thrill of sailing would beautifully complement the celebration of the night in a fun, light-hearted way that you’d be sure to remember for decades to come.  You’d get the perfect background for taking pictures and videos to share with friends and family.

In addition to the aforementioned points, sailing is also an environmentally-friendly alternative to most motorized forms of transportation.  You would use less fuel and thus reduce your carbon imprint.

So if you’re hankering for a swing back into an era of classic elegance, give Captain Dan a ring.  No matter the occasion, a little ride on the bay will do just the trick.

You can find more information here:  www.captdan.net

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Not Your Average Pot of Gold

June 22, 2011 By

As once sung by Marilyn Monroe, “diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” Unfortunately diamonds, along with other fine jewelry, can be one’s worst enemy as well. Lives have been taken, wars have been fought, and countries have been left in both political and environmental disarray as a result of greed for a sparkling accessory.

Thankfully much light has been shed on the reality of the sourcing of diamonds and gold. Progress has been made to provide more ethical alternatives so that we can still enjoy tokens of love and affection. One still has to be careful though in a world of green washing corporations that only wish to make profit.

greenKarat is an online retailer of jewelry that specializes in recycled and reused gold pieces. They provide education for their consumers so that they are able to make well-informed decisions before purchasing jewelry. I myself found their articles to be well-written and eye-opening. Did you know that mercury and cyanide are used in small-scale mines? These two chemicals alone damage our eco-system and can have negative repercussions for generations to come.

greenKarat’s myKarat program allows you to send in your old jewelry to be recycled or reused for new pieces. You have two options: you can recycle your jewelry and it will be combined with a larger pool of recycled gold, or you can reuse your gold (and that of your family and friends) to create a new piece from only your gold (if additional gold is needed, it will be taken from the larger pool of recycled material still).

A registry is also provided, but it’s not just your typical registry. Instead of purchasing gifts from a list of designated items, greenKarat offers your wedding guests the opportunity to send in their old gold jewelry as well to help the couple create the desired end product. This provides a great interactive way for the couple to create a unique piece donated by their loved ones.

When it comes to selecting stones for jewelry, greenKarat offers a range of lab-created stones. Lab-created stones are a great way to get the same sparkle and mesmerizing qualities of natural stones without contributing to the inevitable environmental and likely political aftermath of mined stones.

The end result is beauty without compromise of ethical standards. greenKarat has you covered whether you want a traditional, contemporary, or custom design. They offer free quotes and can help you at any step along in the process of your ring selection. They even have the option of donating jewelry to charity instead of receiving store credit (or you can do both).

If you’d like more information, check out their site: http://greenkarat.com/

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A Guest List with No Limits

June 8, 2011 By

Before actual planning for a wedding starts, we probably all have dreams of what it should be like – whether it’s the fairytale wedding with a gown suited for a princess, elaborate floral elements, and a location filled to maximum capacity or a simplistic, small ceremony in front of a few loved ones. Once actions are taken to sort out all the details, plans inevitably change for various reasons.

One common item that ends up changing, perhaps on multiple occasions, is a guest list. What starts out as a seemingly never-ending list is often whittled down to a fraction of the original figure. It can be very difficult to decide who to eliminate. I have a proposition to make that would eliminate the need to do that.

With modern technology, it has become easier to bring people closer together, even if only in a virtual sense. Web-based telecommunication programs, such as Skype, allow you to send live feed to people anywhere in the world, so why not set up a live broadcast for additional guests? It could either be a one-way feed that would be sent to viewers from afar, or you could make it interactive with a projection screen.

Often guests travel from states or perhaps even countries away to attend a wedding ceremony and this would minimize the carbon footprint of long-distance traveling. One could argue that you would still be using electricity to create this type of set-up, but it would certainly be less than the impact created from an extended flight, car ride, etc (and there are of course sustainable energy sources for using electronic devices).

Even if you don’t have a wedding coming up, you could use this idea for sharing a party or special celebration with loved ones. So the next time you find yourself desperately trying to figure out how to reduce your list, find relief in knowing that you don’t have to – simply work around it with advanced audio-visual technology. Oh, and one last thing – make sure you turn off all equipment when you have finished using it – you wouldn’t want the Green Police to issue a citation on your special day, now would you?

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The Train Hasn’t Left Yet

May 25, 2011 By

We’ve all got items in our closets that never get worn – that shirt we purchased because it was such a great deal but still has a tag on it a year later, or a favorite pair of pants you wore every other day for a few months, but that then got shoved in the back of your closet, never to be seen again. Eventually, you probably dig them out and either sell them or donate them. What about wedding dresses though? You probably spent a lot of money on a gown (and looked fabulous), but what about after the wedding? It probably just stays in your closet, nicely packed away, and is never again worn. Well, I’ve got a few ideas for how you can change that.

Thrift stores abound in a modern world where fashion trends change constantly. There are even places that offer free clothing. Well, what about a community wedding gown exchange? There could either be a central location where items would be donated or an online forum where individuals could post either what they own or would like to acquire. A brick-and-mortar storefront could be run by volunteers and in place of purchases, patrons would have the option of donating to a charitable organization of choice, which creates a win-win situation for all involved.

Another idea that comes to mind is reinventing your wedding dress into something more practical that actually could be worn regularly. In addition to a forum that provides the exchange of wedding gowns, local designers who would be able to create cocktail dresses, pant suits, robes, etc. out of your former matrimonial attire could be involved. What better way is there to commemorate your special day than to continue the life cycle of a garment in a creative new way?

