A Few Innovative Ideas to Make Your Wedding Friendly to Mother Earth by Bethany Ramos

More and more couples these days are becoming eco-conscious in their everyday decisions, which becomes even more important and relevant when planning a wedding. If you dream of a beautiful wedding to your Prince Charming that also benefits Mother Earth, here are a few ideas for inspiration:

• Invitations: It helps to look for recycled paper as material for your wedding invitations since we all know that a full-blown wedding invitation package can generate quite a lot of wasted paper, such as the save-the-date cards, invitations, RSVP cards, registry cards, envelopes, and more. Luckily, there are quite a few choices in recycled invitations that also have a beautiful and earthy look to them if you are going for a natural theme for your wedding.

• Flowers: Aren’t flowers natural already? That may not necessarily be the case since many beautiful wedding flowers are actually imported, causing them to have a serious carbon footprint. Unless the flowers are organic, they are also grown with chemical pesticides that pollute the environment. Your best choice in securing beautiful floral arrangements for your wedding is to choose organic flowers that are locally grown, or you can even pick some from your own garden for your bouquet or centerpieces!

• Rings: What’s the big deal with buying a beautiful engagement ring and wedding band? The truth is that the mining of gold and silver can actually destroy the land and surrounding ecosystems, but there are quite a few choices in environmentally friendly wedding bands. You can search specifically for eco-friendly gold and silver jewelry, which will give you a better idea of the ecological footprint made by your beautiful diamond ring.

• Honeymoon: The honeymoon is normally the one area where couples go crazy and spend quite a bit of money, but you can be the one to do it differently. There are numerous choices in eco-tourism getaways, where you can hike and enjoy areas of North America, which will also give you a great opportunity to stay fit through biking, hiking, and walking. Make sure to research honeymoons that are off of the beaten path so that you can minimize your carbon emissions by choosing a natural vacation over a cruise or huge resort.

• Food: The last thing that you can do to wrap up your complete environmentally friendly wedding package is to donate your extra food to a soup kitchen. This is a fantastic way to share the love by giving the decadent treats from your reception to those who are not as fortunate as you. This is a fun way to turn your wedding reception into a “feel good” event, and you can also take optional donations for the homeless shelter if you would like!


Bethany Ramos is a professional wedding makeup artist and also works full-time at her website, The Coffee Bump.

For a great selection of the Bodum french press coffee maker, check out Bethany Ramos' website today!

Real Green Weddings: Eating Utensils from Ecoware

http://www.ecowareproducts.com/

Ecoware compostable birch wood cutlery info:

*compostable

*recyclable

*100% natural

*no additives, coatings, or other ingredients

*Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified birch wood

*cheaper than renting flatware/silverware

*unique and charming

*family run company

*Top 5 Best Eco-friendly Product in 2010

*Featured in New York Times

Real Green Wedding Favors from Tree Beginnings

Check out these beautiful sunflower seed favors from Tree Beginnings.

The set comes with:

Sunflower seeds in packet (2 x 2") - hermetically sealed to preserve freshness

Personalized paper card (2 x 2 ") with sunflower graphic

Thank you message

Poem

Growing instructions

Terra Cotta Clay pot

Soil pellet,

Recycled paper brown (3 x 3") box

Your choice of raffia ribbon (oatmeal, yellow, pink, royal blue or forest green- we lucked out and got lavender to match the wedding colors)

Assembly required * video now available by email on how to assemble when order is placed.

Storage:

Seed needs to be stored in a cool (refrigerator), dry place to preserve the viability of the seed prior to assembly no more than 5 days prior to your event.

I think these cute little gift boxes will look very adorable lining the tables like a table runner straight down the middle of the long tables.

What do you think?

Real Green Wedding Invitations from Twisted Limb Paperworls

Check out the gorgeous and so very eco invitations for my mom's wedding.

Aren't they beautiful?

They are from Twisted Limb Paperworks.

Twisted Limb creates handmade invitations from recycled paper.

Check out this description from their site:

Twisted Limb Paperworks is a carbon-neutral production art studio in Bloomington, Indiana. Here we sustainably create our colorful handmade 100% recycled paper using old colored office paper and grocery bags, recycled water, and inclusions of flowers, wildflower seeds, and grass from our lawn.

We received the foldover invitations in lavender and sagebrush.

They have a gorgeous assortment of colors.

Foldover invitation sample

Lavender and Sagebrush color samples

I am so in love with these invitations.

They make me wish I was getting married again.

Maybe the hubby and I have a vow renewal in our future :-)

Winter Wonderland Wedding Tips

Winter Wedding Wonderland
Advice on how to heat up your winter wedding

The weather outside is frightful, but that doesn’t mean your wedding can’t be delightful. Simply Perfect by Melissa has great ideas to turn your wedding day into a winter wonderland. She offers her expert advice on all the essentials of wedding day planning and will help create a wedding that is sure to give you goose bumps.

Here are Melissa’s terrific tips

Décor:

Use oversized crystal vases to hold flowers- the crystal will mimic ice. Another option is to add handing crystals to centerpieces or your ceremony background to add some glimmer.

Candles, candles, and more candles. The winter is perfect for candlelight ambiance. It is warm, inviting, and wonderfully romantic…everything that is needed for a cold evening celebrating love.

Velvet…this is the perfect time of year to use velvet. Your table linens or even the aisle runner are the perfect place to use this lush fabric.

Attire:

Larger ball gowns made of satin are perfect this time of year. They are made of a heavier fabric that is not so good for the summer months. The sheen of satin and the glitz of crystal adornments is perfect for the winter bride.

Gowns with sleeves are also perfect for the winter and they are growing in popularity. For practical reasons, they add warmth…but they also lend themselves well to the season. Sleeves gowns come in a variety of shapes from ball gowns to sheathes.

Bridesmaids look great in deep plums, navy blues, silver/grays, or even doing a bridal party in whites or ivories. These dresses may also have sleeves for the season, or accessorized with fun faux furs or pashminas.

More for pictures…brides are wearing practical footwear when out in the snow taking their pictures. Choose a pair of warm boots to wear and they will add a fun touch to your pictures.

Stationary:

Use thick cardstock with letterpress writing.

Have the invitation etched on acrylic.

Beverages:

Create a signature drink for later in the evening.

Add a warm cocktail to the menu (Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Schnapps, Irish coffee).

