Wedding Planning - DIY Bride

Getting help with planning your sustainable wedding

It’s normal to get help with the planning of a wedding, whether it’s eco-friendly or not. Let’s take a closer look at help you can get in the planning stages, as well as advice from experts.

Finding green wedding planners and suppliers

There are dedicated companies who work to ensure events are kept as green as possible. Here’s what you need to know when looking for and working with sustainable companies.

Green wedding planners

There are several wedding planners who specialise in providing a service for people looking to host a green wedding. They’ll take everything we’ve looked at into account, while also helping you to make sure your wedding falls within budget.

The Wedding Planning Institute currently offers a certified course for green weddings. While you shouldn’t look for this as a requirement when making a decision, it’s worth asking about it.

Finding sustainable suppliers

From caterers to furnishers, you’ll want to work with companies who share your eco-friendly vision. Make sure to ask them questions like:

Where do you source your products from?
What sustainability standards and certificates do you have?
Do you have an environmental management system in place?
Do you have a recycling policy in place?
What happens to any food/stock which isn’t used?

Green venues

We’ve already looked at the kinds of venues which are able to host your special occasion. When it comes to choosing your location, you can use platforms like Venuefinder to narrow down your search.

You can specifically look for green venues, and even specify the type of event, the maximum capacity needed and the location. Always make sure to visit a potential wedding spot before making any decisions. Ask them if they’ve hosted a sustainable wedding in the past, and find out if any special measures need to be taken to accommodate this.

Budgeting advice for your sustainable wedding

Saving for any wedding can be a challenge. The Green Union provide a useful breakdown of roughly how much of your budget you should dedicate to each aspect of planning:

50% – towards food, drink and reception

15% – on your outfits and dress

10% – on flowers

10% – on photography

10% – on entertainment

Think about setting yourself a cap for each area of your wedding. If you find yourself overspending in a certain area, consider how you could cut costs, while remaining sustainable.

For example: growing your own flowers, or renting a suit instead of having a new one made. There are always ways around needing to fork out a fortune, without compromising on quality.

Additional tips and advice

We’ve looked in detail at some of the steps you can take to perfect every aspect of your special day. Let’s take a closer look at some smaller fixes which will help reduce your impact on the environment that little bit further.

Go vintage where you can

While not all vintage products were created with sustainability in mind, it’s better to repurpose them than letting them go to waste. Reuse vintage items of tableware, dress or decoration to cut out the need to have something new produced just for your big day.

DIY where you can

In any circumstances where it’s logistically possible, think about creating something yourself. We’ve already looked at the obvious example of flowers. It might also be possible to create handmade decorations, tablecloths and invites (all from sustainable materials). Think about what you can do yourself, or ask others to help you out.

Book a local photographer

Rather than asking someone to travel the breadth of the country to snap your big day, look for someone in the local area. It’s potentially a small touch, but it could make a difference when it comes to the wedding’s carbon footprint.

Have a post-wedding recycle plan

Set up areas where guests can recycle during the event. Also think about having a detailed plan in place for what you’re going to do with anything that’s leftover at the end of the day.

Weddings to support green nonprofits

Speaking of recycling your leftovers, this provides a fantastic opportunity to gift anything which hasn’t been used to a food bank or charity. You could even ask people to make direct contributions to nonprofits on the day itself.

Let’s take a look at a few ways you can help support charities and other green organisations at your wedding:

Gifts from your guests

Rather than asking for presents for you and your partner, instead consider how they can make a tangible difference to a worthy cause. Even if it’s just a cash donation, this is a great way to casually ask for donations en masse.

Charity-owned venues

Some charities are fortunate enough to receive funds from their own venue. Assuming they promote sustainability, think about hiring one of these locations. This helps make what can sometimes be a steep fee feel less like a drain on your finances. You know the money is being used to help others.

Make donations part of the reception

Whether it’s simply by posting donation boxes throughout the venue or having a cut of the bar takings go to charity, there are simple steps which can help you collect funds. Even a tip jar by the bar for loose change would make a difference.

