There is no way I can choose one favorite thing about this Florida wedding! I really love that Kathy wore the earrings her great grandmother wore on her own wedding day. Another favorite is the traditional Cuban wedding cake in honor of Kathy’s roots. Also, there are all the neat DIY ideas! The bridal party canned 4 gallons of Georgia Honey as party favors. Everything came together at the {Perricone’s Marketplace and Cafe} and Kathy looked stunning in a dress by {Maggie Sottero}. Other fun details: Flowers by {Gerardo}. Catering by Perricone’s Marketplace and Cafe. Wedding cake by {Sweet Art by Luclia}. Thanks to Karen at {The Wedding Couple} for sending these images our way!
How did the two of you meet? Marshall and I had both just started our first year of graduate school at UGA. It was the first week of classes and all the first-years went out to eat at a local restaurant. While standing in line, we introduced ourselves to one another. Marshall told me he had just received his masters from Duke and I told him I’d just graduated with my bachelors in chemistry. I asked him what he had done over the summer. I don’t know what I was expecting, but when he told me he had spent his summer landscaping, I realized how down-to-earth he was. I told him I spent my summer working as a waitress at a restaurant in my hometown. We hit it off instantly and haven’t been apart since.
Describe the proposal: It was perfect and a complete surprise for me. Marshall had been away for a month on a research cruise in the Gulf of Mexico, so we planned a camping trip at Bahia Honda in the Florida Keys to celebrate his return home. After snorkeling all day, we went back to our campsite on the beach for a picnic on the shore at sunset. It was a romantic candlelit dinner of sandwiches, baked beans, and beer. After dinner, we were sitting and looking out over the ocean, admiring how dark it was and how many stars we could see. Marshall pulled out the ring box and I was speechless. So much so, I think I frightened him a bit. Of course it was a, “YES!”
A date we went on that we’ll always remember: Our first surf-trip to Cape Hatteras. We were camping on the beach and it was insanely cold and wouldn’t stop raining. Still, it was the best trip ever.
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? Rustic and earthy
Favorite design element of your big day: We had two antique, nine-pane windows that we used as picture frames. Each pane held a different picture from our childhood. It was a big hit.
Describe your wedding flowers: We had a lot of green and white flowers in mason jars. Chrysanthemums, orchids, and hydrangeas were the main flowers but we had many others. The floral arrangements were absolutely gorgeous and our florist was amazing. We’ve recommended him to everyone we know.
Describe your wedding cake: I come from a Cuban family, so Marshall and I wanted to have a traditional wedding cake. It’s customary to have a three-layer cake from which a ribbon hangs for each of the bride’s single girlfriends. During the reception, all my single girlfriends pulled a ribbon from the cake. The tradition is, the girl who pulls a wedding ring is the next to get married, and the one who pulls a thimble will be an old maid. I didn’t include a thimble, but my younger cousin pulled the wedding ring. It was a wonderful moment, and our guests really enjoyed it.
Were there any special family traditions you included in the wedding? My great-great-grandmother bought a pair of earrings that she gave to my great-grandmother on her wedding day. Since then, they’ve been passed down to the first-born daughter on her wedding day. On our wedding day, my mother passed them on to me and they were the earrings I wore.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Cutting the cake with Kathy. We were busy for so much of the wedding, but at that moment I felt it was only us two.
What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding? Focus on the moment and on each other. Also, choose a photographer, vendor and florist who you can really relate to. Marshall and I are so very grateful to them all; without them, we wouldn’t have had such a memorable and wonderful wedding to remember.
Any DIY items? Marshall, my bridesmaid, Rachel, her husband, Aaron, and I canned 4 gallons of Georgia Honey to be given as favors at the wedding. It was a tribute to my late-grandmother. My mom and I decorated the favors, and made the place-card holders. For the place cards, we bagged M&M’s with special messages in small burlap bags and attached a small wooden name-card on each bag. My mom has beautiful penmanship and so she wrote everyone’s name on each card.
Congratulations, Kathy + Marshall!
i ride my bike to work everyday (unless it’s raining in which case i take the bus)
I have been recycling more trying to bring my own bags to the store and reducing my electricity.
Instead of having an out of town florist for our country wedding, we are getting our flowers from a local organic flower farm and arranging them ourselves.
I am not using any rentals (at least that’s the goal-we might have to get a few pieces of silverware). Also, we’re planting trees in lieu of favors!
I’ve been using canvas bags for groceries and nylon bags for produce.
