So many friends and brides asked me what I did for Earth Day.  Was it some amazing project?  Another free wedding for a lucky couple?  Plant trees?  Nope – none of the above.  Well – we did go live with with the Eco-Beautiful Weddings Wedding Earth Day Mini Mag – which was fun for sure!

What I did do is talk about what Earth Day means to me to my child and together we did a couple of small things to help make the world a greener place.  I also remembered how last year I was coordinating Virdina and Kevin’s wedding on Earth Day (click here to see more photos from their wedding at the Decatur House).  Yes, as part of a team, we gave away a $50,000 wedding on Earth Day (for the second time) to help educate couples in the DC area that you can have a fabulous wedding that is eco-friendly and stylish.  I am pretty sure the message got across as over 62% of our couples in this past year have specifically come to our firm asking for some help in going green on their wedding day.

I have a confession to make to all of our brides and grooms: all of our couples get 100% eco-friendliness from our firm. We can’t change who we are!  We are green and we dig it – YEAR ROUND!  Not just on Earth Day!

So – a couple of brides and vendors asked me – Why no free wedding this year?  Well, the answer is simple.  We were able to show a ton of brides and grooms that going green can be stylish.  But on top of it – we were able to really show vendors how to go green as well.  We continue to educate vendors around the world on how to go green!

So this Earth Day, I tipped my hat to Virdina and Kevin’s 1st year anniversary and reveled in the fact that they had a fabulous wedding on one of the greenest days of the year!  My hope is that you are trying to plan your stylish green wedding and will look to us for guidance!

Happy Earth Day, Revisited!

(Photo by The Observatory)

If you are at the beginning of your wedding planning process (or you are about to propose) – you need to start thinking about your rings.  Whether you are shopping for an engagement ring or your wedding bands – first place I recommend to start is Brilliant Earth.  This week through Sunday they are giving away the below pendant (with ethically sourced green sapphire) with any ring you purchase!

Looking for a great organization to donate to in lieu of favors?  Here are a few of our favorites:

The National Wildlife Federation is located right in our area and has been teaching children and educating the public about protecting the environment for the past 75 years.

EDF has one of the most effective ways of helping to save the environment through its extensive network of corporations and key players around the world.  They also have a handy Seafood Selector that helps you determine the best eco-fish to serve!

We are in love with Kiva.  An amazing online community letting you donate to help microfinance individuals in poverty to empower them and create opportunities.

REALLY wanting eco-friendly favors – something your guests can walk away with?  Go local by using the local ETSY tool to buy from a local artisan – here are a few we are loving:

Having a garden wedding?  Why not get a vintage chalkboard – write their names out by tables and have these adorable magnets from SophiePine attached to it as giveaways for the ladies?  This way – you only need to buy about half as many favors and they will give a great decorative look as guests look for their tables! Click on the phone to buy!

I don’t care what people say – cupcakes are a current fad – but cookies will remain!  Don’t have a family recipe?  CookieCrowd on Etsy has these yummy cookies – they are located in Southern VA!  IN fact – you could just have a big cookie bar!  Get 10 different kinds of cookies and let your guests have at it!  Too many people are doing cupcake stations! It doubles as your dessert if you forgo the wedding cake and a favor for those that just want to heist a few for the ride home!

LostRiverRags on Etsy has an amazing assortment of soaps that are made with natural and soy ingredients – perfect for gifts for your wedding party!

There is so much more I can write about – but I will leave that to future blog posts!

I hope you are doing some sort of earthy activity today for Earth Day.  Don’t have a project in mind?  Skip the gym and just go for a walk or dust off your bike!  Heck – you might even think about biking to work instead on those upcoming sunny spring-fall days!  Why not try to find a local farmer’s market and buy your produce there today?  Check your grocery list – are there things on it that could be switched to more earth-friendly or local companies?  Maybe just making a pact with yourself to recycle more.  You would surprised what you can recycle these days (or even reuse).

Earth Day Network can Help you plan your day today.

About.com has a list a few activities you might want to try locally.

A few fun activities were listed yesterday on WashingtonPost.com

You can also find activities all over town to do tomorrow if you have to work all day - The Patuxent Wildlife Research Center has a clean-up every year.

