Monday, April 9, 2012
It was a blast hanging out with Ashley King for the first ever Whole Wedding Bridal Show at Whole Foods Green Hills last month. This eco-friendly geared bridal show featured wedding services offered by Whole Foods along with other cool "green" Nashville vendors. I was definitely a happy camper, as this was a new "green" find for me so please read on and enjoy!
Whole Foods - Wedding Cake, Gelato, Catering, Florals
Whole Foods Market is the largest retailer of organic and natural foods. Their commitment to locally grown food and fair trade initiatives make them a perfect choice for the "green" bride. During this bridal show they really went all out to showcase the variety of services they offer to sustainably geared weddings.
Whole Foods showcased their cakes, catering, and flowers. Their bakery offers wedding cakes that are super creative, mighty tasty, and contain no artificial dyes.
Their cupcakes were as pleasing to the eye and wallet, as they are 6 for $6.99.
The sweet choices did not stop there, as brides also have the option of adding gelato to their wedding menu, full of seasonal fresh fruit ingredients.
The little home-made steak biscuits were also a hit and just a sampling of what Whole Foods can provide on your big day.
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Whole Foods also offers fair practice sourced flower arrangements, which were absolutely stunning.
The entertainment was also in full effect during the show. Robert Luke Entertainment was the event DJ + emcee, bringing a great energy and cool tunes. Celladora Wedding Photography was on hand with their photo booth, allowing the couples to really let loose and have a little fun. Celladora is also a company committed to sustainable initiatives, as they give a portion of their wedding photography profits to Water.org.
Right: Ashley King (ABG founder); Left - Ashley Currie (me)
Arboreal Paper had a booth that made you want to go paper goods crazy! Arboreal's designs are always gorgeous and eco-friendly, giving brides the ability to print on recycled paper with soy based inks. Speaking of paper goods, dandyLion Events provided a fun workshop on making the infamous pom poms. Lindsey with dandyLion Events is all about upcycling and reusing wedding decor for her couples' big day allowing for a personal "green" touch. Street Tuxedo was on hand to share the latest in tuxedo fashion. Not only are they family owned and Nashville based (which we love) but their inventory is largely local, which reduces the need to ship (which is great for the environment too).
I was so excited to find out Whole Foods offers these type of services for the Nashville bride and hope some of you stop by the Green Hills store to learn more.
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Posted by Green Nashville Weds |
Filed under: Bridal Shows & Events, Eco-Friendly Weddings0 comments »
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Happy February!
Ashley with iHospitality, here to give you a monthly dose of all things green in Nashville. As I began making a checklist for my own upcoming wedding, I thought it would be cool to share some green tips that can easily be incorporated into your big day..
1) Choose vendors that give back
Many vendors are starting to give a percentage of their sales to local charities or environment groups. Why not sleep easy knowing your wedding made a positive footprint in the world?!
Catalyst Weddings & Events is a wedding planning service that works with brides on ways they can contribute to charitable organizations with their wedding.
Celladora Wedding Photography donates a portion of their wedding photography profits to the charity Water.org (Picture courtesy of Celladora Photography)
2) Reduce your guests' travel
It is always great to choose a location where you can have your ceremony and reception in one place (like Houston Station, Cedarwood, or Nashville City Club) or at least in close proximity to the majority of your guests, cutting down on un-needed transportation. If a combo location is not an option, consider a location where guests can walk to their hotel after your reception. If you reception isn't centrally located, inquire with the venue and see if they offer a complimentary shuttle to transport your guests in bulk to their hotel or to the airport for departure (Sheraton Music City and Holiday Inn Express have complimentary shuttle service to airport).
The downtown Nashville Hilton is centrally located to lots of fun activities and great wedding venues for your guests' convenience. (Picture courtesy of Hilton Nashville Downtown)
3) Eliminate flowers by using props to decorate your tables or recycle your flowers
Centerpieces do not have to always be flowers: candles and lanterns are a great alternative to cut flowers. Live plants can also compliment your guest tables. Remember, the first goal is always to reduce your impact on the environment. You will always have options that still fall inline with your wedding decor. If you must have cut flowers, make sure to offer your centerpieces to guests at the end of night instead of tossing them in the trash.
Tissue poms made from recycled paper and tons of other recycle/used items became centerpieces in this eco-friendly wedding. (See more here. Picture courtesy of LaPhotographie)
The hand-made fabric bouquets from this Nashville wedding means no extra costs on flowers that will just wither. (Picture by Pear Image Photography)
Venues like Cedarwood use salvaged, recycled materials to achieve the looks of their beautiful weddings. (Picture by Cedarwood)
4) Consider locally grown and in season food
Always request a local, seasonal menu when working with your caterer or venue. This supports your local community and allows you to receive natural, fresh ingredients. Also, make sure to work out a plan with your coordinator or venue to donate any unused food to your local food bank or shelter.