About Simply Perfect:

Simply Perfect by Melissa works for and with their customers to deliver exceptional event coordination solutions. The customer focus helps them to understand and deliver your event vision. They offer exceptional service, value, extensive industry knowledge, and quality vendor relationships to create your Simply Perfect event. Their relationships with clients, colleagues, and partners are based on collaboration, communication and integrity. The services Simply Perfect by Melissa offers is a range from complete wedding planning months prior to your wedding day to sudden problems or challenges that occur the day of your wedding

Eco-Friendly Nail Polish from Soulstice Spa

If you are looking for eco-friendly nail polish, either to make your beauty routine a little more green or to give for a gift, then be sure to check out Soulstice Nail Colour.

Soulstice nail colours are gorgeous, modern shades that offer long-lasting colour and shine.

They are 100% vegan and free of DBP, toluene & formaldehyde.

And they are made in the USA.

Here's a list of their shades

Hana - A sheer fairy dust.
Monaco - Delicate, sheer baby pink.
Odessa - Seashell pearl.
Kyoto - Cherry blossom pink with a sheer, silvery shimmer.
Vienna - A sheer lavender with a hint of golden shimmer.
Prague - A rich, honeyed peach.
Paris - A true pink rose.
Geneva - A glossy plum. Urban pop.
London - A vibrant, modern rose.
Rio - Sun-kissed coral shine.
Milan - A sophisticated red-bronze.
Madrid - A passionate red shine.
Buenos Aires - A sultry tango red-orange.
Hong Kong - A polished deep red with a touch of shimmer.
Rome - A classic brick red.
Cassis - Blackberry shine.
Tokyo - Deep plum-bronze.
Kiev - A rich, dark garnet.
Crete - A mythic metallic silver.
Gotham - Black noir.
Glass - A clear shine/topcoat treatment.

Here'a full list of ingredients:

Nail Colour Ingredients:Butyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetate, Nitrocellulose, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate, Phthalic Anhydride/Trimellitic Anhydride/Glycols Copolymer, Isopropyl Alcohol, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Adipic Acid/Fumaric Acid/Phthalic Acid/Tricyclodecane Dimethanol Copolymer, Citric Acid

May Contain:

Titanium dioxide, D&C Red #6 Barium Lake, D&C Red #7 Calcium Lake, D&C Red #34 Calcium Lake, FD&C Yellow #5 Aluminum Lake, D&C Yellow #10 Aluminum Lake, FD&C Blue #1 Aluminum Lake, Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide, Red Iron Oxide, Black Iron Oxide, Guanine, Bismuth Oxychloride, Mica, D&C Violet #2, D&C Red #17, D&C Red #33, D&C Yellow #11, FD&C Blue #1, FD&C Green #3, D&C Green #6, D&C Yellow #10, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate (and) Titanium Dioxide (and) Tin Oxides, Silica (and) Aluminum Powder (and) Iron Oxides, Aluminum Powder, Fragrance

I love that they offer full disclosure of ingredients while making sure that the worst chemicals like formaldehyde and toluene are out of their products.

I had the chance to try their product and I love it. The polish goes on smooth, doesn't stink and lasts a long time without chipping, peeling or fading.

I plan to invest in several more colours from their line.

If you're ready to green your beauty products then I highly recommend Soulstice Nail Colour.

Dermazone O-Plex Acne Treatment System

The Dermazone O-PLEX Acne Treatment System is formulated with natural oregano oil and other natural ingredients to help fight acne without harsh chemicals.

There are three main products in the acne treatment system- the O-PLEX wash, the O-PLEX mist and the O-PLEX control. All three harness the power of natural oregano oil to fight acne. Dermazone calls their oregano oil

the Origanum complex. The Origanum complex helps inhibit P. acne bacteria while retexturing skin's surface. The O-PLEX mist and O-PLEX control both use Lyphazomes to deliver the Origanum complex for long lasting hydration.

In addition to the oregano oil (Origanum complex) the one or all of the O-PLEX products contain: tea tree oil, sweet orange oil, sweet marjoram oil, Egyptian geranium oil, and salicylic acid.

The O-PLEX wash is simple to use just dampen skin and rub in a circular motion over the entire face then rinse. This will help unclog pores and get rid of acne bacteria without drying skin.

The O-PLEX mist treats the skin. To use spray on a cotton pad and apply to face. You may feel a warming sensation. Don't worry it is supposed to do that- however if it becomes uncomfortable rinse with cool water.

The O-PLEX control is the skin lotion- this is to help treat and moisturize the skin.

Some people's skin may be sensitive to the natural oils. I apparently am.

I used it for a couple of days and it made my skin red and very uncomfortable. However my teenage son is able to use it and it has done wonders for his skin.

So it all depends on you and how your skin reacts to the essential oils

Keep reading here.

Unclog Drains Naturally with the Drain Claw

Next time you have a clogged up sink skip the toxic chemicals and reach for The Drain Claw instead.

The Drain Claw is wire tool with a little brush like thing on the end. You can bend and twist the rod inside drains to capture hair and push away other clogs- naturally no harsh chemicals needed. This environmentally friendly claw was developed by a real estate agent so he could keep his bath drains open without using chemicals.

Since the number one culprit of clogged drains is hair this handy little claw is a simple solution. The claw is pushed into the drain, twisted and pulled back up- usually with the offensive hair ball attached. If you bend the tip slightly any other drain clog culprits will be pushed away and the clog cleared.

The Drain Claw can be used on bath sinks, kitchen sinks and bath tubs. Just don't use the claw after you've used toxic chemicals. Ditch the chemicals and just use the claw.

I have to admit when I received The Drain Claw for review I was skeptical. It just appeared to be too simple- as in so simple it wouldn't work. However my husband grabbed it and was immediately fascinated. Being a handy man type of guy he is much more aware of tools, gadgets and how they work. He was actually excited by it. So excited it disappeared from my grasp because he ran off to use it.

And it worked. Fabulously. He couldn't believe how easy it was to use and how effective it was for grabbing the hair balls and unclogging the drains. Needless to say all of our sinks and tubs are now draining effortlessly.

Keep reading here.

Planning a Wedding In Flint, MI

Wow, I am in shock at how much things have changed in the past couple of years. I know the economy has really destroyed Flint but I hadn't realized how much.

It's been a few since years since I planned a wedding in the area- I've been focused on my writing career.

Now my mother is getting married and, of course, I'm her planner.

Well, there's almost nothing bridal related left here- at leats not in the phonebook or on the large wedding planning websites like The Knot.

All of the small bridal shops that used to be around here are gone- the two in Flushing, Nancy's in Grand Blanc (at least it isn't listed anywhere, I'll have to try calling if I can find the old number), and I think there was one in Clio or Mt Morris- either way they are gone too.