Be creative and get earthy today!  Start a green habit today which will hopefully create a healthier, cleaner and greener wedding and lifestyle for you!

p.s. – If you were looking for a link to the Eco-Beautiful Weddings Spring Mini Mag today – we will hopefully post it at some point today.  3 of our platforms for the magazine route their services through Amazon.com which is currently out of service.  As soon as their services are back up – we will post the Spring Mini Mag!

For our 3rd installment of Earth Day Week – I am focusing on eco-friendly photographers in the DC area.  It goes without saying that I highly recommend my brother and his wife from Documentary Associates.  Their weddings have been featured in the Washingtonian‘s Bride and Groom Magazine, The Knot, Essence.com for their work on the Green Wedding Consortium’s Earth Day Wedding Last Year at Decatur House, Eco-Beautiful Weddings, in the Eco Issue of Bride and Bloom Magazine,  Flower Magazine and more!  Their commitment to the environment includes being carbon neutral with Carbonfund, doing various non-profit organization photography, driving a hybrid, donating to various eco causes and more.  We work with them often and they are located right in the office with us in Bethesda!  (Yes that is a photo of me on my wedding day in the Dominican Republic!)

Another eco-friendly favorite photography firm of ours is The Observatory.  Owner Andrea Jacobson uses public transportation and Zipcar when she needs a car!  Growing up on the west coast, she grew up with reusing and recycling since she was a baby!  She took an enormous amount of photography for our first few issues of Eco-Beautiful Weddings – including our 1st issue’s cover shoot!  Their weddings have been featured in the Washingtonian Bride and Groom, Brides Magazine, The Knot and countless blogs.   You can see more about the above wedding photo at the Meridian House by clicking through to this link on United With Love.

One of the most talented photographers in the DC area is Nicole Wolf of Sota Dzine.  She is also really (what I call) a part-time missionary + full time photographer!  She has taken several trips (and will be going back) to Haiti to help build homes for those affected by the terrible earthquake last year.  Her heart is so big that she has raised over $15,000 to build homes on facebook alone (CLICK HERE TO DONATE)! I am helping her with a fundraiser for her Up From Under Project in November of this year (stay tuned).  I don’t know if I could even list where Sota Dzine has been featured here – it would make this post too long.  The photo from above is from a shoot we did together for Photo District News.  Her weddings and photography have been featured literally all over the world and locally in magazines like the Washingtonian, DC Magazine, The Knot along with international ad campaigns and commercial photography (they even photographed Lisa Loeb’s wedding)!  Their whole team is talented and they have big hearts!

Friend and fantastic photographerJennifer Hughes is sweet as she can be and talented beyond compare.  Heralded in both the greater Washington, DC and Baltimore areas – Jennifer is simply one of the best photographers around.  She has earned her reputation through fantastic wedding and commercial photography.  The above wedding photo (and wedding) was featured in the most recent issue of Baltimore Bride.  Click here to see more!  Jennifer also took the photos from our cover editorial from the Winter 2011 Issue of Eco-Beautiful Weddings as well!

a little bit of whimsy photography is another fave of ours that photographed the cover editorial from our Spring 2010 issue of Eco-Beautiful Weddings here locally.  She captures emotions so well at weddings and just has such an eye for detail.  She gives back to the community in so many ways and has recently become a vegetarian.

Balance Photography – One of the founders of the local green wedding showcase + Green America Member and so much more!  This husband and wife team also does some amazing boudoir work!

I have recently fallen in love with photographer Marta Locklear!  She recently did the amazing new cover editorial shoot for the Spring 2011 Issue of Eco-Beautfiul Weddings and she is a genius at using natural light.  She is an eco-gal!  She has her own vegetable garden and wants to start raising her own chickens too!!

Holland Photo Arts loves the environment and gives 5% of their total revenue to various organizations that help make the world a better place!  This husband and wife team is based on Charlottesville – so they are perfect for weddings in the Northern and Southern VA regions.

K Thompson Photography is another one of our favorite local green photographers.  She is a member of the Green Wedding Consortium and supports many eco-related organizations.