Decorate to promote a nonprofit

If a cause is particularly close to you, consider decorating with their branding in mind. This serves as a constant reminder to attendees, giving your chosen charity free promotion. Encourage guests to follow the charity on social channels, and use banners to show them where they can donate directly.

Donate leftover food

Anything which hasn’t been eaten and won’t perish can be donated to a food bank. Talk to the venue about this beforehand. If you don’t, there’s a chance they might automatically throw the food away.

Planning an eco-friendly wedding isn’t easy. But if you follow the advice we’ve offered here, you’ll find it doesn’t have to be as much of a challenge as you may first suspect.

The Guide to Sustainable, Zero-Waste, Ethical Weddings

A wedding should be one of the happiest days of a couple’s lives. The event brings friends and family together in a celebration of love. Drinks flow, food is devoured and, hopefully, everyone goes home having had a great time.

In all the excitement, it’s easy to overlook the impact a wedding might have on the environment. Sustainability is being spoken about more now than ever. Luckily, if this is something you want to take into account on your wedding day, you can.

Let’s find out how, as we explore the perfect way to host a sustainable, zero-waste, ethical wedding. We’ll break down the damage a regular wedding has, before introducing alternatives for you to try.

Introduction to sustainable and ethical weddings

Do you know how much of an impact your big day could have on the world around you? Here are some startling statistics which might make you reconsider how you want your wedding to be.

Waste generated by the wedding industry

Everything we throw away which can’t be recycled has a negative impact on the environment. If something isn’t biodegradable, it could take thousands of years to break down naturally.

Plastic is unsurprisingly at the heart of the issue.

Individually, one wedding can produce as much as 20kg of plastic waste. What’s more, the black bags used to collect the rubbish are themselves potentially harmful. They can take as many as 90 years to break down under the ground.

But it’s not just plastic which has an impact. Food wastage is also a common theme for most weddings. A study from Sainsbury’s reveals the extent of this.

To put the wedding wastage into context, the average family home will throw away roughly £700($867.51) in food in one year. In other words, a few hours at one wedding can account for 65% of a home’s wastage across an entire year.

The carbon footprint of wedding celebrations

Rising levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere have directly led to warmer global temperatures, as warm air is trapped within the Earth’s atmosphere. As NASA highlight, this has directly led to shrinking ice sheets, warming oceans and a general rise in global temperature.

Sadly, UK weddings are again one of the chief offenders when it comes to CO2 contributions. As many as 14.5 tonnes of the gas will be created during an average celebration.

That’s a startling figure, given annual carbon emission per capita in the UK is just 9.1 tonnes. With roughly 250,000 weddings taking place every year, that’s a net result of 3,625,000 tonnes of gas being emitted.

Zero-Waste Wedding: The worst sustainability offenders at weddings

Some wedding troupes are more harmful than others. Here are a few common inclusions which you might not realise are having a negative impact on the environment.

Balloons

Often made of materials that don’t break down, balloons contribute to overflowing landfill sites. They also pose a serious choking hazard for wildlife like birds and sea creatures.

Confetti

Throwing confetti is a common tradition, but have you ever considered where it ends up after the celebrations are over? Unfortunately, this is another example of a material which won’t degrade naturally. That means it often ends up being consumed by animals.

Exotic flowers

It’s not something that immediately springs to mind, but transporting flowers which aren’t seasonal means you’ll need to move them from relatively far away. The net result is a higher level of CO2 emissions, as well as the use of potentially harmful chemical fertilisers which can pollute the soil.

Decorations

Paper comes in handy at a wedding, but it’s still worth considering where you can limit its use. Bunting, banners and even invites can use up resources which might not be sustainable. Either cut down on their use or make sure you’re only utilising sustainable materials.

Don’t worry, though. These are all common aspects of a wedding – which means alternative, eco-friendly options, have already been created. In chapter two, we’ll look at exactly what those options are.