All the caterers and cake people are gone, too. The catering is being offered now by the restaurants in town- no more small independent caterers seem to be left.

Even the wedding supply store is gone- they used to sell wedding supplies and offer rentals of arches, fountains and things like that. All gone.

The phone book only lists David's Bridal and one bridal shop in Davison. Some wedding websites list other stores but I know many of them are gone. Most of the wedding websites have nothing.

I guess between the Internet stores and the bad economy everyone moved or just went out of business. It's very sad.

It also makes it very difficult to plan a local wedding when there are no local vendors.

So I'm searching the web for vendors, shops, and everything I need to plan a wedding in the Flint/Burton, Michigan area.

I thought it would be hard to plan a green wedding in Flint- turns out it is almost impossible to plan any wedding in Flint because there's nothing here.

Thankfully I am finding some wonderful green companies online who are willing to sponsor the wedding in exchange for advertising and promotion. I think it's a wonderful arrangement for all of us.

Twisted Limb Paperworks is providing beautiful, eco-friendly invitations and I believe the Tender Seed Company is providing the favors.

And we are receiving compostable cutlery from Birchware Wooden Utensils.

So we still need: plates, napkins, bowls, cups, tablecloths, decorations, a cake, catering (we are thinking about going DIY).

We also still need wedding attire for the bridesmaid, flower girl, ring bearer, and my oldest son who is walking my mom down the aisle. I'm not sure about the best man. I think the bride and groom decided on what they plan to wear- maybe (the bride is still wavering about the gown- and she still has to try it on).

I am making the floral bouquets, flower girl basket, ring bearer pillow, boutonnieres, and the cake topper.

I am also working on centerpiece ideas but my mother isn't sure if we can have open flame candles or not. So I am at a stand still until I know which way to go on that.

This is a lot to do in a month.

I just found out this week that she was getting married- on January 15.

I know YIKES. Talk about last minute.

But I am going full steam ahead to get this wedding planned and survive the holidays.

If anyone has any suggestions or would like to join in on being one of the fabulous green companies sponsoring this wedding please email me.

10 Ways to Cut Wedding Catering Costs

The wedding reception is usually the most expensive aspect of the wedding. Catering can take up to whopping forty percent of your wedding budget. Here are ten easy ways to cut costs without much effort or stress.

1) First of all don't order too much. Try to get as accurate a head count as possible that way you don't end up with tons of leftovers that cost you a fortune.

2) Lighten up and be less formal. If you forgo the black tie extravaganza you also forgo the fancy price tag. You could save hundreds just by being less formal and cutting out the fancy extras.

3) Ask for discounts. You never know what they may offer if only you ask. See if you can save money by ordering a package deal. Some caterers offer discounts if you have a lot of children or senior citizen guests or if you are having your wedding on a weekday.

4) Plan your meal for the right time of day. Don't serve an extravagant dinner at a 2 PM reception. If you are having your wedding reception at an early or off time of day consider serving finger foods or just a light meal along with dessert. This could cut your food costs tremendously. Be sure to include on the invitation "cocktail and hors d'oeuvres reception" or simple put "a light meal will be served".

5) Have your wedding on a Friday evening or on another off day. Saturdays are premium days and often cost more. Call around before setting the final date though just to make sure the price difference is worth it.

Continue reading here.

Get Blushing Bride Perfect Skin with the Mia Sonic

The Mia by Clarisonic was created by the same person who invented the Sonicare toothbrush. The Clarisonic Mia is a professional quality skin care cleansing system that is portable- so it can go wherever you go.

The Mia cleanses, reduces pores, even fine lines and wrinkles will appear to be reduced with routine use.

The Mia is the perfect item to add to a bride's pre-wedding skin care regiment to insure she'll have blushing bride worthy skin on the big day.

I had the chance to give the Mia a try. I was skeptical. I've used other skin cleansing systems before. With their scratchy brushes, rotating heads that quickly break and batteries that constantly die.

The Mia isn't even in the same league as those cheap knock offs.

The bristles of Mia's brush are so soft they caress the skin without scratching and the sonic rotation is so gentle you barely notice it. But the results- they're amazing. There's nothing subtle about the way your skin will glow.

The Mia gentle removes dirt and oil from your pores helping to reduce the appearance of pores making them look like they have shrunk. This can help reduce break outs, get rid of oily patches and get the dry skin off your face. What you're left with is smooth, soft and glowing skin.

The Mia is so gentle it can be used on all skin types even skin with sensitive conditions like rosacea and acne.

The Mia is compact enough that it can travel with you. It has a charger you can easily plug in anywhere- no batteries to worry about changing. The Mia is also waterproof for easy cleaning.

I love that the Mia is waterproof but keeping the brush clean is important and you don't want to have to worry about frying your little machine. I did that to a cheap one, it got wet in the wrong places and never worked again.

Continue reading here.

Find Great Bridal Deals at RecycledBride.Com

A one stop shopping destination for bridal deals and steals is RecycledBride.com.

Looking for a dress that's no longer in season? Looking for discounted votive candle holders or vases? How about surplus décor like tablecloths? You can find it at RecycledBride.com. Past brides, wedding vendors, event planners...anyone who has something bridal to sell may have items ready for the bride to be at RecycledBride.com.

This free site is designed similar to eBay but it's all about weddings. You'll find categories featuring: wedding dresses, jewelry, veils, ceremony items, décor and table wear, bridesmaids' items, Mother of the Bride dresses, grooms and groomsmen attire and accessories, shoes, wedding and engagement rings, gifts, paper and everything else.

From gently used to brand new items at a deep discount you can find anything and everything you could possibly need on Recycledbride.com.

Once the wedding is over and you have leftover items or gently used items you won't be needing anytime soon you can sell them on RecycledBride.com.

Being a relatively new site I wasn't expecting there to be much for sale on the site, boy was I wrong. It is jam packed full of fabulous wedding items. There's plenty of stuff for non-brides too especially if you're planning a big event like an open house, anniversary party or even a big birthday party. I found a few things I liked, like the wine bottle turned cheese tray- very nice. I also spotted a couple wine glass charms and wine bottle stoppers that I liked (all liste din the gifts section).

Just like eBay you can easily search, scroll through items from price or see the newest listings first. However unlike eBay there is no bidding. You do have to register for a free account and if you see something you like you have to contact the seller (personally I think this is a bit of an inconvenience, I like eBay and Etsy where you just click and buy). The good news is you can use PayPal which seems to be the number one easiest way to send and receive money online.

