Eco wedding – pure beeswax candles

Thank you to Cate at QueenB for sharing this lovely post on lighting up your wedding naturally with  beeswax candles.

We’re pretty spoiled for choice on things to write about at Queen B, but I have to say that one of my greatest delights is when our customers share photographs with us of their events and we can see our hand-crafted beauties doing their thing.

It’s one thing to use candles at a wedding or event, it is another thing entirely to use completely natural beeswax candles with their unique golden light (not to mention that your guests don’t have to breathe in toxic fumes all night)… that simple choice will not just create a special ambiance  but you’re also supporting bees, our beekeepers, the regional communities they live in, jobs at Queen B… not to mention the environment and planet!  One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.  Wedding… becomes eco wedding… luxury wedding… different… special!

While my raison d’étre may be hand-crafting natural, non-toxic, carbon neutral, eco candlelight, we are fortunate that our candles appeal just as much to the luxury end of the market as they do to the conscious or eco consumer… not that they’re mutually exclusive!
Anyway, I thought it might be nice to share some of the photographs from events we’ve lit.  A picture speaks a thousands words (and, often, so do I!).  These photographs are from a wedding held at The Wharf in Sydney.  Flowers by

For this wedding, the candles were used in two ways:

• Ambience – rising to the challenge of creating a warm, romantic, intimate ambience in a huge warehouse space, our 8-9hr tealight candles were placed in mini-fishbowls at each guest’s place setting and dotted along the windowsill around the venue.  NB putting candles into a glass not only provides wind protection but the glass reflects more light… giving you more bang for your hard earned buck.
• Queen B beeswax tealight candles at each guest’s place and dotted along the windowsill of the venue Queen B pure beeswax 8-9hr tealight candles are the longest burning tealights on the market… so the ambience goes on and on.

The sea of beeswax candles created a lovely light feature table for this eco luxury wedding created a beautiful impact

Create a sea of beeswax candlelight with the clever use of fishbowls, hurricanes, plinths, tealight holders, votive glasses etc
Creating a candle feature at your eco wedding or event is a high impact way of creating instant ambiance 

A sea of candlelight feature table – our bride wanted to create a sea of candles as a feature at the event.  This was cleverly achieved on a budget by using large fishbowls, glass plinths, tealight holders and votive holders along with various sizes of candles to create the look.  The flickering of the flames reflecting off the glass holders of different sizes and shapes created the look of hundreds of candle flames.

A few tips for creating this look:

• most good florists will have glassware that they can lend/hire to you for the evening rather than purchasing it.
• if you’re having an event at home or not using a florist for your event, hire glasses (lowballs or highballs) as another cheap way of creating this look without breaking the bank
• otherwise, most thrift stores have a huge range of glassware for sale… I’ve lit an event before where I bought over 150 glasses for 50c each and then dropped them back the next day.  That’s a win win!  And the different sizes, shapes and heights of the glasses create a beautiful look… if that’s the look you’re going for!… it’s not the luxury eco wedding look, but it is a lovely look!

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How to plan an eco friendly wedding

Often couples who plan an eco friendly wedding want to demonstrate to their family and friends, that they care about the environment and the impact that a large event like this creates and that this is the lifestyle they have chosen for themselves. But for any couple interested in planning a natural wedding, it's a good idea to start with a different frame of mind.

Most importantly - Don't Stress! Trying to make your wedding completely eco friendly may be overwhelming, but by choosing the important parts to “green up” can make all the difference. It’s not just about being the most eco friendly, it’s about working in the right direction to make a difference. In the end knowing that you have made an effort to protect the planet, is well worth it.

Here are a few eco friendly planning tips to help you get started:

Choosing A Venue

One of the first steps in wedding planning is choosing a venue. A truly sustainable ceremony might take place in a venue powered by solar panels and illuminated by light-emitting diode (LED) lighting, and wiped down afterwards with eco friendly cleaning products. When scouting out venues, ask how the facility handles food and drink, table settings and trash, to see if it’s done in an eco friendly way.

The best caterers for a sustainable wedding, minimise waste of resources and use locally sourced ingredients.