Megan Flan and Mark Batson’s Intimate Wedding

Event Info

Location: Yucaipa, CA, US Event Date: Nov 11, 2017

Client Info

Name: Megan Flan & Mark Batson

Album Story

Megan and Mark we some of the cutest people ever. When we met up for their engagement session, they were so nervous, but so excited to be on this journey together. When getting to know them, I resized they loved to eat and drink, but then again, who doesn’t? Right? They laugh all the time, they laugh when they are together, they laugh when they are apart… they truly just enjoy life and enjoy each other. They got married in a family members back yard with a beautiful view. Directly after an intimate ceremony, Mark & Megan had a photo session and then they were off to their favorite restaurant, for a thanksgiving feast and coffee…. yes coffee. Many of the details from this day include Megan & Marks favorite things. Incorporating their unique personalities allowed the guest to enjoy their love stories and learn more about them!

Associated Vendors

Venue: Private Residence Beauty: Dani B Make up Apparel: Sewcal Pros Dress Store: Beloved Couture Bridal Photographer: Laura Marie Photography

Image(73)

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Event Info

Location: Yucaipa, CA, US Event Date: Nov 11, 2017

Client Info

Name: ♀Megan Flan & ♂Mark Batson

Album Story

Associated Vendors

Venue: Private Residence Beauty: Dani B Make up Apparel: Sewcal Pros Dress Store: Beloved Couture Bridal Photographer: Laura Marie Photography

Image(73)

Issa Real DIY Wedding

ISSA REAL DIY WEDDING! One of the best things when it comes to having a DIY wedding is that you and your partner can actually show your real creativity, style and personality. From the decors, the theme and even the wedding colors! Your wedding day should reflect the personality and choices made to display your love and creativity by making the wedding more personal. The personality part is not just for you, its the for your family and closest friends to enjoy and to #hashtag the best parts of the day.

Now, we’ll feature another real DIY wedding with a vintage inspired theme. May I now present you, Kyle and Liz’s wedding.

With a vintage-inspired wedding theme in mind, Liz and Kyle wanted to make sure their personality was showcased in every possible way – which they were later complimented on, and quickly became a favorite detail of the bride’s wedding day. They prided themselves on doing this through handmade floral arrangements, which Liz says she did with the help of some help of some talented friends and family.

It’s not a party without the CAKE! For dessert, Kyle and Liz decided to have three options (yesss!): German chocolate and carrot cake, and cupcakes galore hand baked by their friend.

A few of Kyle and Liz’s favorite finds involved a little estate sale and vintage shop hunting, which they transformed into a lovely array of centerpieces for their tables. Kyle and his father built the arch they were married under, now a staple in their garden at home.

Among some of the couple’s most-prized memories was eating barbecue in their formal attire. “Yes, we wore bibs!” Liz says.

VENDORS:

Venue: The Sinclair Depot | http://www.preferredantiques.com/

Florals: Blooms By The Box | https://www.bloomsbythebox.com/

Photography: Sarah Jane Winter Photo & Design | http://www.sarahjanewinter.com/

Cake and Cupcakes: Natasha Tiedge | @tashytiedge

Linens: Tablecloths Factory | http://tableclothsfactory.com/

Hair: Randi Graf, Cifelli’s Salon Spa | http://www.cifellissalon.com/

Makeup: Jenni Wheeler | @wheelerbusiness

Catering: Smoke in the Pit | http://www.smokeinthepit.com/

Entertainment: Rich Utke | https://www.facebook.com/groups/135909503111724/

Paper Products: 4over | http://4over.com/

Rentals, Table Settings, Flatware: Apres Party Rental | http://www.apresparty.com/

Officiant: Sarah Kolb-Williams

Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding Day

Weddings are really very stressful. There are a lot of things which needs to be done and should be accomplished a month before the wedding. And well, aside from the stress brought by the things which needs to be done, preparing for your wedding day is of course expensive. Of course, we all aim and wish to save money without compromising the beauty of our big day. Here are 26 tips on how you can cut down your expenses but still have the kind of wedding that you expect and imagine.