For a comprehensive list of Ashley's food recommendations go here.
Local restaurants and chefs like Jeremy Barlow of tayst and Local Kitchen Catering provide great food made from local ingredients. (Pictures by tayst)
Perl Catering uses locally sourced ingredients, decreasing and limiting the carbon footprint and keeping your wedding catering delicious and eco-friendly. (Pictures by Perl Catering)
5) Serve your beverages in bulk
It is always great to serve up your beverages in large containers. This helps to eliminate massive amounts of packaging and single use bottles. The less items in the trash, the better.
Caterers like Chef's Market have the means to serve drinks in decor-friendly containers that hold enough for everyone.
Rental items (such as these from Southall Eden) can take the place of bottled drinks to cut down on trash.
This quick checklist is great to reference through out your planning process. Going green does not have to be a hassle but a fun way to set your wedding apart, while making a difference.
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Posted by Green Nashville Weds |
Filed under: Advice & Planning, Eco-Friendly Weddings0 comments »
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Ashley Currie here again, owner of iHospitality and now newly engaged ABG Green Blogger!!! I look forward to providing many more resources in 2012 during my wedding planning process, as I love great budget finds plus "green" options.
I wanted to dive into bridal wear this month. No potato sack designs here, just organic and socially responsible wedding attire with chic, modern, traditional or vintage style.
So, what makes the bridal wear "green?"
1) The Material:
Cotton, Silk, Hemp, and Bamboo make up the major fabrics for current eco-friendly bridal designs. Alfred Angelo, a popular bridal designer created their Purely Alfred Angelo line with eco-friendly materials plus great design that appeals to all types of brides.
Bridal and Formal Shoppe - Purely Alfred Angelo
(line available here)
1630 S. Church St., Suite 119
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
615.890.7141
Website: Bridalandformalshoptn.com
Pictures courtesy of Alfred Angelo, Inc
2) The Reusability
Remember the 3 R's: Recycle, Reuse, Reduce. Bridal consignment is a great way to recycle and reuse bridal wear while saving money at the same time. Second Time Around by Peggy, a bridal consignment shop in Hendersonville, offers great dresses and updates their stock on a consistent basis.
Second Time Around by Peggy
121 Indian Lake Rd.
Hendersonville, TN 37075
615.822.6961
Website: SecondTimeAroundByPeggy.com
Left: picture by Second Time Around. Right: Picture courtesy of Lazaro catalog, available in size 10 at Second Time Around.
3) The Social Responsibility
Make sure your dress is made responsibly and not outsourced to sweatshops or other non-monitored facilities. Justin Alexander, a well known bridal designer, is a perfect example of a company that publicly talks about all they do towards maintaining social responsibility including: complying with relevant environmental regulations, minimizing waste, preventing pollution and establishing other key objectives to reduce their carbon footprint. Justin Alexander also makes an organic bridal line, PURE by Justin Alexander.
Pictures courtesy of Justin Alexander
Be sure to check out the Justin Alexander Trunk Show at Glitz Bridal (February 24-26, 2012)
Glitz Bridal
241 Old Hickory Blvd
Nashville, TN 37221
615.646.9964
Website: GlitzBridal.com
I hope my simple green bridal wear guide will help make your Music City search an eco-friendly success!
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Posted by Green Nashville Weds |
Filed under: Attire - Bridal Gowns, Wedding Dresses & Accessories, Eco-Friendly Weddings1 comment »
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Hi All!
Ashley Currie again, founder of iHospitality and now a girl with a growing love for blogging, cheesy but so true.
Okay, as you are starting to notice, green is not only about treehuggers and Birkenstocks. It is truly about supporting local, making a conscience effort to pay attention to your total lifestyle and the choices you make. This is my little motto I try to incorporate daily plus a great segue into my post for this month. I wanted to provide a genuine look into the life of a green caterer and show why and how easy it is to incorporate this style of catering into your wedding day.
Kindy Girdley is the owner of The Chic Pea Catering Company. She was raised in Indiana and had a family farm in Kentucky allowing her first dibs on great free-range beef and more. Her childhood really nurtured her love of cooking and she boasts her dad as teaching her everything she knows. Kindy became a vegetarian over 13 years ago, as her mom was diagnosed with colon cancer leading her to realize meat was not the key to survival. This realization, along with her love of food, is the foundation for The Chic Pea Catering Company. Her seasonal menus offer vegan, gluten-free and locally grown ingredients. Kindy’s catering gives you a dose of simple flair, tasty food and green living all wrapped into one for your big day. Check out what you can expect if you go green with Kindy for your big day menu.
Impressive Seasonal Menu:
Kindy personally works with each of her clients to create a menu full of the freshest ingredients, bold flavors and healthy undertones.
Sample seasonal menus you need in your life plus a handy legend for the "green" newbies out there (wf=wheat-free, gf=gluten-free, sf=soy-free, vg=vegetarian, v=vegan, suf=sugar-free, df=dairy-free).