If you’re feeling a little crazy, you could take part in a trend of “trashing the dress.” I know for many this may seem horrifying, but there seems to be a growing number of photographers who wish to do photo shoots of individuals modeling a wedding dress that is covered in dirt or in some way distressed. Once you’ve got it dirty, you could have fun with it and use natural dyes (berries come to mind) and start the process of transforming the garment into something new and wearable for future occasions.

I’ll go ahead and stop now before things get too wild, but the next time you open your closet, maybe you can do a few more twirls in the dress you never thought you’d wear again.

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A Spicy Alternative to Traditional Wedding Cakes

May 11, 2011 By

Do you remember craving cinnamon rolls as a kid?  Chances are they probably were from less than desirable chains or food manufacturers that are difficult to trust.  Thankfully we currently live in an era that provides fantastic alternatives, such as Cinnaholic – they make fresh cinnamon rolls daily and are a locally-owned and operated company.

For your wedding, you would have the option of purchasing individual cinnamon rolls, mini cinnamon rolls, or Cinnacakes.  “What’s a Cinnacake?” you ask.  Well, it’s a mega cinnamon roll conglomeration – six, eight, or a whopping 12 cinnamon rolls all compressed and topped with deliciousness of choice (berries, frosting, etc.).  They are there to work with you in creating your ideal flavor or flavor combination so that your taste buds will be dancing along with your feet as you celebrate your big day.

These tasty delights aren’t just an appetizing treat – Cinnaholic also helps you stay true to your green wedding standards.  They use organic and local ingredients whenever possible.  They also provide compostable packaging and cut down on wasted receipt paper with an Ipad cash register that sends your receipt via e-mail.

The company itself is run by a husband and wife team who met on Couchsurfing.com.  Together they opened Cinnaholic, and this July marks the first year anniversary of the business.  When making your catering decisions, add a little spice and give Cinnaholic a roll – you’ll be glad you did.

I’m getting pretty hungry now just writing about this!  If you’d like more information, check out their website, Cinnaholic Catering, and contact their helpful staff.

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Stay tuned for some new posts!

April 30, 2011 By

I have been incredibly busy these last couple of months and my blog was put on the back burner, I apologize!  I was working on a really exciting project called Berkeley Vegan Earth Day and it consumed all my time.  Now that the event is done, I can now focus on my upcoming weddings and blog.  So stay tuned for some new posts coming in the next week or so.  In the meantime, I invite you to check out my friend’s blog: Rose Pedals Vegan Weddings.

Thanks!

Karine Brighten

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Non-alcoholic drinks for your reception

February 27, 2011 By

Are you looking for a non-alcoholic all natural drink to serve at your wedding reception? Having an outdoor wedding during the summer and want something really refreshing for your guests? Amy and Brian’s Natural Coconut Juices are a great option!

They are made from the water of young coconuts and don’t contain the added sugar or artificial additives found in other drinks.

The juices comes in 3 flavours: natural, pulp, and with added lime.  I have to say that my favourite is the one with pulp, it actually has small delicious pieces of the coconut.

For more info check out their website.

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Wedding trend: creating a wedding website

February 15, 2011 By

Over the last couple of years I have observed the trend of creating wedding websites, especially for destination weddings. The websites typically include information about the couple, the wedding party, wedding location, recommended activities for their guests, etc.

When I got married almost 3 years ago, I wasn’t as tech savvy as I am today and had created an online wedding invitation using Evite. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s a great tool but you can’t personalize it as much as a wordpress website.

So you might be thinking that you aren’t as tech savvy as you would like to be, and don’t know where to start right? This is where The Blog Fairy comes in!  Not only is she a very talented web designer, she is also very knowledgable, affordable, and has different packages to suit all your needs.  Check out her portfolio to see what I am talking about.

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New vegan wedding website officially launches today!

February 14, 2011 By

We’re so excited to share with you a new vegan website that launched this week: Rose Pedals Vegan Weddings (yes, pedals like a bicycle!).

Dedicated exclusively to veg couples looking to tie the vegan knot, this website features real vegan proposal and wedding stories each week; as well as provides resources to vegan couples who are planning their big day. The website will list a variety of vegan vendors, everything from cruelty-free photographers, dresses, and tuxedos to food, makeup, nail polish, décor, music and more.

The producer of the website is actively seeking couples who are engaged or recently married and would like to share their story; as well as vendors, and advertisers that are interested in reaching vegan couples.

Check out www.rosepedalsveganweddings.com for details.

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Reclaimed Apothecary Glass Matchstick Bottles

December 12, 2010 By

After you purchase your natural burning candles you will need something pretty to light them with.  Jen Pearson Designs has just what you need!  She takes reclaimed apothecary bottles, throws in some matches, adds a striking surface for igniting matches, and voila!

Couples can choose to include matchstick bottles on the wedding tables to ignite candles, or the bottles can be customized to use as eco-friendly wedding favors.

The matchstick bottles are an elegant and fun option for gift-giving, igniting candles, incense, alters or fireplaces.

If you prefer a wedding favor that will continue to grow, she also makes these beautiful Reclaimed Apothecary Succulent Terrariums!

Jen Pearson is a San Francisco based industrial designer and her bottles are being sold in over 40 independent design stores in 10 US States.

For more information please visit: www.jenpearson.wordpress.com

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