A list of questions to ask might be:

• Do they recycle paper, plastics, cans and glass if it can’t be done on-site. 
• Do they offer local and organic food choices. 
• Do they serve food on reusable dish ware that’s washed and reused after the event. 
• Can you provide utensils like palm leaf plates that are biodegradable in an approved commercial composting facility. 
• Do they provide condiments, beverages, sides and other items without individual packaging. 
• Do they donate left-over food scraps to an agency like OzHarvest , Second Bite , FareShare , Food Bank or other organisations that support the homeless by distributing surplus food. 

Virtual invites

Before any of this can happen, you have to alert your friends and family to your upcoming nuptials with an invitation. If you’re planning a sustainable wedding, that can mean breaking with tradition.

For traditional weddings, “the invitation is really what sets the tone for the event, often employing the upcoming wedding’s colours and motif. But more and more green-minded couples are dispensing with printed save-the-date notices and formal printed wedding invitations. One eco friendly alternative is the online invitation website Evite, which offers about 50 free wedding/engagement announcement designs that can be customised with the couple’s event information and sent out to their friends and family via email and Facebook. The guest list is updated in real time; you can opt to be notified when guests RSVP or comment, and can export your guest list to an Excel spreadsheet for easy access.

The Wedding Dress

These days, eco friendly wedding dresses are becoming more and more popular thanks to the popularity that is building on the importance of planning an eco friendly type of wedding. There are a number of wedding dress designers worldwide, who showcase a variety of wedding dresses to choose from whether you are tall and lean, voluptuous and short, petite and slim. Because of this, choices for environment friendly pieces have become aplenty, making it more competitive with non eco friendly dresses. An eco friendly fabric is charmeuse which combines hemp and silk to give a lovely sheen and wonderful drape. Hemp is grown without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers and wild peace silk are cocoons that are harvested only after the moths have emerged. You can find made to order dresses using this fabric at Threadhead Creations on Etsy.

The least expensive and best green option is considering a second hand gown or those dresses that are being passed from one generation to another. You may need to do a little cleaning or alterations, but a second hand gown is always the best way to stay sustainable on your wedding day. If you think these dresses are going to be cheap or tacky, think again. Websites like Preowned Wedding Dresses sell designer dresses like Vera Wang and Monique Lhuillier (which retail at up to $15,000) for half price, and sometimes even less.

The Bridesmaid Dress

Bridesmaids may wear dresses they had already purchased for some other occasion or bought at vintage shops. These days there are no rules as to what to wear especially if you have the environment in mind while planning your green wedding.

The Grooms Attire

Both Groom and groomsmen are encouraged to rent rather than buy tuxedos unless the Groom is sure he will get a lot of further use out of it. If your groom has his own kind of style why not consider putting together a second hand ensemble from a thrift or vintage store.

Flowers

When you look at generations gone by, your grandmother would have chosen flowers that were handy. Give your florist a general style and colour scheme, and any flowers that you dislike, but generally allow them flexibility so they can use what's in season and readily available locally. Though local choices may be limited, it’s easy to be creative. Think out of the box and incorporate things like herbs, fruits and even vegetables, using whatever is fresh you can create an interesting and eco friendly arrangement. Being conscious of the season when planning the date can also create a positive impact. If your heart is set on a certain species choose to get married at the time of the year that particular flower will be in season. Just because strawberries are available year-round doesn't mean they taste great all year, the same goes for flowers. For something really different you could get crafty and make your bouquet out of fabric and buttons as shown on our blog.

Transportation

Carbon dioxide levels are now at 400 parts per million so consider using low-carbon transportation when the big day arrives by searching for a green alternative to your standard limo company or you could hire a Nissan Leaf or Toyota Prius to make a real eco statement. Inspire guests to leave their cars at home and hop on a bus or train instead of taking a taxi. If you simply can't arrange sustainable transport you can offset your emissions - Easy Being Green offer an all-in-one wedding carbon neutral package.

The Decor

There's no doubt that ensuring your guests are dazzled by your choice of decor, is a huge part of creating the atmosphere for your reception. Get creative, there are so many simple things you can do, even if you don't have a lot of time, rather than depleting the earth’s resources by purchasing your decor, many couples choose to rent them instead, from places such as lovestruckweddings.com.au

The Gift Registry

What on Earth do you wish for? To avoid the waste of unwanted or unnecessary gifts register for gifts that wont hurt the environment. Biome Eco Stores is a Home Body Lifestyle store that has the Planet in mind.