For the Vegan:
Polenta Cakes with Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese & Honey (wf) (gf) (sf) (vg)
Port Poached Figs Wrapped, Stuffed with Goat Cheese (wf) (gf) (sf) (df)
Mushroom Puff Pastries (vg) (sf) (suf)
Veggie Pate (v) (wf) (gf) (sf) with Rosemary Crackers (v) (sf) (suf)
Alfalfa & Spinach (wf) (sf) (gf)
Pumpkin Gnocchi with Brown Sage Butter (vg) (sf) (suf)
Steamed Broccoli, Garlic & Cranberries (v) (wf) (gf) (sf)
roasted potatoes
For the Carnivore:
Sweet & Spicy Meatballs (vegetarian, beef, lamb, chicken or turkey) (df)
Assorted Cheese & Platter (wf) (sf) (gf) (suf) (vg)
Stuffed Grape Leaves (wf) (gf) (sf) (df) (v)
Roasted Red Pepper & Feta with Toasted Crostini & Vegetables (wf) (gf) (sf) (vg)
Warm Mediterranean Lentil Salad (wf) (gf) (vg) (sf) (suf)
Rosemary & Lemon Roasted Chicken (gf) (sf) (df) (wf)
Rosemary Roasted Red Potatoes (v) (wf) (sf) (gf)
lentils - left; lemon roasted chicken - right
Locally Grown Ingredients:
Once you have finalized your big day meal, Kindy will submit her orders to her local farmers along with a usual trip to the Farmer’s Market. Many times, her famer’s will personally hand deliver her orders or provide via a designated CSA (community supported agriculture) location. Some of the local farms Kindy works with are: Delvin Farms, Bountiful Blessings, Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese, Drew Brews, and Lazaroli’s Pasta.
Locally grown ingredients are a true stimulus for your community’s economy. It gives people a warm, fuzzy feeling knowing where their food came from and who produced it.
A Caterer Who Cares:
It may sound cliché, however Kindy is passionate about food and the clients she serves. Her green lifestyle is not just for show and you can see this through the dishes she prepares. Many times caterers are looking to "go green" for the sake of marketing and not truly embracing what it actually means. I asked Kindy, what are a few tips she would recommend to brides looking for green catering options and she stated "do your research, ask for references and the vendors they use. Be very specific about what you are wanting and be involved with the process so you know things are being done responsibly."
Kindy is truly a caterer after my own heart and is not stopping at The Chic Pea Catering Company. She will be opening up Thrive Kitchen with Melissa Brown near downtown Nashville. It will boast a cafe, meal delivery service and cooking school. You can follow Thrive Kitchen as it progresses via The Chic Pea Catering Company Blog
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Posted by Green Nashville Weds |
Filed under: Cakes & Food, Eco-Friendly Weddings1 comment »
Thursday, October 13, 2011
It is Ashley Currie with iHospitality, here again with another look at the green wedding scene in good ole Music City. This month I am highlighting a green inspired wedding along with some pretty unique, sustainable style centerpiece options for your guest tables. Quick note: if you are expecting a lot of neutral colors and simplicity for decor then you are going to be pleasantly surprised, as I have a lot of color and fun to show this round.
Bethany and Doug were married at Houston Station on September 3, 2011. This couple started out wanting to ensure their wedding had a small footprint while sticking with their awesome personal style. They enlisted the help of Lindsey Huddleston with dandyLion Events to make their wedding day green and memorable.
Image courtesy of La Photographie
The couple cut out disposables and opted for palm leaf dinnerware. They had on-site recycling bins…woohooo Houston Station, I like that! And much of the couple’s décor was reused from another friend’s wedding; mixed with items from their own home. Tissue poms were made from recycled paper and they even used the scraps from making the poms as confetti. The groomsman also had recycled car emblems as their boutonnieres...priceless.
Tissue poms were made from recycled paper.
Recycled car emblems were used for boutonnieres.
These little baby sapling favors were my absolute fave, a creation straight from their great event planner Lindsey. The honey favors were donated and the great flamingo hand cloths were a gift and also the décor for the head table.
Looking for alternative to flowers for your wedding reception? Bethany and Doug used sustainable options, while still keeping their personal style in tact. Check out some great ideas below.
Silver Bottle Centerpiece with Branches: Chic, subtle and of course wine was the first use for these bottles. So, make sure and set aside your wine bottles during the planning process allowing you to create a DIY centerpiece project for your big day.
Groupings and Vintage Pieces: Donated vintage books, birdcages, and figurines make a great alternative to cut flowers.
Mini Cake Centerpieces: Let’s talk about reusable! Placing mini cakes on each guest table instead of cut flowers, really makes for great presentation without one morsel being tossed in the trash.
Cupcakes double as wedding favors!
For more green wedding ideas check out some green wedding posts.
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