Reception:

1.Cut down your guest list. This will slash your catering costs and save on invitations and even the number of centerpieces.

2. Think off-peak season and save thousands.

3. Hold your ceremony and reception in one spot. It will cut the travel time for the vendors you pay by hour.

4. Skip the Saturday Wedding.

5. Have bigger tables so you need fewer centerpieces and tablecloths.

Flowers:

6. Use more greenery than flowers.

7. Swap out costly flowers- did you know peonies can be five times more expensive than roses?

8. Stick to one or two kinds of flowers.

9. Buy flowers that are in season.

10. Include nonfloral pieces, like seashells or fruit.

Food & Drink:

11. Skip the main course- just have passed hors d’oeuvres or stations.

12. Offer beer, wine and a signature cocktail instead of a full bar.

13. Skip the champagne toast.

Cakes:

14. Order a small one-or two-tier cake and then supplement it with a larger sheet cake (hidden in the kitchen).

15. Keep the add-ons simple.

16. Use fresh flowers, not sugar ones.

17. Skip exotic fillings like guava and mango.

Stationary & Favors:

18. Get single-page invites to save on postage.

19. Give out one favor per couple.

20. Make your cake the favors.

21. Have favors double as escort cards.

22. Email your save-the-dates.

23. Make your own menu cards, escort cards and wedding favor packaging.

Photo, Video & Music:

24. Have a photographer you love but can’t afford the prices? Ask them if they have an associate shooter who will do your wedding for less.

25. Opt for smaller band

26. Hire a band or DJ who can do both the ceremony and the reception.

Cutting down your budget doesn’t mean that you need to compromise the the quality and beauty of your big day. Enjoy your wedding without spending too much.

https://www.theknot.com/content/ways-to-save-money-on-wedding

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5 Top Tips for Cutting Your Wedding Costs

Paula Gorry, Demonstrator Development Manager, Stampin’ Up! UK

In 2017, the costs of a wedding in the UK was up 9.6 per cent compared to 2016. [1] With wedding prices continually rising, now is the perfect time to think about the best ways of cutting costs without forfeiting quality. Although your wedding will undoubtedly be one of the happiest days of your life, it doesn’t necessarily need to be the most expensive. Take the stress out of sticking to your budget by following these crafty top rips for saving money on your nuptials.

Hand- make your invites

Creating your own invitations is a perfect way to pinch the pennies and still send beautifully crafted invites, with a personal touch. Work out how many invites you’ll need to make, then you can decide on the complexity of your design. Make sure to pick a co-ordinating colour palette to achieve a consistent and professional look, adding in embellishments such as buttons, ribbon or gems to enhance your overall style.

Send a thoughtful thank you

With making invitations being so simple, it makes sense yo do the same with your save the dates and thank you cards. The techniques are largely the same and with added opportunity for personalisation, your guests will be sure to appreciate the added effort. Small additions like colour co-ordinating the envelopes or ink will emphasise your thoughtfulness.

Ask your best friend to bake

Your wedding cake is an easy way to save some sterling as most of us know someone who is great at baking. Asking a friend or family member if they’s like to make your cake is a great way of making them feel involved in the big day, and comes at a much lower price than hiring a professional.

If you don’t know anyone that bakes, there are still easy ways to minimise costs. Get creative and consider a layered tower of cookies, cupcakes or doughnuts or choose your favourite sweet (or savoury) treat of choice!

Decorate with your own stye

Why not consider making your own decorations? It’s a fun and easy way to cut costs and truly organise your wedding to your own taste. For rustic weddings, you can make bunting for a light-hearted and low-key look. If big and bold is more your style, think about creating your own centrepieces are a great wilt-free option for the summer, or if you want to keep it real, think about sourcing and arranging flowers yourself instead if employing a florist.

