Ec-Ffriendly Gifts for the Bride-to-Be

As our eco-friendly month comes to a close, we thought we'd share some eco-friendly gift ideas with you all. While these are great for the bride-to-be, some can be used for your wedding party as well!

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  Anything bamboo - think kitchen utensils, bed linens or towels.
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  A recycled tote bag filled with eco-friendly finds. We like theme totes like a Green Thumb idea: garden supplies, organic seeds, cute straw hats etc.
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  Create a Chic Girls Guide to Going Green by putting together a basket full of organic cookbooks, wines, gardening books, and a guide to protecting the environment.

Are you looking for a green gift wrap idea? Try using pretty organic tea towels and ribbon to wrap up those books! We love this tea towel (made from a flower sack towel) from Claudia G. Pearson's Etsy Shop.

Wordless Wednesday: Green Your Ride

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Vendor Spotlight: Green Diva Bridal Jewellery

Green jewellery? We're sure the concept sounds pretty foreign to you with visions of hemp bracelets dancing in your head. Thankfully, eco-friendly jewellery doesn't have to screem DIY project if you shop at Green Diva.

How do the gals at Green Diva keep their jewellery environmentally friendly? Well, for starters, 95% or more of the gold and silver they use is 100% recycled. Secondly, all of their gemstones and pearls are sourced from suppliers and miners who practice fair trade and abide by certain environmental standards.

Did we mention that even their packaging is recycled? No ugly jewellery boxes used here. Green Diva uses recycled wedding dresses to create their packaging.

"Our adorable eco-friendly Wedding Dress Pouch™ is made with old, reclaimed weddings gowns purchased second hand. They are double-layered with fabric and handmade for a durable, lasting construction. The Wedding Dress Pouch™ is designed to protect pearls and gems from nicks and scratches. It is built with a drawstring closure that will also keep most air out of the bag when the jewellery is in storage. This is particularly helpful in preventing silver tarnish and safeguarding pearls from contact with chemicals," their website says.

Ok enough talk, here's a sneak peak at some of our favourite bridal pieces from Green Diva.

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A Few Ideas on How to Throw an Eco Friendly Bridal Shower

Our month of eco friendly event planning tips is almost over so we couldn't let a post go by without addressing one of the most fun events to plan of all: the bridal shower! Here are some of thing we like to suggest to our brides-to-be to keep their girls only event green.

Invitations. While we already touched base on this topic in a previous post, we really feel this is the first step in making your party earth friendly. If you can't stomach online invitations (too impersonal?) look for invitations made from recycled paper.

Decorations: Think fresh flowers from a local flower shop or centerpieces made from fruits (think of the 12 lemon centerpiece from the movie "The Breakup") from a local fruit market.

Favors: If you're hosting a Spring or Summer shower, consider giving your guests a small potted plant or a DIY organic herb garden that they can grow right in their kitchen.

Food: Whether you're planning a lunch, dinner or cocktails, consider using regular plates and cutlery. No paper or plastic products allowed. Also, consider offering pitchers of ice water with slices of cucumber or lemon as opposed to plastic water bottles, you won't believe the waste you'll be saving.

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Happy Earth Day to All Our Green Brides

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Vendor Spotlight: Recycled Bride

There are about 2.5 million weddings every year in the United States.

The average wedding budget is estimated to be $20,000.

About $70 billion is spent on weddings every year in the U.S.

The average wedding has 175 invited guests.

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Calling all green savvy brides! Looking for new ways to reduce, reuse and recycle? Check out RecycledBride.com, a free marketplace for brides to recycle everything from designer wedding gowns to table decorations, bridesmaid's dresses, shoes, and even wedding gifts.

Founded in 2008 by Tracy DiNunzio, RecycledBride.com is based in Santa Monica, California. "If you have ever been part of a wedding, or plan to be, buying and selling on Recycled Bride helps minimize your carbon footprint and maximize your budget," their website claims.

