Does planning a wedding need to be a nightmare

Planning a wedding whether it be a natural wedding or otherwise can be stressful but once you get your priorities straight, it really needn't be that way. We need to stop confusing weddings with crafty business. Weddings have become a linear experience in many cultures, when in reality it's up to you how it happens.  If you want a simple wedding, don't succumb to the pressure of society like the example of this video (funny though it may be) and make sure you only include what is important to you rather than giving in to societal pressures.

Of course you want to be considerate about the beliefs of your family and friends but as the video blatantly shows, it can be a losing battle if you don't take things into your own hands.

For more natural wedding tips and vendors in your area, check out our Natural Weddings website.

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Five Ways to Make your Wedding Eco Friendly

Save money and reduce your impact on our precious planet by planning a your wedding with the environment in mind! Here is our top five ways to make sure your wedding is eco friendly plus some essential bride resources to help you plan the perfect green wedding as you go.  

DIY as much as possible

OK so you may not have time or the creativity to make the wedding favours or decorations yourself, and that is why etsy has become so popular, but if you are the type who loves to cut, paste, arrange and create then an eco style wedding will be perfect for you.

The key to stress-free handmade creations is to ensure you plan the decorations early in the piece. They often take more time than you think, and tend to become stressful and unsuccessful when made under pressure!

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

To reduce is one of main principles of sustainability. When you are planning your decorations, invitations, wedding dress, floral arrangements, catering, transportation and even your wedding and engagement rings think about re-using as much as you possibly can. You will find so much inspiration on sites like Pinterest for unique ways to re-use things like  milk bottles or Ball mason jars for vases and drinks.

Remember to recycle as much as you possibly can to avoid landfill. If you have ever been involved in a wedding you’ll know what an impact it can have on the environment. Everything from paper products to transport to food all begin to add up in the days leading to the big event and on the day itself.
Compost the food scraps by using a Bokashi bin. Use compostable plates to lessen the amount going to landfill. Give away your re-cycled glass vases and drink vessels as wedding favours. Think about everything you are using and how it can be re-used after the festivities. One couple I know used strips of long hessian fabric as their table runners and then re-used them as a weed barrier in their veggie garden.

What about choosing a pre-loved wedding dress? There is such a diverse range of pre-loved wedding gowns, bridesmaids dresses, formal wear, flower girls and page boy outfits and accessories as well as mother of the bride dresses available now days, you've got to ask yourself if it's worth spending such a large portion of your budget on your wedding attire when you only wear it once. Take a look at what's on offer before you make a decision on what you will wear. Once the ceremony is over, you can re-sell it again for another thrifty eco-bride to wear.

Go Local 

Ask your caterer where they source their fresh produce from. If they are an organic catering company chances are they buy local, and local is always best for the environment. It's also a good idea to think about where your beer and wine are coming from. There are so many local craft breweries and organic vineyards these days that it's easy to provide your guests with the best varieties on offer. We provide a list of organic beer and wine on natural weddings to help you find your local suppliers.

Making your own floral bouquets from local growers is easy by visiting the flower markets in your area, or simply ask your green thumbed friends and neighbors if you can buy or pick from their gardens. Keeping it simple is the key to natural wedding flowers these days.

Vegan and Organic is Always Best!

You may not be vegan or even vegetarian, but choosing a menu without any animal products is key to reducing your environmental footprint. Of course you will come up against the usual complaints of 'where's the meat' but if you find a good organic vegetarian caterer, chances are no-one will even notice it's missing. At least try to incorporate some vegetarian meals into the menu. Don't forget about the cake, it too can be a vegan wedding cake without anyone noticing. Make an appointment for a taste test before you rule it out as a possibility.

Ask for Help

Be creative and think out of the box when choosing the style for your natural green wedding and utilize students, friends and family members for their unique skills! Just remember when you are asking friends and family for their assistance, it is important to share the jobs around so that no one person is over-worked to the extent that they don’t enjoy the festivities. Use your imagination and don’t underestimate their crafty talents. 

You can use local high school students for your ceremony music, hold crafting parties to create the wedding decorations, and ask your guests to Instagram your wedding. Friends and family usually love to be involved in making your day extra special. You'll find the more memorable details are not always the expensive ones. 

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Unique wedding reception ideas for your natural wedding

Are you looking for a unique wedding reception idea for your natural wedding? How about putting your guests to work to peddle their own smoothie using 100% certified organic ingredients and South American superfoods from Loving Earth with the guys from The Smoothie Cycle?

Superfood smoothies are simply delicious and extrememly good for you!

Brooke & Robbie first fell in love with Smoothies during their journeys through Latin America. Smoothie stalls were plentiful selling delicious fresh fruit concoctions. This is where their inspiration for The Smoothie Cycle came from. They have found that combining the wonderful South American street food aesthetic with their love for feeding people, completes their dedication to a green and sustainable life.

Brooke & Robbie describe themselves as self sufficient smoothie makers!