Continue reading this article here.

A Review of ThermaSkin Natural Facial Cleanser by Greensations

The ThermaSkin foaming facial cleanser is a godsend for my troublesome skin. I swear my skin hates everything I use. If I use the wrong thing my skin breaks in a rash, turns red, breaks out in pimples, or gets so dry I feel like I'm going to crack. None of which are any fun.

I always have to try something new but I'm always afraid that the new product is going to make matters worse instead of better.

Then I came across ThermaSkin Foam Facial Cleanser. It is made with Capsaicin Pepper Extract and says that it is good for all skin types including oily skin, dry skin, and acne prone skin. I was doubtful but gave it a shot.

Wow. First of all I didn't break out. Better yet it cleared up the remnants of previous break outs. It didn't dry my skin out or make it too oily. Fabulous. A miracle in a little bottle. I am stocking up on this stuff. It is amazing to finally find something that really works. I have tried everything from drug store brands to the fancy expensive stuff in department stores. Even the things they advertise on TV. Nothing has worked for me- at least not for long.

Some products will clear me up then stop working after a week or so.

I've been using ThermaSkin for a couple of months now and it's still working.

ThermaSkin is not only great for acne and blemish prone skin but on the Greensations website it proclaims that ThermaSkin works well to clear up eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis.

ThermaSkin Anti-Aging Soap™claims to be "like botox in a bottle". The anti-aging secret in this formula combines tiny doses of natural capsaicin with exotic botanicals that fix your skin through increased circulation and absorption. ThermaSkin is an all natural foaming soap. It instantly and naturally unclogs pores, tightens skin, reduces lines and replenishes elasticity and color to your skin. It will gently remove makeup, dirt, pollutants and oils. The self foaming formula contains no harmful foaming chemicals such as SLS or SLES that are used in many facial foam cleansers.

Keep reading here.

Eco-Friendly Wedding Invitations from Greenvelope.Com

Greenvelope.com offers distinct and unique electronic wedding invitations that look like the real thing. It's a personalized approach to electronic invitations.

Accounts are free- you can sign up, manage guest lists, contacts, multiple events, response cards and more.


A basic bronze package which includes save the date cards for you to send out is free.

A silver package is just $99 and it includes: save the date cards, invitations and response cards.

A gold package costs $149 and it includes: save the dates, invitations, response cards and thank you cards (all electronic).

For every package purchased, Greenvelope will donate $10 to Mountains to Sound, an environmentally conscious non-profit organization.

Soon customers will be able to choose between several charities they want Greenvelope to donate to.

I scanned through Greenvelope's portfolio of wedding invitations and I am very impressed at the classical wedding invitation designs. Most electronic invitation sites do not offer classic styles. Greenvelope offers classic, seasonal and signature wedding invitations styles to choose from.

How does it work? Visit www.greenvelope.com then sign up for a free account. Then create an event and start designing your invitation.

Continue reading by clicking here.

Holiday Advertising Special

For a limited time only you can get 3 months of button banner ad space on Everything Green Weddings for only $20

That's 3 months of ad space for just $20

You can start your advertising now or reserve space for anytime in 2011

Email me to reserve your spot now

Super holiday special get 3 months of ad space here and 3 months of ad space at my other blog Creatively Green for just $35-

that's 3 months of ad space on 2 sites for only $35-

perfect for anyone who has an eco-friendly business, blog or product they'd like to advertise

Payment via PayPal must be made at the time of ad space reservation

This offer expires Dec 24, 2010

Giveaway: Video Save the Date from Storymix

Video Save the Date - The Green Alternative

Video Save the Dates are popping up all over the internet. They are a great alternative to mailing postcards or magnets. They are a real 'green' solution, not only saving fuel and paper, but saving some green for your budget. For those couples who really want to be eco-friendly in their wedding planning it the best way to share your big news. Plus they are a much more personal and fun way to let everyone know your big news.

The majority of the ones seen online are really sophisticated and include things like stop action motion, animated graphics and other editing techniques. So what are you to do if you don't have the equipment, software, and skills of a Hollywood production team? Everything Green Weddings has found a great company, Storymix Media that offers a super cool and easy product to fulfill your Video Save the Date dreams. All you need to do is pick one of their fun themes and upload 15 photos and a short video greeting (just shoot it on your digital camera or Flip). Then you go to their simple to use Storyboard to add some titles and arrange everything in the order you want. Storymix will make a great video and add it to a private HD online gallery for you to share the link with anyone you plan on inviting. All for under $30, that's less than you'll spend on postage!

Learn more at: http://weddings.storymixmedia.com/video-save-the-date-green-eco-friendly-budget-save-money.html



Storymix has been generous to offer one lucky reader their Video Save the Date for free.

We'll pick a winner by December 17.

It will make a wonderful Christmas present for yourself.

Here's how to enter:

1. Become a follower of this blog

2. Follow us or Storymix on Facebook

3. Send out a Tweet mentioning @everythinggreen or @Storymix

Eco-Favors by Bethany Ramos

Getting Married? Check Out The Latest Trends in Eco-Friendly Wedding Favors!

Is it possible to have the wedding of your dreams that is also eco-friendly? More and more brides and grooms these days are answering that question with a resounding “Yes!” As Americans are becoming more environmentally conscious, their wedding plans are following suit. The average wedding costs around $20,000, which normally puts a newlywed couple into debt right off the bat. However, if you start brainstorming and using these innovative green wedding favor ideas, not only will you be able to benefit the environment, but you may also save money at the same time!

• Tree Favors: For the tree-hugging couple, tree favors are an excellent wedding favor that your guests will be able to plant in honor of your wedding. Many companies now sell small tree seedlings that you can have decorated with the name of the bride and groom, as well as your wedding date. Otherwise, you may want to use pieces of actual bark or a branch to hold place cards, which will add a natural and rustic touch to your overall wedding theme, all the while recycling by using natural materials.

• Bamboo Favors: Bamboo wedding favors are another popular choice since they are firstly symbolic of good luck, and they also benefit the environment. You can give your guests decorative bamboo candle holders, bamboo coasters, or even small trinket boxes made from bamboo as a parting gift for attending your wedding!

• Seed Packet Favors: If you want a truly green and adorable favor to give out to all guests at your wedding, you can order personalized seed packets that have the name of the bride and groom and your wedding date so that guests can plant the seeds and watch them grow as your new love grows in your marriage. Perfectly symbolic and also perfectly green.