Get smarter with your stationary

From table plans, name places, signs and guest books, your wedding stationary costs all start to add up. There are plenty of inexpensive hacks for creating your own professional looking stationary. Think about using stamp sets, dies or stencils, for example, to create a perfect look in keeping with your wedding theme. Don’t forge presentation – be in a thrifty frame or mirror for a vintage theme, or use large potted plants for a floral wedding.

These are just a few easy ways to keep your wedding costs . down, but the fun doesn’t have to stop there. Spread the creativity and invite your bridal party to get involved and give you a helping hand – saving money and having fun whilst planning your wedding has never been so easy.

[[1]] https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/average-british-wedding-cost-uk-27000-hitched-venue-honeymoon-food-london-midlands-a7937551.html

3 Mistakes to Avoid When Designing Your Wedding

When it comes to planning weddings, design is the fun part. Whether you’ve had an idea of what you want since you were a little girl or you’re inspired by things you’ve seen recently, design is your chance to put it all together and create a day that feels like you. But it can also be stressful. Really stressful. Because when it comes to design, the possibilities are endless — which is definitely a blessing and a curse. Luckily, following a few guidelines can help ensure that your day is perfect for you. Here are the major mistakes you want to avoid when designing your wedding.

Choosing Items That Aren’t In Season Or Are Hard To Find

You really need to think about when your wedding is — and where it is — when you start on your design. Sunflowers in the middle of a New England winter won’t just be impossible to find, they’ll also probably just look out of place. Asking a wedding planner or local vendors about what they recommend can be a huge help in finding out what is easy to source. Trust me, it will make your life way easier.

Falling Into The Latest Pinterest Craze

I know — it all looks so beautiful, right? You go to Pinterest and there are endless stunning options for your wedding. They all look elegant. They all look simple. And many look really to DIY. Don’t believe it.

There are a couple of things to bear in mind with Pinterest — the first is that it’s way too easy to see and pick designs that are outside of your budget. It can drive a bride crazy if you sit there sifting through hundreds of options that you just can’t afford. Don’t stress yourself out — there are plenty of ways to have an amazing wedding, no matter what your budget is.

The second thing to bear in mind is that there’s just so much to see on Pinterest that you can get overwhelmed. You don’t want your wedding design to turn into a total mish-mash of every latest trend and crazy fad. Instead, focus on a few design elements that feel true to you.

3. Doing What Everybody Else Does

Finally — and most importantly — be unique. You may have been to some weddings in the past that looked beautiful, but this is your wedding. Sure, you can use other ceremonies for your design inspiration, but, ultimately, this is your day. So make it about you. Someone can have a stunning, lovely wedding — but that doesn’t mean it’s representative of you or your relationship. You want it to be as original and fresh as your love is.

Designing your wedding can be the most fun part of wedding planning, but it can also be overwhelming. Sticking with ideas that are easy to source, within budget, and, most importantly, special will help you create the perfect day that’s unique to the two of you.

7 Mistakes To Avoid When Choosing A Wedding Venue

Picking the right wedding venue is probably the single most important choice you’ll make when planning a wedding — because it affects everything else. It helps set the mood, the tone, it’s where people will dance and toast and celebrate. You want it to reflect you, your partner, your choices — but also be within budget. I know, it’s a lot. But it’s important not to get swept away by something that looks perfect as soon as you step into it — without taking a closer look. Here are seven mistakes to avoid when choosing a wedding venue, because it’s about a lot more than first impressions.

Choosing A Venue Based Off Of The Pictures

You really need to go and look at the venue in person — sure, something can look perfect on the internet, but we all know just how powerful photoshop can be. Make sure that you take a look around to see what it actually looks like.

Not Looking At The Bathrooms

It’s an issue you might not even think about, but if the bathrooms are subpar then it can totally change an evening. Make sure there are enough of them and that they look great.

Assuming You Can Make Big Changes

You need to ask what you can and can’t do as far as design. There’s nothing worse than putting down a huge deposit assuming you can make big changes — and then finding out that’s a no-go. Better safe than sorry.

