And no, we don’t necessarily mean the color green, but rather an ecologically friendly event. It all depends on how eco-friendly you plan to be. You can have a totally green wedding, which leaves no carbon footprint or you can make many small accommodations that signal your intent to leave as little waste as possible.  

Consider these small steps: 

• Skip out of season flowers since they will have to be shipped to your area. Instead, look for seasonal flowers in your own area. If you have your heart set on a special flower that isn’t grown in your area, at least check to see if the blooms are grown organically without being covered in pesticides. Have the cut flowers you’ve dreamt of in your bouquet and consider using potted plants, greens and flowers for your reception décor and table centerpieces.

• Invitations can be printed on cotton paper stock that is organically grown. Ask your printing specialist for “green” options in the papers you choose. Crane papers do have a popular cotton stock that many couples prefer.

• Catering gives you a wide range of options. You may choose to go vegan. Other options are caterers who use locally grown food. The food items can come directly to the caterer with less packaging and transportation costs. Choose in season foods whenever possible. Ask the caterer to provide “real” dishes and silver rather than plastic or other disposable items.

• Favors should be edible or “plantable” if you wish to minimize the likelihood that your guest gifts are not discarded. Couples are giving seed packets, miniature plants or seedlings as wedding favors.

For other eco-friendly ideas, do drop us a line so we can help you have the wedding of your dreams and one that lightens the environmental load as well. 

Happy Planning…Kay

Unless you have hired a full staff of professionals to help you with all of the details of your wedding, you really should consider accepting help from those friends and family who offer to assist you. No matter how much planning you do, there will always be details that require attention on the day of the wedding. And honestly, as the star of this long awaited event, you have more important things to do than chase down missing boutonnières. You have close friends and family in your wedding party, but there are others who would be glad to assist you in any way they can. If someone offers and you think they are serious about the offer, you can certainly use their assistance. And people who are involved in helping tend to have a wonderful time as a participant rather than an observer. Think of these folks as your back up plan for details prior to the wedding day as well as the big day. These are not “make work jobs”. These are details that you really don’t need to handle yourself. You just need to have someone on the spot to make sure they happen as planned. Ask someone you trust to be your personal assistant for your pre ceremony details. A close friend, a family member should be available to help the bride and her attendants dress. She will handle any emergencies and help arrange trains and flowers for photos. Likewise, a male friend or uncle would be a big help to the men in the party making sure that ties are straight, cuff links and shirt studs worn appropriately and boutonnieres pinned on in a uniform manner. You should have a point person who will quietly leave the ceremony after your vows and arrive at the reception site well in advance of the guests just to make sure that everything is as ordered. That person will serve to welcome early arriving guests and direct them to the reception area, until your parents (the official hosts) are able to arrive. You will need someone to stay behind at the wedding ceremony site and make sure that any personal items left in the bride’s room be collected and brought to the reception site. This person can also be responsible for moving flowers to the reception site if that is part of your plan. If the groom drove his car to the ceremony site and will join the bride in the limousine after the ceremony, he will need someone to drive his car to the reception site.

Call us and let us help you with plans for a smooth and seamless day.

Happy Planning…Kay

Veils have always been a symbol of youth and virginity. Formerly, the veil was not lifted until the bride was a legally married woman. Even today, in some cultures this remains the very first time the groom “sees” his bride. Here at Kreative Koncepts we remind you that you have options. You may continue the tradition of wearing it over your face until the presiding clergy pronounces you “man and wife.” Then either your groom or your honor attendant will lift it. Or, you can have it lifted earlier in the ceremony just after your father (or whomever has walked you down the aisle) has placed your hand in the hand of your groom. Typically the groom then lifts the veil. This certainly gives you both better eye contact as you exchange vows. If you are having a double ring ceremony, your honor attendant can lift your veil before handing you the groom’s ring. Many brides wear a veil but forego the use of a blusher veil that needs to be “lifted”. That seems to many to be less cumbersome. Whichever role the veil will play in your wedding is totally up to you. Likewise, there are options for you as you walk down the aisle toward your groom.

At one time young girls were considered “property” and marriage was a transfer of ownership. The custom of being “given away” by one’s father can be traced to that custom. Today’s bride can choose that “transfer” or have her mother or both parents walk her down the aisle. Then when the presiding clergy person asks, “Who gives this woman?” or better “Who presents this woman?” or “Who blesses this union?”, your mother and father or both sets of parents would reply “we do.” We think that is a beautiful way to start your married life. The options are yours.

Happy Planning…Kay

We often counsel our brides on the true and expanded role that bridesmaids play in her wedding plans. It is far more than merely buying a dress with matching shoes and showing up at the ceremony on time. How much each bride expects of her maids is a highly personal choice, but we think knowing about the traditional roles will help her choose what exactly she’d like from each. We also counsel our brides of the need to share this information with her friends prior to asking an individual to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. One can find all sorts of resources, which discuss the history of bridesmaids, but there are likely two traditions. One evolved from a cultural/ religious belief that evil spirits would try to derail a bride’s happiness in marriage; so young women dressed just like her and surrounded her to confuse those evil spirits. A second comes from Roman times when by Roman law, at least ten young maidens were required to “protect” the bride from capture. While today’s bridesmaid isn’t expected to engage is hand- to hand combat to protect her friend, she is expected to assist the bride in various parts of the wedding plans and ceremony. Too few bridesmaids know what the role entails. So when a girl says,“Yes, I’d love to be in your wedding party”, what does that mean? It means that:

• She will offer emotional support and be available for handling some of the details of the wedding if the bride needs her.
•  She will be invited to all of the showers being held for the bride.
• She will participate in and perhaps help plan the bachelorette party.
• She will offer assistance as needed in various projects like helping to address invitations, printing seating charts and place cards, or train fluffing before photos.
• She will help select the bridesmaids dresses, be cooperative in the choice and be prepared to pay for her own gown and accessories unless the bride clearly offers her financial assistance.
• She will attend the rehearsal and be a cooperative participant.
• She may be asked to stand in the receiving line and assist in moving guests through it. If she is not in the receiving line, she may be asked to function as a roving hostess and ensure that the bride and groom have the opportunity to greet everyone at the reception. If the wedding reception includes a dance, the bridesmaids have a responsibility to ensure that guests do dance. They get people out on the dance floor. 

In a way, bridesmaids are still helping to ward the “evil” spirits of stress and strain that may rob the bride of the joy in her wedding. 

Happy Planning…Kay