• Organic Chocolate Favors: If you don’t necessarily want to give out a little bit of nature as your wedding favors, you can give out organic and fair trade chocolate that is not only delicious but sustainably made. The chocolate packaging can again be embossed with the name of the bride and groom and wedding date so that each favor is perfectly personalized for your wedding day.

If you want to take it a step further, there are also eco-friendly favor tags and favor boxes that you can order, or you may want to order handmade favors from a website like Etsy.com. All it takes is a little bit of thought and creativity to make your wedding eco-friendly and also a little easier on your wallet!

Bethany Ramos is a wedding makeup artist and works full-time at her website, The Coffee Bump. For a great selection of commercial coffee brewers, check out Bethany Ramos' website today!

Planning Eco-Weddings with Brides.com

Getting married isn’t just about champagne toasts and getting showered with gifts - you can do a little good at the same time. Brides.com shares eco-friendly tips – from choosing local vendors to purchasing conflict-free jewelry – that help make the world a better place while celebrating the Big Day.

How To Plan An Eco-Friendly Wedding: http://www.brides.com/wedding-answers-tools/basic-how-tos/2010/10/how-to-plan-an-eco-friendly-wedding

A few tips include:

Celebrate on the Gulf Coast: Hosting your celebration in an area that’s been impacted by the recent Gulf oil spill will give a needed boost to the local economy. Many of these coastal towns are home to modern resorts, charming hotels, and still pristine beaches.

Ask where your wedding gown is made: Many dresses are made in factories in China and Korea, where labor is cheap and human rights are easily compromised. Shopping local ensures the workers are protected – and, you won’t have to deal with the long process of shipping from abroad.

Give back through your registry: Today, couples can authorize contributions to charity through their registry. Organizations like the I Do Foundation ensure as much as 10 percent of the cost of registry items will be donated to a selected charity.

Use recycled paper: The dull gray look of recycled paper is a thing of the past. Plus, swapping 150 conventional invitations for those printed on 100-percent, post-consumer recycled paper saves 22 pounds of wood and 32 gallons of water.

Make Your Own Paper for Wedding Invitations by Gunter Jameson

Make Your Own Paper for Wedding Invitations

Just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean that your wedding initiations need to suffer. You can still have amazing wedding invitations if you are willing to roll up your sleeves and do a little extra work. If you are the type of bride who wants to have a very personal or natural look and feel to your invitations, making your own paper for your invitation can be extremely rewarding and you can create one-of-a-kind masterpieces that reflect your unique personality and wedding. There are a number of paper making tutorials on the internet (here, here, and here are some good ones), but there are a number of things you can do to make your invitations special and unique after you paper is made.

Make your paper ink-ready

Making paper with your kids as a school project might be fun, but these are your wedding invitations we’re talking about! One of the things you want to make sure of when you blend the paper mixture is to add liquid starch (about 2 tablespoons according to your mixture), which can be found at local hobby stores. The starch will make your paper ink-ready, meaning that it will prevent the ink form a pen or stamps from bleeding into the paper, making the writing or designs indecipherable. If you have enough time, try adding different amounts of starch to achieve your desired effect.

Mix colors

The color of the paper you use, or the amount of ink that is already on the paper, you’ll come out with different shades. Experiment by mixing different colors of paper together to get unique colors and patterns. You may have thought you wanted pink, but that reddish-orange paper you just made is too cute not to use!

Include add-ins

Part of the reason for making your own paper is that you can put in add-ins like flower petals or leaves to add character and a natural feel to the paper you make for your invitations. You can also experiment with dyes or the juice from berries that will add different colors or scents to the paper you make.

Stamps and types

Once your paper has been created, you can go beyond simple hand lettering by purchasing printer’s type or stamps to create unique text designs and pictures on your invitation.

Velum overlays

If you’re not excited about the time it will take to write or stamp out every single invitation, you can use the popular presentation of printing the text of your invitation on a velum overlay then attaching it to the front of your invitation, adding depth to your invitation design with a layered look.

Making your own invitations can take a lot of work, but it can also be fun creating a design that is just right for you. Making your own paper for your invitations is a way to give them a unique, natural look and a personal touch.

Gunter Jameson writes about several topics including travel, minimalism and online classes.

Green Wedding Favors by Margo Smith

Green Wedding Favor Ideas

If you are looking for ways to reduce your carbon footprint and you are planning a wedding as well, you can find myriad ideas for making green favors for your special day. If money is no object, these items may be purchased, but for any looking to live the green lifestyle completely, this includes doing as much yourself as you possibly can. This is green because it reduces the need for machines to do the work for you and trucks to transport the goods to you.

One to Grow On

You can make paper that, when planted, yields a pretty flower patch. Start with recycled paper or paper products around your house that you would otherwise throw away. Junk mail, cardboard tubes from toilet paper, egg cartons (not the Styrofoam kind) are all good choices. You can use tissue paper too. Avoid papers with any gloss or sheen, as these do not break down well. Rip it into chunks about 2 inches or less and place these in your blender. Add warm water so that it covers these bits of paper. Blend this until it becomes pulpy and looks suspiciously like your Quaker oatmeal.

Now you can add the seeds. Just a note: choosing the seeds is easy – the smaller the better. You can select tiny flower seeds or even seeds for herbs, either works well. Carefully stir in your seeds and any flower petals you would like. You can also add an herb or spice for an extra special touch of fragrance. Just be sure not to blend those fragile seeds with those blender blades. Next, ladle the pulp into a towel-lined colander and allow it to drain. (The towel will keep your pulp and seeds in while letting the excess water drip out.)

The best way to drain this pulpy mix is to place a towel and a large piece of felt on your surface, spoon it out then spread it to your desired thickness. Allow it to dry completely overnight. Use flower-shaped cookie cutters to trace or free hand cut out flowers from this paper. Assemble these into tiny bouquets to match your own and present them as your favors. Be certain everyone knows they can plant these thoughtful gifts. Everyone will think of you and your special day each time they see their flower garden.

Life’s a Beach

If you are planning a beach-themed wedding, this next idea is for you. Gather shells from anywhere and everywhere. Choose the ones with a deep enough cavity that a tea light will fit well inside. Clean and dry the shells completely. Place tea lights inside the candles, then melt wax and pour around the tea light, making sure it is covered. To ensure that you are not using petroleum-based paraffin, select beeswax or wax made from soy or palm oil. Be sure your tea lights are also made from one of these types of wax. If you would like these to match your wedding colors, crayons can be peeled and added to the wax as you melt it to give you the ideal shade. (You can buy 100 percent recycled crayons, by the way.) Fragrance can also be purchased at your local craft store if you would like these to be perfectly scented. The tea lights then become your wick and allow your guests to think of the happy couple as they light these unique favors.