Fabulous – what a COOL giveaway! I love that you pointed out that this includes low, mid, and high-end options. In a world where being eco-friendly can also be a budget buster, it’s nice to know that some have thought out all the options!As far as my green habits go, my dearest other half usually wants to wring my neck over the great lengths I’ll go to to keeping recyclables out of the trash and thus, out of the landfill! From cute buckets by every trashcan in our townhouse to collecting every beverage can that our friends empty at tailgates, that has to be the biggest contribution I’ve made to personally being a little more eco-conscious.
I incorporate a eco-friendly lifestyle by carpooling as much as I can, recycling, and purchasing organic groceries when I can.
Our whole wedding will be green, accidentally, but what a wonderful accident. We’re having a vintage country feel, so we have been salvaging old and forgotten about items instead of buying new things off the shelf. I’ve always though we should try to reuse before we recycle.
As an grad student in environmental policy, I am trying to make my Mississippi wedding as green as possible. We are getting organic flowers and food from Vicksburg and family friends (local, of course), we are supporting a public garden by holding our reception there, printing our invites on 100% recycled paper, and I am wearing my mother’s gown. Finally, in honor of our guests, we will be donating to an environmental nonprofit as their "favor".
My lifestyle: separate trash cans for paper, plastic, and general trash, recyclable green Whole Foods bags for groceries, walk or ride the bus to run errands (mostly walk). My wedding: flowers are from a local florist, the flowers will be donated to the church to enjoy for their services, all of bridal party’s clothes are rentals. Thanks!
Placing full water bottles in the toilet tank to reduce water used during flushing; composting organic kitchen waste, as well as used bunny bedding; canvas/re-usable totes at the grocery store; using the occasional plastic shopping bag as garbage bags around the house and puppy poopy bags on long walks; actively requesting "no bag, please" when buying a handful of items at a time; using vinegar for household cleaning.
Going green is something I try to incorporate in many different ways in my life. For me personally, I recycle, I use the reusable bags when I go shopping, I use the energy efficient light blubs around my house, try to unplug all electronics when they are not in use to name a few things. As far as my business goes, I am a wedding coordinator and focus on promoting Green weddings as one of my specialties. My business cards are printed on recycled paper; I have invitation books with recycled paper invitations and soy inks to name a few things. Weddings leave a huge carbon foot print and there are many things that we can do to try and offset the impact. The book you are giving away is one that is actually on my list of ones to get! I know it would be a great resource for my business.
well, we live off the grid so we’ve got photovoltaic panels, rainwater collection set up, and a gray water organic purification system using plants for filtration. I compost, take public transit to work, and reuse durable goods like bags whenever possible. for our wedding, we’re doing a lot of electronic correspondence (it took a while for me to get over it but I’m ok now), and for the invites that we are printing, we’re using soy ink on recycled paper. Our caterer uses only local, organic ingredients and for decor we’re using fruits and veggies and leaves, instead of shipping flowers. Soy candles are also part of our green effort. Oh, and we’re also getting a large bus to transport our guests to the site so that they don’t all bring their cars at once.What a fantastic giveaway, I would love to see some of the ideas Kate has!
i also use my own bags at the grocery store, carpool, ride my bike to work when possible, use recycled paper and recycle paper, and buy local!
I work in habitat restoration and plant trees on a daily basis!
I made my own bags to bring grocery shopping and I recycle. I even bring items my city doesn’t recycle to a center.
I work at local chain store that I will keep it nameless they carry a few products of eco-friendly and organic. Somehow those items always end up in clearance rack. Of course I take advantage and purchase most of them and give them out as gifts to my friends and family. I try incorporate everyone that being green is not just products that look like cardboard but it can be stylish too. I think being GREEN is sexy.
Going green has changed my life style for the better. I used all my totes when I do my groceries, shopping, and my errands. I started by having my parents get adapted with the tote bag and little by little I got my entire family and friends to use tote bags. At work I incorporated not to print too many papers and if needed to use both sides of sheets. I also took a bin to work where everyone could throw their cans or bottles so I can recycle them. When purchasing items I always read labels to see ingredients and to see if the item can hurt our environment. And last my fiance has accepted for us to have a GREEN wedding and our favors we are giving away tote bags with dove design and the words LOVE.
We have tried very hard to make out wedding and life eco-friendly. Although we certainly could to more. We are cutting down on our extra purchases, trying to reuse or repurpose as much as we can. We are having very few fresh flowers, real plates and flatware, and my ring is even recycled – an antique.