"Recycled Bride is free and easy to use for both buyers and sellers, with twelve different categories of wedding-related items to choose from. Sellers can sign up to create ads for their items in just moments, and interested buyers will being contacting them immediately through Recycled Bride’s secure e-mailing system. Buyers who wish to receive e-mail alerts about products they’re interested in sign up for our personalized e-mail alerts, plus they can store and share their favourites right in their account."

Why is Recycled Bride so great?

• Their website and blog provide advice, ideas and resources that are eco, budget and stylish conscious.
• The website is free to buy and sell items. High five for no listing fees or commissions!
• Easy to use search engine and e-mail alerts to keep you updated on things you may need.
• Reduces your carbon footprint.

What more can you ask for in honour of Earth Day? For more information on Recycled Bride, click here.

Go Green . . . With Center Pieces!

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The Modern Bride's Guide to a Green Wedding

In celebration of Earth Day, Simply Sophisticated Events is GOING GREEN this month on our blog. We only have one important tip for you today . . . if there's one green thing you can do for your next event or wedding, it should be to pick up a copy of WedVert.

WedVert is a new magazine that provides wedding resources focusing on green efforts.

"We have been praised as a leader in the green wedding space and without sacrificing beauty, we continue to value the importance of saving money, offering unique tips that cater to both an elegant and budget-friendly affair," they say on their website.

WedVert covers everything from helpful tips from green experts, eco-friendly venues, carbon neutral photography resources, reusable and recycled decor, organic bakeries and caterers and so much more.

Need some additional inspiration? Check out their Real Weddings section to find like minded brides who put their green foot forward to plan an environmentally friendly wedding.

Check out their website at http://portovert.com/ and tell us, what are you planning to do to keep your next event green?

Planning an Eco-Friendly Affair

It seems that everyone is going green these days so we thought it would be a great idea to share some tips on how to make your next party an eco-friendly event. Keeping modest budgets in mind, here are our tips to creating a green event:

1. 
   Start with invitations. Instead of paper invitations, try free online services such as Evite.com to send out your party announcement. For those that really love the idea of a paper invitation, look for recycled paper options.
   Want to take your new tree-hugging lifestyle one step farther?  Check out what the folks over at InvitationTwist.ca have to offer. Their eco-friendly seeded invitations (that's right, you can plant them in your garden) are an innovative way to reduce, reuse and recycle and, they won't break the bank either.
   
   
2. Ask your guests to reduce their carbon footprint by carpooling to your shin dig. Better yet, if they live close by, ask them to bike or walk to your house.
   
   
3. Buy organic food if possible and remember to compost.
   
   
4. Rather than using paper plates and plastic cutlery, consider using your regular everyday plates and silverware. We know it's crazy to think that you'll have to wash all of those dishes or use more water with the dishwasher but, trust us, boycotting the paper and plastic will reduce unnecessary waste.
   
   
5. Set the mood of the party with different lighting options. Dim the lights and place candles all over the house to create a cool lounge type vibe. Can't live without your light switch turned on? Try switching your bulbs to LED lights and think about how much energy you'll be saving.

The sky is the limit when thinking of ways to be more eco-friendly. Your challenge this weekend, should you choose to accept it, is to think of more ways you can make your next event an eco-friendly affair.
Tell us, how are you saving the environment one party at a time?

Eco-Chic April Weddings in Honour of Earth Day

Celebrated annually on April 22, Earth Day is the largest, most celebrated environmental event around the world. Earth Day provides an opportunity for Canadians to get involved in the cause to take care of our environment. Simply Sophisticated Events deeply supports this cause and it's because of Earth Day, that we are dedicating the month of April to honour Earth Day by sharing tips on how to make your next wedding an eco-friendly affair. Stay tuned this month for articles on how to be green when planning weddings, showers and other special events.

Did you know that more than 6 million Canadians join events and projects to
address local environmental issues each year?

To learn more about Earth Day Canada please click here.

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