Planting Love

These next ideas are great for their sustainability and their simplicity. Your wedding favor can be a tiny plant, herb or flower. Present this in an itty bitty pot tied with a pretty bow that fits in with your wedding theme. Bulbs make for gifts that last too. Choose bulbs that grow well in the region where most of your guest live. Wrap each one up in a bit of a bag made from one from yet another eco-friendly product: unbleached muslin.

Remembering the earth while you are making your vows will add to your glow as a new bride. It will add to your smiles as you recall this special day because you know you thought ahead and gave eco-friendly gifts that will lastingly remind everyone of your growing love. So here’s to you and your spouse and to making a difference!

About the Author

Margo Smith is a graduate of Brigham Young University. She enjoys writing about a variety of subjects from weddings to online classes to skydiving. She draws from her own education, her years in college and an author’s perspective on life when compiling articles.

Do You Have an Eco-Friendly Products For a Green Holiday Gift Guide

I am searching for green gift ideas for kids, teens and adults.

Do you have a great eco-friendly product that you'd like to have showcased?

This green product gift guide will be published on several blogs and websites.

Email me with your product or a product suggestion.

A Wedding Guestbook as Unique as the Couple

If boring guest books filled with the basic lines for guests to add a quick note along with their name and address aren't your thing than you should check out The Guestbook Store.

From the very start you can customize the album to fit your taste and style. The covers come in many beautiful colors and designs that are sure to coordinate with just about any wedding theme or style from Crimson swirl to Black velvet to custom wedding whites like White Chocolate, Ivory sateen, and Champagne Sateen.

The Guestbook Store offers covers in baroque patterns, swirls, florals, roses, even a holly berry print for the holidays.

Once you pick out the cover of your choice then you choose your page designs. The Guestbook Store offers two wedding guest book page choices either formal or casual. The casual is cute with swirls and hearts while the formal is streamlined and elegant.A standard package guestbook which consists of twenty pages is $8. If you decide to add the bride and groom's name and customize the pages the package is $16 for each twenty page package. If you wish to have 40 pages the price would be $32 with each twenty pages being another $16.

Other add on pages include lined guest book pages, pages to display your wedding invitations, journaling pages, wedding reflection pages and gift receipt pages as well as create your own page add ons.

Keep reading here.

Green Halloween Costumes for the Spook-a-Look Halloween Photo Contest

This was last year's foray into making sure my kids had "green" Halloween costumes.

The predator stalking the prey

My daughter's vampire costume was a creation made from clothes in my closet, an ebay cape, and a pair of vampire fangs she already had.

We dug through my closet and found a red skirt overlaid with black see through material, a long sleeved red top and a long sleeve black lace top that she put over the red shirt. She also snagged a pair of my black heels.

My little guy couldn't say trick or treat, he said "Twick or tweat"

My little guy wore a second hand costume that was big sister's. This cute little kitty was her favorite costume that she wore for years- right until she grew out of it.

Then she was still hesitant to part with it but now her little brother loves it.

This costume was probably one of the best ever purchased because it's made it through countless Halloweens and 2 kids and it's still as cute as ever.

My daughter vamped out in our closet creation





I am posting these photos as a contest entry for the “Spook-A-Look Halloween Photo Contest” sponsored by http://www.giveawayblogs.com and http://www.uprinting.com

Please leave a comment on this psot and help me win the Halloween Photo Contest

Create a Wedding Registry with CSN Stores

Have you discovered CSN Stores?

They might be the perfect place for you to create an online wedding registry.

They have over 200 stores in the network which means they have over 1,000,000 millions products to choose from.

They have almost everything you could need for your newlywed home- outdoor furniture, bar stools, kitchen items, beds, end tables- you can even find the perfect dining room table for your post wedding house.

You can add items to your registry together at your leisure from the comfort of your home at any time day or night.

Wedding planning can get hectic but creating your registry doesn't have to be. Drop by CSNStores.com today to create your wedding registry.

Bridal Flowers: Bouquets, Boutonnieres, Corsages showcases a huge selection of gorgeous bridal bouquets and maids' bouquets. Along with those beautiful designs you'll find stunning boutonniere designs for the gentlemen and fun ideas for hairpieces, corsages, baskets and spheres for flower girls and flower laden pillows for the ring bearers.

Bridal Flowers: Bouquets, Boutonnieres, Corsages displays the latest styles for wedding events organized by color and showcased in stunning full color photographs. You'll find quick tutorials for creating bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres, tussie-mussies, and floral spheres for the flower girl.

Even if you don't plan on going DIY for your wedding flowers this book will give you ideas for exactly what you want in wedding flowerss. You can also consider a flower delivery service for your bouquet.

I highly recommend taking a copy of this book along with your to your floral appointment when you pick out your bridal flowers.I see so many new stunning styles that it makes me want to get married all over again- and coordinate my whole wedding around a couple of these designs.

Keep reading here.

A Review of The Natural Wedding: Ideas and Inspirations for a Stylish and Green Celebration by Louise Moon

"Green is the new white for environmentally conscious couples".

Author Louise Moon, founder of EcoMoon, is a leading wedding planner in the UK and loves to focus on green weddings.

In her new book The Natural Wedding: Ideas and Inspirations for a Stylish and Green Celebration Louise Moon shows couples how to "green" their wedding day.

From thoughtful features that focus on organic and locally grown food for the reception to imaginative solutions that will make the entire event as low impact as possible, The Natural Wedding has great advice green couples need to make their big day naturally romantic, eco-conscientious, and stylishly sustainable.

The Natural Wedding: Ideas and Inspirations for a Stylish and Green Celebration demonstrates that green weddings can be more stylish than a traditional wedding with a little bit of thoughtfulness and green planning. All aspects of greening the wedding day are covered: natural beauty, tasty menus, the perfect location, eco-invitations, gorgeously green wedding attire, beautiful flowers, a perfect ceremony, the eco-reception, green gifts, even after the wedding Louise gives advice for greening the honeymoon and living an eco life after the honeymoon is over because being green doesn't stop at "I do".

Louise focuses on four main styles for natural-weddings: vintage, eco-chic, seasonal, and DIY (do it yourself). She takes these four style ideas and applies them to every area of the green wedding. You can mix and match to create your perfect day or follow her guidelines for one main theme to run throughout your eco-event.Vintage obviously focuses on styles from bygone eras from the reused vintage gown to heirloom jewelry. Vintage styles are for the bride and groom who love antiques and simple elegance.