Not Asking About Repairs

Find out if they’re planning any major repairs or upgrades and when the work is being done — you don’t want your wedding to look like a building site, or worse yet, for the terrible sound of construction noise to override your sweet vows.

Not Tasting The Food

If you’re getting your catering from the venue, actually taste the food. Food is another crucial component that can look great in the picture but be a total disappointment in real life. Set up a tasting.

Not Asking About Payment Plans

Make sure you check with them about what payment plans are available. If there aren’t any, don’t be shy about asking if you can create one. Some venues can be really accommodating.

Forgetting To Check When The Venue Opens

A tiny detail, but an important one — because you don’t want your wedding cake showing up at 9 am… only to discover the venue doesn’t open until noon. Make sure you know if the venue will be available to you.

And Finally…

Once you think you’ve found the perfect venue — you’ve checked every bathroom and looked at the price breakdown — you’re not quite done. If you want your wedding to run as smoothly as it possibly can, you need to ask the venue these seven very important questions:

Do you need insurance? Do your vendors need insurance?
Are you responsible if anything breaks?
Is there a bathroom attendant—do you need to provide one? Do you have to refill toiletries or will the venue handle it?
Will the venue box your wedding cake for you at the end of the night? If not…make sure to assign your planner/coordinator to the task.
Will they assist with guest seating?
Ask what you need to do at the end of the night for the venue—are you responsible for cleaning up?
Can you drop items off a week before the wedding to get it out of your way while you are prepping for the wedding?

I know, it’s a lot. But it’s crossing every “t” and dotting every “i” that makes the real difference. Finding the perfect venue and knowing exactly how things will work on the day will take off so much of the pressure. Because when it comes to the actual wedding day, you want to be able to enjoy it if you are doing all of the work!

Happy Wedding Planning!

How To Plan The Perfect Honeymoon

According to David Tutera, most couples now plan their ceremony and reception in about nine months. Unfortunately, plotting out the perfect honeymoon usually takes a back seat…even though the honeymoon is really the icing on the wedding cake.

Sure you want the ideal picture-perfect ceremony with the best dress (you know…the one that makes you weep actual tears!), the most luscious blooms in the bouquet and the most romantic backdrop. So, yes, it’s true that you want to take time to get everything absolutely flawless. But for goodness sake, don’t skimp on the honeymoon!

Our weeklong honeymoon at an all-inclusive resort in the Bahamas was perfect…and the vacation we both needed after a year of wedding planning (done while in college in another state!). Saying goodbye to the princess perfection that was my wedding gown was tough, especially since the wedding day ended much too soon (time flies on your wedding day!). But jetting off to a tropical paradise the next morning made it all ok.

Every couple has a different budget and different loves and preferences. But if I can give you any guidance for wedding planning it is this: save money for the honeymoon. Opt for paper flowers if you must. Cut costs somewhere else, but make sure you plan a few days for happy honeymooning.

According to Honeymoons.com, “an average honeymoon is 7 days/6 nights, and the average price per couple is $5,000.” While this cost is an average–some couples spend more, others spend less–not all newlyweds can take that much time away from work or have thousands to spare in the budget.

Your budget dictates how much you will spend in the end. If you plan on jetting overseas—to the Caribbean and beyond—the price will jump because of airfare. However, if you’re planning a wedding that happens to coincide with off-peak tourist travel, you could snag cheaper airfare or resort accommodations.

Couples looking to book an awesome honeymoon on a dime, though, aren’t out of luck. Stay in the states and look for deals. Want a beach destination? Find one in Florida and along the east coast. Choose areas that aren’t known tourist hot spots. You may have to do a little research, but there will be budget friendly options.

Sit down together and discuss where you want to honeymoon and then look at your budget to see where you stand. Once you know your budget, the fun of booking your first days together as a married couple can begin. For more tips on how to plan the perfect honeymoon, check out the following infographic: