Bed, Breakfast and Beer

Recently we had the pleasure of visiting a charming cottage that was a converted dairy near Casino Northern New South Wales. When we arrived we were greeted by our hosts Margaret & Laurence with a loaf of fresh baked bread accompanied by three small jars of home prepared preserves from their garden. There was also a lovely basket full of fresh veggies and a large vase of fresh herbs also from their garden along with home baked brownies and Anzac biscuits.

We found the cabin on Airbnb which is perfect for anyone searching for a romantic getaway or secluded honeymoon destination. This charming 'eco cabin' is the perfect couples retreat, featuring one bedroom with kitchen, fireplace and a veranda overlooking a herd of cows, charming herb garden and rustic bathroom with rainwater shower & composting toilet. It's a simple retreat although it bursts with the comforts of home.

Laurence & Margaret's goal in life is to be sustainable by tending to their garden where they grow their own vegetables including garlic and ginger, as well as fruit trees which they pickle and preserve. Their home baked bread is perfectly soft in the center and crunchy on the outside. They also raise chooks (eggs) and cattle (beef) - who roam free range and live happy lives on their 200 acre farm.

The charming bed came complete with a mosquito net which was more of a necessity than a romantic touch. The native leaf tail geckos were busy catching moths and other creepy crawlies in the kitchen, but I have to admit I was happy to be covered with a mozzie net as we slept. This is truly a rustic cabin experience! 

Taking a tour of the property with Laurence (and the two dogs, Joan & Patch) was most enlightening as he explained how they were living off the land in the most sustainable way possible. He & Margaret not only grow most of their own food they have recycled almost everything including their home which is an old school house from the nearby town of Mummulgum where Margaret went to school. The Eco Dairy has also been renovated in the most rustic and sustainable of ways, using wood and other materials off the land and surrounding areas.

We had the pleasure of tasting another of Lawrence's hobbies. He is quite the craft brewer making a delightfully light and tasty beer. We spent an afternoon watching the sun go down over the mountain range sipping his crafty brew and tasting even more of Margaret's home made delights.

This stand of trees is quite an anomaly, they have stood in a completely straight line for over 80 years. There is no explanation for this phenomena. At least no one has been able to figure it out yet.

Do yourself a favour and leave your mobile phone at home (they wont work anyway). Activities at the farm can include doing absolutely nothing - reading, relaxing, listening to the birdlife, bushwalking or a maybe a four wheel drive guided tour to the bordering World Heritage Rainforest walks which can be arranged with your host, Laurence. Day trips to Byron Bay, Nimbin or Tenterfield are another way to spend the day, although taking advantage of the peace and quite is well advised. 

Getting around

There is no public transport at Theresa Creek. Having a car will allow you freedom to explore the surrounding area, however if you are flying or arriving by train and do not wish to hire a car your hosts are able to collect you from the airport /station for an extra cost.

Nearest airport: 

Lismore (40minutes) 

Byron/Ballina (1 hr 20minutes) 

Grafton (1hr 20 minutes) 

Goldcoast (1 hr 50 minutes) 

Brisbane (3hrs)

Nearest train station: 

Casino (25 minutes)

For booking information log into AirBnB and search for Eco Dairy cabin at Theresa Creek.

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Eco Brides Wedding Fair

The Eco Wedding Fair is being held in Brisbane on Sunday the 29th of June 2014 at Spring Food & Wine. This is the first wedding fair of its kind in Australia! The creators of the gorgeous Eco Bride magazine are hosting the Eco Wedding Fair to show case some of the most innovative eco-chic suppliers that the country has to offer. 

We will be displaying our gorgeous green wedding items like compostable dinnerware, chalkboard signs, wedding lanterns, vintage milk bottles, Ball Mason jars and much more. We hope you will be able to join us .

For more information contact Lea at  hello@ecobrides.com.au
and don't forget to LIKE their Facebook page for updates on the Eco Wedding Fair.

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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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Wedding lanterns can help set the scene for your natural wedding.

Give your wedding reception a romantic look with natural paper wedding lanterns. 

The heart patterns shining through these paper lanterns (paper-bag luminaries illuminated by votive candles) provide a natural touch when you group your wedding lanterns in different sizes on the guest-book table or dinner tables for a beautiful, glowing display.  Set the beeswax candles in heavy round glass votive holders to help anchor the bags and prevent any accidents.

At Biome Eco Stores we have a lovely selection of wedding lanterns to help set a natural theme.

Choose from the following styles: 

Set the scene with these just married paper votive kits

Your guests will know they have arrived with these WELCOME paper votive kits

Square paper hurricane luminary - hearts in small or large

Add flowers to create a natural paper vase with these square paper hurricane luminary - set of 3

Japanese-style luminary candle bags in sets of 2 provide a rustic look

Don't forget to use Beeswax candles as they are carbon neutral!

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How to Instagram your wedding in sustainable style!

Gone are the days of wasteful disposable cameras being placed on each table at the reception for guests to take photos. The concept of inviting your guests to get involved might have been good, but the waste was so last millennium! Now days you can get everyone involved while saving precious resources using Instagram! It's a great way to share everyone's experience of your special day.

 

Create a specific hashtag # (that hasn't been used before) to view shots only from your day. Provide your guests with the 'tag' on a blackboard so they type your tag on their Instagram photos, your photos will be tagged specifically so that everyone can view photos from your special day with your unique tag.

If you are less inclined to pick a hashtag for your wedding day another option is to create a set profile that people can follow and also tag photos to. If you already have an Instagram profile, simply log out and create a new account with a title related to your wedding day. Provide guests with your unique tag to tag the photos they take.

Other ways to integrate Instagram into your wedding are a low budget photobooth option. Use an iPad to  let your guests take photos. The larger screen will make it easy to see and there is always the option for retaking photos that you don’t like. You can create a DIY background or simply rent a backdrop, rather than spending a lot of money on an actual photobooth. Using hashtags or uploading the photos directly to a wedding profile will give your guests something to search for or follow when the celebrations are over.

You can also run a slideshow of the Instagram photos  at your wedding reception with your hashtag by using the Evenstagram app.

Even though everyone has a camera in their pockets these days, I still believe in hiring a professional wedding photographer. They are professionals after all, and a good one should capture you in your best light and help you to remember the mood of your gorgeous green wedding.

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Wedding fashion with compassion - finding the perfect shoes

Have you been searching for the perfect wedding shoes for your natural wedding? Are you finding it hard to find an ethical pair that is made with compassion?

How about these beauties made from cork embroidered in white cotton?  The inner is made from breathable anti-allergy microfiber. These shoes are ecological, and manufactured in Portugal with a CO2 free manufacturing system. The Insole is paperboard agglomerate and microfiber lined. 

Ethical grooms shoes are also available. These shoes are not leather but are made from waterproof and breathable Microfiber, antibacterial,  washable (up to 60º), light and extremely tough. The lining is made from breathable anti-allergy microfiber, the same ecological, CO2 free manufacturing system has been used in the manufacturing. The insole is made from paperboard agglomerate and they are microfiber lined with the sole being 40% recycled rubber.

Whatever your style, NAE (No Animal Exploitation) shoes provide shoes that are made with compassion.

For more ideas and ethical products to help you plan your natural weddings visit Biome's Green Wedding pages for more inspiration.

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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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