Keep reading here.

Win a REVEAL Recycled Handbag

Sexy and sustainable. That’s what you get with REVEAL’s eco-luxurious handbags.

These stylish new bags are made from recycled plastic bottles and transformed into micro-suede and satin. The bags also feature vegan friendly 100 per cent cruelty free leather and zippers made from recycled materials.

REVEAL is a truly innovative and sustainable handbag and accessories line. Their new line features eco-friendly handbags, wallets, messenger bags and bamboo accessories, all made with the highest-quality eco-friendly materials.

Today you have the chance to win a luxury REVEAL handbag. That’s right! Thanks to REVEAL CAGW is giving away one REVEAL Ivy wallet/handbag in ebony.

Go to Crafting a Green World to enter this contest

If you would like to shop REVEAL you can get 15% off your entire order by using discount code CRAFTGREEN15

Lulu Print Photo Book Review

As promised I am now reviewing the print version of my photo book made at Lulu.com.

I was very pleased with the outcome of the digital copy and I am happy to say I am even more pleased with the print version.

The photo book is a high quality hardcover bound book with glossy pages.

The pages of the book look fabulous- the book came out wonderful. The photos all look good and are not blurry.

One minor issue- I wish the Lulu photo book editing program had a red eye removal tool. I'm used to editing photos within a program like when making a Shutterfly book- all the photo editing software is available while working on the book design.

With the Lulu photo book it is best to do all photo edits before uploading the photos for the book- something I didn't realize until after I was working on the book.

And I didn't really think about red eye until receiving the book in the mail and a few photos show very apparent red glowing eyes.

Other than the red eye issue I couldn't be more thrilled with this great book.

I plan to order a few more copies for myself and my mother (will make a great Christmas present I think)- this one copy is going to my boy so he has a collection of the photos from him growing up.

You can create your own photo book at Lulu by visiting http://www.lulu.com/publish/photo_books/?cid=us_home_nav_pbk

Halloween Photo Contest

I entered the Upromise Halloween photo contest

http://community.upromise.com/t5/Click-for-Treats-Halloween-Photo/con-p/Click_for_Treats_Halloween_Photo_Contest/tab/most-recent

Predator Stalking the Prey

Cute Kitty

Please vote for my Cute Kitty and Predator Stalking the Prey photos

Privacy Policy

I or my site do not personally collect any personal information about your or your online activities.

If you enter a contest and provide contact information I do not sell or release your information to any third parties (unless you win a prize then I give the sponsor the required information for them to ship you your prize).

However some of the advertisements that appear on Everything Green Weddings and More are delivered to you by national internet advertising and application companies such as Adify.

Adify utilizes certain technologies to deliver advertisements and marketing messages and to collect anonymous information about your visit to our site(s), including information about the banner ads they display, and cookie they place on your computer and your IP address.

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Dazzling Bridal T-shirts

JustJen.com has adorable t-shirts for the bride to be or the newly married.

You can also customize a t-shirt just for you- put anything you want on the shirt Just Married, Bride to Be, Future Mrs..... and so on.

For the green girls you can get you bridal bling on in organic cotton.

Just Jen's Organic cotton T Shirts are Made by: American Apparel
The Organic cotton t shirt is soft and made from natural cotton, without dyes or chemicals. The shirts are Available in natural color only. Made in the USA in a sweatshop-free work environment.

Just Jen's shirts run small so order a size or two larger than usual.

Visit http://www.justjen.com/ to design a shirt today

Ideas for an Autumn Harvest Wedding

Is fall your favorite time of year?

Do you love the scent of crisp clean autumn air with the slight aroma of fallen leaves and bonfires that seems to linger?

Then planning a beautiful autumn harvest theme wedding would be perfect for you.

The colorful scenery and rich fall colors naturally create a colorful backdrop.In days gone by the Autumn harvest symbolized and celebrated prosperity and abundance-today you can still feel it in the air- fall festivals, abundant celebrations, the vivaciousness of life and joy everyone feels before having to settle down when winter returns.

Its a perfect time to start a new life together. For an earthy couple- the couple that enjoys gardening and the great outdoors- an autumn harvest theme wedding is a wonderful wedding theme that allows you to celebrate the things you love most- including each other.

Click here to keep reading.

Ideas for a Fun Halloween Theme Wedding

Do you love Halloween?

Many people do. You'd be surprised at how many Halloween theme weddings actually take place every year.

Some people are just drawn to the darker side and want to celebrate that with a Halloween wedding.

A Halloween theme wedding does not necessarily have to be held on Halloween. It could be held the weekend before or after or as close to Halloween as possible.

There are many options when it comes to what kind of Halloween wedding to have.

You could have an elegant Halloween or Harvest theme wedding decorated in the abundantly rich colors of fall: deep reds, rustic golds, and pumpkin oranges along with black accents.

Use natural elements; pumpkins, gourds, squash and Indian corn for decorating. Another fun Halloween wedding option is a costume ball or masquerade.

The bride and groom could wear lavish costumes or ornate wedding attire while the guests are invited to wear costumes.

If that's not your thing host an all out spooktacular wedding event with all the Halloween trimmings: cauldrons, skeletons, ghosts, Jack-o-Lanterns, witches, coffins, vampires and more.

Keep reading my clicking here.

Extreme Weddings: Ripley's Believe it or Not Style

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Enter If You Dare!

Ripley's Believe It or Not is known for showcasing all things wild, weird, crazy, extreme and flat out different.

Their newest Ripley's Believe it or Not book, Enter If You Dare, features the classic Ripley's material: wild people, crazy feats, and extremes of all sorts. It also features some interesting and extreme weddings that wedding lovers and trivia collectors will adore and regular people may just find to be plain weird.

Enter If You Dare mentions a sheep loving woman who made a wedding gown for herself and a waistcoat for the groom from her beloved sheep.

Not extreme enough yet? She even included the sheep in her wedding photos. Read more about this wooly wedding on page 28.

On page 29 you'll find that tens of thousands of Chinese people rushed to get married on 09/09/09 because to the Chinese the number nine is extremely good luck and they believe that marrying on this date would give them a long and happy marriage.

On page 54 you can learn about a frog wedding that took place in India to please the gods.

On page 75 read about a bear who played bestman at a wedding in Montana.

Want more wedding extremes?

Keep reading here.