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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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Volunteer vacation honeymoon - for the intrepid couple

Once the wedding is over, of course you want to relax, but if you're the intrepid sort you'll find that a volunteer vacation for your honeymoon will be valued as a precious memory to start your marriage together and there's no better cultural immersion than to earn respect working side by side with locals who need your help.

The options are endless, pick a trip that you're passionate about and leave the land, animals or people better off than before you arrived. The bonus is you may find you take away more from your volunteer vacation honeymoon that you bargained for.

Thailand volunteer vacation & hilltribe treck - from $1742 AUD 15 Days

Asia -Thailand

Experience the diversity of Thailand on an adventure that includes hill-tribe trekking in the North, beach time in the South and life-changing volunteer projects on a pristine Andaman island. You’ll make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged children as you pitch in at the local school, and after a rewarding day, you can really immerse yourself in the island lifestyle as nights are spent in a beach side homestay. Then trade the beach for the hills and a chance to trek to resilient hilltribe villages.

Highlights: Giving back through a volunteer vacation with a school and community projects, experiencing local life in a homestay, blissing out in Khao Sok National Park, visiting a community tourism project on Koh Pra Thong, trekking small hilltribe villages and fields.

Explore & Cambodia Laos - from $1050 AUD 13 Days

Asia - Thailand, Cambodia, Laos

Spend time on your volunteer vacation honeymoon with one of our projects in Laos and Cambodia and you'll take away so much more than souvenirs or photographs—you'll engage the local community with building and education initiatives. And you’ll still have the opportunity to explore incredible ruins at Angkor Wat and experience French influences in riverside cafés. Whether you're marveling at stunning scenery, Buddhist monasteries or the face of a smiling child, this journey will allow you to dig deep into the people and culture of South East Asia.

Highlights: Volunteer vacations with New Hope Cambodia in Siem Reap, meeting workers of a local NGO in Luang Prabang, marvelling at the magnificent temples of Angkor Wat, enjoying a local homestay, relaxing in the riverside town of Vang Vieng.

Zambia volunteer vacation & safari - from $1599 AUD14 days

Africa - Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa

For travelers eager to give a little something back to the world that’s given them so much, Zambia needs you! This adventurous trip across three countries combines an authentic safari odyssey through national parks in search of the Big Five with time spent working on volunteer projects that benefit the people and animals of the region. Walk with rhinos and gain personal insight into the culture of the Shangaan people one day, participate in the Livingstone community volunteer program the next. Karma—it’s the ultimate travel rewards program.

Highlights: Your volunteer vacation at a Livingstone community project, Spotting the Big Five in Kruger National Park, gazing out across Victoria Falls, walking in search of rhinos and searching for wildlife from a 4x4 in Matobo National Park, witnessing Shangaan traditions, discovering the less-visited Zimbabwe.

Volunteer vacation in Peru Amazon - from $1399 AUD9 days

South America - Amazon, Peru

Experience the Peruvian Amazon on this exciting and hands-on jungle adventure. Travel by motorised canoe up the Tambopata River to the G Lodge Amazon. Spend five days of your volunteer vacation at a centre for the rehabilitation and conservation of wild animals. Work alongside staff to feed and take care of animals so they can be successfully released back to their natural habitats. Next, spend two days in the rainforest learning about traditional medicinal plants, spotting birds, cayman and monkeys.

Highlights: Your volunteer vacation in the Amazon with the rehabilitation and conservation of animals, exploring the jungle and searching for wildlife.

Voluteer honeymoon China – Pandas - from $1827 AUD14 days

Asia - China

This unique itinerary introduces the highlights of the Middle Kingdom — from the historic gems of modern Beijing to the ancient walls of Xi'an and cosmopolitan glitter of contemporary Shanghai while allowing you to give back to the community at the same time. From the palaces and temples of Beijing venture to the countryside to experience the grandeur of the Great Wall and work with intellectually challenged youth at a unique organic farm centre designed to offer employment opportunities and training to intellectually challenged people. In Xi'an witness the world-famous Terracotta Warriors, in Chengdu indulge in the culinary spice that is Sichuan cuisine and volunteer at the largest panda reserve in the world to help ensure these distinctly Chinese icons are around for future generations to admire.

Highlights: A volunteer vacatiuon at a rural organic farm and working with the local community, coming face-to-face with pandas at the Bifengxia Panda Center, exploring the bustling markets and streets of China's biggest cities, hiking along the Great Wall, standing in the middle of Tiananmen Square and meeting the Terracotta Warriors.

For even more adventurous volunteer vacation honeymoon ideas visit the Great Adventure website.

Don't forget to create your eco friendly gift registry at Biome Eco Stores so you are sure to receive eco friendly gifts that you actually want and that are useful to you.

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Eco Friendly wedding dress

Eco-conscious brides-to-be will know that when planning a natural wedding, there are several issues to address, but the wedding dress will most likely be one of the biggest considerations on their list.

Here are some fun and somewhat green wedding dress ideas from natural brides who have taken the plunge down the aisle.

This 'natural bride' is a fashion designer. She and her 'natural groom' had joked over the years that they’d get married once they collected enough bread tags to cover a dress, a feat which prompted family and friends to join in the collection to speed things along. The multicolored green wedding dress was made of 10,000 bread tags collected over ten years. 

Treating the tags like scales, she created an overlapping pattern, which also disguised the stitching. The 10,000 plastic tags were sewn with her sewing machine onto a cotton base fabric with a corset underneath. All in all, the fifteen pound green wedding dress only cost $36 but took her hundreds of hours to make. Each tag bears a “best by” date, bringing back memories of their time together over the years. Now that's commitment!

Talk about popping the question!

This Canadian bride wore an eco friendly wedding dress made out of 13 feet of bubble wrap as she walked down the aisle. The green wedding dress used over 13 meters of re-used packing material that was put together by pupils and parents from her school for a fashion show featuring recyclable materials. This green wedding dress is made from sheets of carefully stitched bubble wrap, attached to an inner cloth lining, and finished off with white foam packaging material.

The bride remarked "There was quite a lot of popping as I walked down the aisle, I was very nervous, but having the bubbles to pop, really helped calm my nerves".

 Wool you marry me?  

Little Bo-peep would be jealous of this dress.

When this breeder of rare sheep, decided to get married in a green wedding dress made of the wool from her beloved Lincoln Longwool sheep, she wanted "to prove that wool is not just something for knitting baby booties, and that native breeds can have just as big a presence today as in the past."

This green wedding dress took a spinner and dressmaker 67 hours to make. "But it was worth it", said the groom who wore a wool waistcoat. In keeping with the theme, she had a shepherds crook, and the ring cushion was made of fleece. They are obviously a tight-knit couple.

Follow the paper trail

This amazing green wedding dress was made with only toilet paper, tape and glue inspired by "Gone With the Wind" and Japanese Origami.

It's clear to see that you can be as creative as you like when creating your green wedding dress but the most popular choice when planning a natural wedding would be to find a pre-loved dress.

Don't forget to create your eco friendly gift registry at Biome Eco Stores so you are sure to receive eco friendly gifts that you actually want and that are useful to you.

For more info on how to create an eco friendly wedding dress visit www.naturalweddings.com.au

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Green event

Planning a natural wedding or green event is not only about responsibility to the environment, it’s also about love. Your love for each other, your love for family and friends and your love for the Earth. Your wedding is a great opportunity to affect your extended family and friends by making earth conscious decisions that enhance the natural beauty of the setting. 

Just as we have an impact on the environment in which we live, the environment also has an impact on us. In nature we experience the beauty and organic wildness of the earth, which has a measurably positive effect on our psychological and physical well-being when we cater a green event. 

photo credit: Jose Villa

 Save time, resources and money by finding a vendor you can hire your natural touches from, for your green event.

you can hire these and many more pre-loved items from lovestruckweddings.com.au for your green event.

Make your own decorations from materials that you already have around the house. Ask friends and family to donate fabrics that fit your theme. They'll love to see their old dress hanging as bunting on the day of your green event.

 Or you can find lots of hand made decorations on etsy.com like these beer can stars for your green event.

Ask your friends and family for Earth friendly gifts that are useful to you by registering for your 

eco friendly gifts at biome.com.au 

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