For a completely unique wedding idea how about offering your guests the opportunity to use pedal power to make their own smoothie using a up-cycled bicycle designed by Robbie to create all kinds of delicious smoothies using seasonal fruits, nuts, seeds, cacao, cinnamon, cardamon, honey, agave, juice, mesquite, chia seeds, maca, yoghurt, and a milk option to accommodate all diets. 

All smoothies are pedal powered which makes them taste awesome, plus they are carbon neutral!

For more info contact Brooke and Robbie at the Smoothie Cycle

A self sufficient smoothie maker! It simply makes me smile ;)

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How about a deliciously healthy fruit and veggie bar for your green wedding?

Candy or lolly bars have been very popular of late, but how about a 

gorgeous healthy, fruity buffet at your green wedding or next green event?

Imagine this set up at your wedding complete with a signature cocktail. 

 Watermelon served cold makes a deliciously fresh appetizer 

to keep guests entertained and happy at the reception.

What a deliciously simple idea! 

Even your floral arrangements can be from the veggie garden!

Planning your natural wedding with the environment in mind is simple with 

some fresh, local organic ingredients. Especially here in Australia.

Thank you to Serena Grace for these gorgeous photos.

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Large Functions in Australia Contribute to 1.3 billion Tonnes of Food Wasted Each Year!

An Australian wedding calls for large-scale preparation of food with lavish menus being the order of the day, which can also result in large amounts of food wastage. When planning large scale events, whether it be for a wedding, private function or corporate event, choose a restaurant, function centre or venue that considers food waste, and reduces it where possible.

By working closely with caterers and event staff, your celebration can also be a an environmental success by reducing the waste simply by asking them to provide the leftovers to OzHarvest, Second Bite,FareShare, Food Bank or other organisations that support the homeless by distributing surplus food.

Planning food volumes with your caterer makes them aware of your concerns and together you will be able to minimise the amount of food wasted. It's important that you factor in the number of guests attending and communicate these details properly to your caterer. That way, they can get the number and quantity of food as close as possible.

A good caterer will know how to minimise portions not options. Most people can't eat more than 500g of food for dinner. A buffet with too much variety means that people can't sample everything whereas an a la carte menu can mean less wastage as the portions can be controlled and the options are limited.
When planning your menu consider sourcing lower environmental impact food choices, for example, you can use the Australian Marine Conservation Society’s Sustainable Seafood Guide.

Some other ideas are to plan your menu around what's in season at the time of your event and use local produce as much as possible which will help reduce the packaging and transporting the food vast distances.

Think Eat Save is an anti-food waste and food loss campaign that encourages you to reduce your foodprint. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), every year 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted. At the same time, one in every seven people in the world go to bed hungry and more than 20,000 children under the age of five die every day of hunger. Think Eat Save encourages people to become more aware of the environmental impact of the food choices they make and take informed decisions. Think Eat Save provides great advice on their website on how to reduce your food waste.

Another great resource is Love Food Hate Waste.

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Green catering

We are all aware of how much waste a large event like a wedding can create.  Now there is no need to feel guilty when you entertain.  Whether it be for an elegant natural wedding or a rustic family BBQ at Biome Eco Friendly Stores you can find many choices that will suit your style and budget.

The Wasara range (pictured above) is perfect for a natural wedding with 100% biodegradable and compostable single use tableware that is produced sustainably from bamboo, reed and bagasse pulp. The delicate appearance resembles a fine porcelain. It makes an ideal green catering disposable option for posh parties, picnics natural weddings and green events.

At Biome Eco Stores you will find small, medium and large plates, bowls and cutlery.

Prices range from $11.95-19.95 for packs of 10 pieces.

View the Wasara green catering range at www.biome.com.au

Green Bean eco friendly dinnerware is a collection of stylish single-use products for serving food that is made of  Balsa wood. It has a smart contemporary look and feel, and comprises of plates, cutlery, skewers, party picks, chopsticks and cones. The Green Bean green catering range is disposable, biodegradable and compostable. green catering prices are available when you order over 100 of each item although 1 month lead time may be necessary.

At Biome Eco Stores you will find small, medium and large plates,  small, medium and large bowls, cones, serving cups and cutlery. Prices range from $7.50-19.95 for packs of 10 pieces.

View the Green Bean green catering range at www.biome.com.au

These budget friendly Palm leaf plates are made from the naturally shed palm leaf sheath. These biodegradable plates are sturdy, leak proof and can withstand hot and cold temperatures, including baking food and microwave. The rustic nature of these plates and bowls make the perfect addition to any green catering event, family picnic or BBQ or any occasion when you are catering outdoors. They can be washed and used again for a limited time depending on how they are used and they make the perfect alternative to plastic and paper plates anywhere, anytime. When you're done you can just pop them into the compost heap instead of sending them to landfill.

Biome Eco Stores stock dinner plates, small side plates and small round bowls (as pictured above). Prices range from $12.95-15.95 for packs of 25 pieces. 

View the green catering Palm leaf plates at www.biome.com.au

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