Kristi Odom won my heart as a bride that got married in Africa with very few guests and even took her own wedding photography!  She encourages people to see the world and experience new cultures.  She is also a member of the green wedding consortium and donates a portion of her proceeds to various organizations.  Her weddings have been featured in Eco-Beautiful Weddings, United With Love, Wedding Vow, Newnan Coweta, Wedding Event Style and more.

There are more photographers out there doing amazing things – just be sure to ask them when you meet with them.

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Green Idea of the Day and Contests for today – Already been married and need to sell your dress? – List your Gown on BravoBride.com this week and they will plant a tree with the Nature Conservancy!

Still Looking for your Dress?  Find one, pre-owned and become a Princess for a Day at the same time!  Smartbride has gotten together with an amazing bunch of wedding gurus and companies to give a bunch of wedding stuff away now until the royal wedding day next week!  All from eco-friendly vendors.  Great to shop for your gown too!

Today – we start the week of where you normally start your wedding planning process – THE VENUE!

Looking for an eco-friendly wedding venue can be difficult in the DC area or very easy – depending on what you are looking for. Since the majority of the beautiful mansions in the DC area are historic – you are typically paying to rent a facility that is also used for outreach programs to the local community or for the upkeep of the museum it may hold.  For example – Dumbarton House and Decatur House both are historical landmarks in Washington, DC and both have museums that they run.  Both are beautiful locations with different aspects. (Above is a photo at Dumbarton House taken by Documentary Associates).

We love doing weddings at the Ronald Reagan Building as the chef is dedicated to sourcing environmentally friendly and locally sourced food.  In fact, he took Blue Fin Tuna off the menu as he signed a petition to conserve this dwindling family of fish.

Another wonderful location for an eco-friendly wedding is the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Annapolis.  You can have your ceremony on their beach with the reception inside their LEED certified building.  Even comes with a tent for the outdoor patio for dancing!  Lots of wonderful locations to take photos and part of your proceeds go to help keep the bay clean!

The Arts Club of Washington is another one of our favorites!  (I got married there!)  A non-profit that also does catering in-house.  It supports the local arts community – an acutely dwindling breed of organizations that has stayed strong in James Monroe’s old residence!  This building is also a National Historic Property. (photo by Deb Lindsey)

The National Museum of Women in the Arts is a beautiful venue for your wedding.  A portion of the rental fee is tax-deductible.

The Corcoran Gallery of Art is another location that is on the National Registry of Historic Properties and houses one of the best art colleges in the DC area.

Constitution Hall’s Library and O’Byrne Gallery and Portico is a perfect Washington, DC setting. Run by the Daughters of American Revolution – their non-profit is service oriented and educational.  A non-profit along with being on the National Registry of Historic Properties.

The Warne Lounge at the Cosmos Club is one of the most unique and ornate rooms in all of Washington, DC.  It is about to undergo renovations, but if you are planning your wedding for 2012 and know a member at the club – call them immediately!  Totally one of the most unique and interesting venues and so few brides know about it.  Know anyone in the sciences?  They might know a member there!  We have a wedding there in May – stay tuned for those photos! (Also on the National Registry of Historic Properties).

Not into a fancy old building?  Why not something super new and LEED certified?  The Nationals Park offers a variety of fantastic and modern rooms to choose from to host your wedding.  Even if you are not a baseball fan – would you not love to have this fantastic bar at your wedding?  Their caterers use local resources and the view of the baseball field is not too shabby! (Photo by Amie Otto Photography)

Halycon House is another favorite among brides also found on the National Registry of Historical Properties.  Fair warning here that the property has been on the market for a while and none of us really know what will happen once the the building gets sold.

You’ve seen all the engagement shoots (like this one from Documentary Associates) around the Tidal Basin.  Why not have your actual ceremony there?  On the West Lawn of The Thomas Jefferson Memorial – you can have your wedding!  All you need is a permit.  You get a limited time frame to have it – so it can’t be anything super elaborate.  But where else would you ever have this opportunity to get married next to Thomas Jefferson??? It’s “free” as you pay taxes for it!