One way we’re going green at our wedding is by having a comprehensive Web site. We posted maps, accomodation information and links to area attractions on our Web site, so we will not have to print hotel or direction cards with our invitations, saving paper.
At trees4scotland we have planted trees for weddings – usually as wedding favours. We create a commemorative certificate that all the ladies get with a thanks from the bride and groom and the date etc – goes down really well – plus it makes the wedding carbon neutral!Cheaper than most other wedding favours as well! – http://www.trees4scotland.com
I’m using vintage and non-disposable products wherever possible, and instead of giving out customized water bottles, we’re offering jars of lemonade and iced tea so that guests can be refreshed without creating more landfill waste!
At home, I recycle everything that I can! We have labeled bins for everything. I also love using reusable bags! I teach Kindergarten and have taught my students to recycle things that we use in our classroom. They love looking for things to put into our recycle bin! I’m newly engaged, but hope to plan an eco-friendly wedding as well. :)
I recycle everything that I can! That is why we decided to do a GREEN wedding. We are having our invites be made by eco-friendly site. As our favors we are giving away flower seeds and tote bags.
I’ve switched to reusable shopping bags, I recycle what I can & use Method cleaning products throughout my house.
I incorporate an eco-friendly lifestyle in every aspect of my life. I take short showers, use Brita filtered pitcher and fill up water on a re-usable water-bottle instead of buying bottled water. At work, I avoid printing unecessarily and, when I have to, I re-use paper: Instead of shredding old sheets, I flip the pages over and print on the blank side of each sheet. Once done, I recycle it! For our wedding, my fiance and I have decided to have a "green wedding". We will not decorate much, instead, we will let the beauty of nature shine through. For our centerpieces, we will fill up vases with real limes; this way my guests can take them home and use them to make lemonade or margaritas!!
I always have a tote bag or two in my purse, I recycle everything I possibly can, I bring all of my compostables to the farmer’s market every Sat morning – where I do as much local shopping as possible… and I’m trying to figure out great eco-friendly ways to host my wedding!
I try to save on electricity by bundling up in layers instead of turning on the fireplace =D. Plus, we recycle everything that can be recycled. You’d be surprised how much room that leaves in the trash bin!
We recycle and bring reusable bags to the grocery store. I also have a plastic cloth bag that folds up into a little pack that I keep in my purse for purchases when we’re out shopping.
I recycle whatever I can, and we’re making our wedding green by using groups of potted succulents as centerpieces, then giving them out as favors (score one for reusing!), plus buying carbon offsets for the the travel of our guests. Our honeymoon is going to be at an eco-resort in Costa Rica– it’s so fun planning!
We are having a destination wedding and In lieu of favors we are planting trees in honor of the guests to offset the carbon footprint of everyone’s travel. Also, we are using reusable grocery bags for the welcome bags – that way guests will be able to think of us everytime they grocery shop and save a plastic bag!
I am currently a college student, and in order to incorporate more "green" into my daily lifestyle, I ride my bike on campus, recycle, use reusable grocery bags, cook with fresh foods, cut out paper and Styrofoam dishes completely, eat organic foods, and carpool.
Here are some of the ways we hope to achieve a "green" wedding1. engagement ring is an antique2. hope to use as much locally produced food as possible3. will have limited fresh flowers at website (or i might try to grow my own, but that’s crazy . . .right?)4. I plan to have a "green’ favor, I am thinking wildflower seeds that are native to the area where the guest is from (about 90% of guests are from the same area)5. hopefully the site will let me compost leftover food Thanks!
My fiance and I are both doing our part to help out in the "go green movement" in our daily lives! We both ride bikes around our small town whenever we can and we were instantly inspired by the new SW cover. Currently, in my kitchen there stands a tandem bicycle waiting to be painted pastel green that we are going to ride off on after our July wedding!
It is really important to us that our wedding reflects our values, so…we’ve tried really hard to think of ways to be "green". Here are a few examples, recycled platinum rings, canadian diamond from a eco-friendly jeweler and we will be using a 100% organic caterer for our wedding!
Our escort cards/favors are little seedlings, with a tag made out of plantable paper that includes wildflower seeds.
We’re trying to be as environmentally friendly as possible, so we’re having a morning/afternoon wedding outdoors so we can take advantage of the site’s natural beauty. Our decor is minimal; we’re staying away from cut flowers and using recycled paper products like tissue pomanders. Afterwards we’ll hang them up in our house! Our caterer also uses only organic and local ingredients.