Bridal Bling T-Shirts

Brides-to-be are always on the lookout for something fun and unique- well here's a chance to add a little blingy fun while planning the big day.

JustJen.com creates custom t-shirts with rhinestone sparkle that say whatever you want them to- like "The Future Mrs...", "Bride to Be 10-30-10", "Bridesmaid 2010", "Mother of the Bride","Beware Bridezilla on the Loose" or anything else you'd like the shirt to say. And it'll all be spelled out in Swarovski rhinestone crystals.

You can choose t-shirt colors, styles(they even offer eco-friendly organic t-shirts), sizes and sayings- it's all up to you.

Grab a couple shirts for when you're out bridal shopping so everyone knows you're a bride to be. Make some special shirts for the bachelorette party or for your bridesmaids.In addition to t-shirts they have sweat pants and sweatshirts, hoodies, baseball caps, tank tops, panties, aprons, and bikini bottoms and tops.

You could create a custom wardrobe for your honeymoon with just married sparkle on t-shirts, sweats, even your bikini. Make sure everyone knows you're a new bride so you can get a true honeymoon experience.

Keep reading here.

A Review of Lulu's Photo Books

A couple week's ago I wrote about Lulu's photo books- how you can create them with your wedding memories.

Well I decided to give them a try and make my own photo book. I created a memory book for my oldest son who graduated high school this year and starts college next month. I think a nice keepsake book of photos of him from his first 19 years would be a great (late) graduation gift for him. Plus I can always order extra copies for me, grandma and anyone else who may want a copy.

I've used a couple of other photo book design programs before- Snapfish and Shutterfly. I have found Shutterfly to be the most versatile and user friendly. Their software lets you easily design each individual page from layout to background color and style. That I really like.

Lulu's current program allows you to pick a theme then you can only change pages around within the theme- there are a certain number of page layouts that you can choose from but the color scheme and backgrounds stay on theme.

However the result is a beautiful uniform book where everything matches up perfectly- which I truly appreciate. Having a nice uniform look without thinking too hard or scrolling through hundreds of pages and layouts made the book easier and quicker to complete.

I can't wait to see the printed- finished product.

A couple great features of the Lulu photo books:

* The ability to easily add photos from your Flickr, Facebook, or Photobucket accounts

* You can sell the finished product and make a couple bucks off friends and family who may also like copies of the book

* If you don't want to design the book from cover to cover it has an autofill feature that takes all your uploaded photos and puts them in the book for you. Me I'm too controlling to let the program do that but for someone who wants a quick and easy book its the way to go.

* Several sizes to choose from along with many themes to pick from (I love the seasonal autumn backgrounds- I am going to have to make a Fall memories book next)

One downside I had with the Lulu program was several times the program froze and I couldn't upload photos- but that could be because of my internet. I have DSL- high speed but not super high speed so some programs do run slow. So I don't think it was a Lulu issue more of a connection issue.

Overall I am very pleased with my finished book. I'll let you know how it looks once I get my print copy.

Wash All Your Laudry for a Year for Just $32.95

Laundry balls are a wonderful invention that can help you save a lot of money in the long run.Laundry balls get your clothes clean without using a bunch of expensive laundry soap. They help agitate the clothes for cleaner results without the harmful chemicals in chlorine based bleach and some harsh laundry detergents. Laundry balls also help your clothes last longer by keeping the clothes fresher and in shape.

The Robby Wash laundry ball is an exclusive worldwide patented laundry system that has been "tested, proven and guaranteed" to work. Designed in France the Robby Wash ball meets the strict compliance requirements of Europe and contains no phosphates or chlorine. The Robby Wash ball has received many safety certifications including those from REACH and RoHS. Each Robby Wash ball is made of durable ABS materials.

Well I received a Robby Wash ( love the name my youngest is Robby) laundry ball to try out at home and I must say it seems to work very well. I was honestly surprised.

I have never tried a laundry ball before because I had my doubts about their effectiveness. I decided to give it a try and tossed the ball in with a large load of laundry- some with stubborn stains that had already went through the wash once without coming out. The ball is super easy to use- you just toss it in with the laundry and it works in both top and front loading washing machines.

Keep reading my review here.

Learn more about Robby Wash here:

http://www.oransi.com/robby_wash_he_high_efficiency_laundry_detergent_s/37.htm

Top 11 robby wash ball benefits that delight:

http://www.oransi.com/why_robby_wash_hypoallergenic_baby_laundry_detergent_s/38.htm

Buy the Robby Wash Laundry Ball Here:

http://www.oransi.com/robby_wash_high_efficiency_wash_ball_s/39.htm

Folding Flipflops that are Eco-Friendly: Pocketflops

Looking for eco-flipflops?

Then check out Pocketflops the newest addition to eco-footwear!

Pocketflops are a genius invention- not only are they made from recycled eco materials- they fold in half.

That's right these trendy flip flops fold in half- downwards so the dirty sole doesn't touch anything in your bag.

So convenient you can throw them in your purse or tote bag and have them when you want to kick off your heels and put on something a little more comfortable.

Convenient, eco and fabulous. What more could you ask for?

Learn more at http://www.flocdesigns.com/index2.php#/home/ and shop at http://shop.pocketflops.com/

Wedding Tiaras that Transform into Jewelry After the Wedding

Let's face it, after the wedding where do those tiaras go? Mine sits on a shelf with my wedding photo and cake topper collecting dust. It's not like I have much use for wearing a tiara after the wedding. I don't know about you but I haven't come across too many events that warrant tiara wearing. What about you?

The convertible tiara truly is a genius idea. I would love to be able to wear my wedding tiara for special events like an anniversary dinner. I just don't want to wear it as a tiara anymore. Turning it into a bangle bracelet (also described as an evening cuff) would be fabulous. Reusable is big right now and anything wedding related that can be used or worn again after the wedding is very popular.

Here's a wedding tiara truly fit for a queen.

High end Italian jewelry designer Roberto Coin has created a wedding tiara that can be transformed into a bangle after the wedding. Now you do have to send the tiara back to the designer after the wedding so it can be refashioned into a bangle, it doesn't just bend by itself and tada become a bracelet.

Roberto Coin's idea is brilliant albeit a little pricey. These convertible tiaras are currently retailing for around $77, 000. The Tiara is part of the Roberto Coin Cento Collection that features the 100 Facet Cento Diamond. The tiara is made with 18K white gold and scalloped Cento diamonds with a 13.42 ctw.

So not only is it fit for a queen, you might have to be a queen to afford it.

Keep reading here.