The Mayflower Hotel is one of the oldest and most ornate hotels in Washington DC. Also on the National Registry for Historic Properties, the venue is great for all of your out of town guests.  Even better still, you can do both your ceremony and reception in one building and your guests just have to go upstairs afterwards – no buses or shuttles needed!

The absolutely stunningly gorgeous Meridian House is run by the non-profit Washington International Center dedicated to strengthening international understanding through exchange of people, ideas and culture. (Photo by The Observatory)

The National Cathedral is one of the most ornate and glorious churches in Washington, DC  (also on the Registry)!  It’s incredible architecture mixed with its rich history really gives a great sense of grandeur.  (NOTE - The cathedral will perform weddings only when one of the following criteria is met: 1. The bride, groom, or immediate family has made, over a period of time, a noteworthy contribution as a donor or volunteer to the life and ministry of the cathedral; 2. The bride or groom is an alumnus of one of the cathedral schools (Beauvoir, National Cathedral School for Girls, or Saint Albans School for Boys) or is the child under 30 years of age of an alumnus; 3. The bride, groom, or immediate family member is a member of the staff of the cathedral for at least two years at the time of application.)

Josephine Butler Parks Center is possibly one of the most underrated wedding venues in DC Proper.  The Washington Parks and People runs the facility which is all about protecting parks, greening community projects in DC and community outreach in general.  A beautiful space at a reasonable rate.

Woodend Sanctuary has to be one of my favorite places to do weddings.  Nestled in Chevy Chase just of the beltway – it is the home of the Audubon Society and many educational and children’s camp opportunities for the community.  With an amazing grove and mansion with an attached tent – one of the best deals in the DC area as well. (Photo by Heather Z)

The Sewall-Belmont House is actually one of the 4 items in Congress’ “Save America’s Treasures” Program (along with the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution and the Star Spangled Banner).  Again – underrated but a much loved property right on Capitol Hill has a wonderful yard with a tent out back.  This building was the headquarters for the National Woman’s Party where Alice Paul forged forth the woman’s suffrage movement.

This is by no means a definitive list of venues – but a great place to start for you.  There are tons of venues all over Virginia and in MD that I have not covered here (warranting another blog post in the future).

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EARTH DAY CONTESTS TO BE AWARE OF TODAY:

Going to San Francisco this weekend (or want to plan a last minute getaway for the two of you)?  Then get to the Green Glam Go Facebook Page to learn how to win an Earth Day Weekend Getaway in San Francisco by clicking here and “Liking” Green Glam Go on Facebook!

Also – on the Eco-Beautiful Weddings Blog – we have a metal water bottle up for grabs – Click here to learn how to win!

Stay Tuned for more eco DC goodies all week!

Get ready for a whole week of eco-friendly inspiration for your wedding here locally in the Washington, DC area! We will be focusing on eco-friendly venues, floral designs, caterers, hotels and detail ideas all next week!

I will be on staycation with my son all week!  In celebration of Earth Day – my son and I will be out and about doing various projects together for Earth Day!  I would love to know how you are celebrating Earth Day!  Let me know below!  If you need help with ideas – I will be posting various websites links for you and your betrothed to get involved!

Have a great weekend!

(Photo by Documentary Associates of our signature purple artichoke bouquet)

We are so honored and excited to have Virdina and Kevin’s wedding on Essence.com this week.  Their wedding was featured and Virdina and Kevin were interviewed.  To see all the photos and read the article, click on the image above!

Here is a list of the vendors that made their day fabulous!

Bride & Groom Styling – Polished Image & Style

Venue – Decatur House

Caterer – Occasions

Photography – Documentary Associates

Photography – The Observatory

Videography – Jessica Pi Productions

Live Video Streaming – Marry Me Live

Planning & Floral Designs – Elegance & Simplicity, Inc.

