{photo by Maya Myers}

tw. @mayamyersPhoto

fb. http://www.facebook.com/maya.myers

t 310.425.8904

c 310.963.2623

While all the shots haven’t been totally prepared and edited to the nines just yet, their photographer Stephen Hughes indulged me and sent these lovelies to my inbox for sharing. Nosh on this delicious eye candy and expect more in the next couple of weeks.

And just a note please that if you are going to use these pictures that you properly credit Stephen and the original source (this blog, essentially) of the photos. You can even notify him or me (g@lilyspruce.com) if you do so. Thanks mucho!

Stephen Hughes
634 2nd Street
Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 290-5399
info@stevetakespictures.com

{Getting ready to put the flowers out on the tables}

{A young guest helps herself to my parasols}

{Bethany + Dan’s hand-painted sign directing guests to take a look at old photos}

{My vintage Rex Jet wagon gets its moment in the sun}

{Bethany’s sign strung by clothespins–you know how much I love those}

P.S. I have never had such delicious vegan cake in my life, one of which was lovingly baked by one friend and the main two-tier by another, finished on-site. Needless to say, more to come!

Today is Earth Day, and while we’re all doing our small part today to preserve our home planet, it’s always good to keep in mind the impact of our personal actions every other day as well. I got into this business for a lot of reasons, but the foremost being that I really wanted to help people be a little bit more mindful about their wedding, especially when it came to planning and purchasing.

There are many ways to offset the impact of such a grand event, and you need not look any further than some older posts of min. For greening your flowers, read up here, and for 6 easy tips on how to green your wedding overall, go here.

And here’s a few more tips:

• Rent as many things as possible such as stemware, plates, linens tables and chairs
• Ask your preferred florist and caterer if they can use organic, local or pesticide-free
• Donate wedding flowers to a nursing home or hospital
• Scour Craigslist, eBay and Etsy for vintage finds and then sell it right back when you no longer have use for your items
• Ask your caterer if they’ll compost and sort recycling if it’s available onsite
• Have guests carpool
• In lieu of gifts, choose an organization important to the both of you to which guests can donate

Ready to Wear: Jean in her wedding gown, a family heirloom.

Saving a Tree: Framed programs instead of passed programs.

Green my wedding? Really? Y-E-S! How? Let’s take a lesson from Jean & Trent:

1. Restyle. Jean’s wedding dress belonged to her great-grandmother. Sentimental, chic and easy on the wallet, too.

2. Consider the venue. Jean & Trent’s venue, the Farm at Putah Creek had on-site composting. They also had recycling. Ask your venue if they are able to do the same. Bonus points: ask your caterer what they do with the leftover food and excess wine, champagne and beer bottles.

3. Purchase green. Jean bought compostable utensils and cups for the dessert pie reception, with yours truly playing Compost Cop. The caterer, provided simple china plates, silverware and napkins in tangerine. No waste there!

4. Go paper-less. Instead of programs, the couple printed out two large, easy-to-read signs on tabletop easels. Great for guests who want to know what’s on schedule, so as not to miss all those wedding moments before calling it a night.

5. Hit the Web. Eschew all that paper in your invites in favor of creating a Web sites to communicate to guests all the wedding festivities and important details like accommodations, gift registry and ceremony location. I love how Jean chronicled all her wedding planning and filled guests in on how she and Trent met on their wedding site.

6. Go local. Just like buying and shopping for local produce, you can do the same when it comes to your wedding. You support the community where our wedding takes place, and boost the local economy too. The mariachi band hailed from nearby Sacramento; the caterer came from Berkeley; most of the wine came from local winery Bogle and a family friend brewed the couple their own beer, complete with their own labels featuring a picture of Jean & Trent from their engagement shoot.

Take a page from Jean’s playbook and try out one of these tips for your nuptials!