Lighting, Furniture Rentals – Ampa Events

Cake – Cakes by Design

DJ – Disc Jockeys On Call

Linens – Table Manners

Hair – Elegant Hair by Giselle

Make-up – Carola Myers

Officiant – Jim Burch

(The above vendors donated all of their services for the green wedding giveaway from the DC Green Wedding Consortium as their wedding was on Earth Day 2010)

Below are other vendors that were paid for by the bride and groom:

Limo – Regal Limo

Accommodations – Donovan House

Cellist – Vasily Popoc

Carbon Offsetting – Carbonfund.org (this was paid for by Elegance & Simplicity on behalf of the bride and groom)

This wedding was our masterpiece of the spring.  Why?  It was a collaboration of all of the players from the Washington, DC Green Wedding Consortium for the $50,000 Green Wedding Giveaway on Earth Day!

From her garter to the pies on sticks – everything was stylish and easy on the environment!

Here is a list of the fabulous vendors that helped make the day green and beautiful:

Decatur House - Historic Property

Elegance & Simplicity - (That’s us) – Planning, Floral designs, repurposed wood stage, photo wall, guest book wall

Polished Image & Style – Color Analysis, Bride, Groom, Bridesmaid Styling

Occasions Catering – Organic and locally sustainable catering

Ampa Events – LED Lighting, furniture rental

The Observatory – Eco-photography

Documentary Associates – Eco-photography

Jessica Piscitelli - Eco-Videography

Disc Jockeys on Call - Eco-DJ

Jim Burch – Local Officiant

Cakes by Design – Organic and local ingredients cake

Table Manners – Local Linens

Giselle – Eco-Hair Styling

Carola Myers – Eco-make-up

Julianne Smith – Green Garter

Marry Me Live – Live video streaming

More photos will be up on the Eco-Beautiful Weddings blog (along with other fun green, wedding and lifestyle blogs) soon!  Stay Tuned!

Watch Virdina & Kevin Get Married Live – right here at 4:30!  If we have problems with the weather – we will post a ceremony video up at 8pm!

A huge thanks to all of the vendors from the Washington DC Green Wedding Consortium for making this a reality!

Happy Earth Day!

We had a wonderful time last Friday helping Dana to pick out her green wedding dress by Adele Wechsler at Promise for the Savvy Bride!  Jessica’s store is right on the same block as our office – so it was super easy to just pop over to the store!  Take a look at the fun photos taken by Tom from Documentary Associates.

Robin Fisher was there from Polished to help Dana find the best dress for her and her sister as the maid of honor.  Finding the right style for your wedding day can be tricky – but not with this dream team!

I just sat back for the ride.  It was very fun to watch Dana try on the dresses sent overnight from Adele directly to make sure Dana had the perfect dress for her eco-friendly wedding.  The Eco-Couture bridal gowns are amazing and full of fun details and sophistication!

A no!  THAT IS NOT THE DRESS SHE PICKED!!!!  That will be secret until the day of the wedding!  Stay tuned – more updates and meetings are planned.

Katie

We will be posting a press release shortly that we will be giving away a $50,000 Green Eco-Friendly wedding at the Washington DC Couture Wedding Consortium 2009 Bridal Show.  The show will be from 12-5pm at te Decatur House Museum on 1/31/09.  Yes – that is next Sunday!

The FREE Green wedding will take place on April 22, 2009 – Which is Earth Day – which is also a Wednesday.  You will be required to sign a release form as the wedding will be promoted in various ways as well as showcased in Katie Martin’s upcoming book about Eco-friendly weddings.  You will also sign an agreement that you will not be holding another wedding.  This will be your only wedding.  Please do not apply if you already have planned your wedding or you are in the process of planning your wedding.  You must only be engaged and be willing to be flexible and have a carbon-free, green wedding with us.

The following vendors will be providing services:

Decatur House Museum – Venue

Elegance & Simplicity – Eco-Friendly Green Wedding Planning

Green Love Events – A subsidiary of Elegance & Simplicity will be providing the flowers and invitations

Documentary Associates – Tom Van Veen will be providing green photography

Love Life Images – Jennifer Domenick will be providing green photography

Carola Myers – She will be providing green eco-friendly make-up for the day of the wedding for the bride

Avalon Caterers will be providing catering.

We look forward to seeing you at the bridal show!

For more information – please register here:
http://www.dccwc.com/2009bridalshow.htm