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My favorite Green Wedding in Melbourne, Australia
A Woodsy Green Wedding on Another Continent
I love the latest trend of woodsy-chic decor for events: ferns, elves and mushrooms. It brings us back to nature, and in return, we plan our weddings and events to keep nature healthy. Why not support our little friends, the elves, fairies, deer and woodpeckers? The photographer for this wedding contacted me, and although the event took place in Australia, I just had to post it. Not only is it a beautifully shot affair, but the overall romantic and earthy vibe is really strong and ethereal. The photographer is apparently the first eco-friendly photographer in Australia. And besides her green life practices, she does some great sustainable business practices as well. Check out what this Australian Eco-friendly photographer, Holly Cottingham, had to say: 1. When did you start your green business? My business has been going for about 3-4 years, however only this year have I begun on the green route. 2. Why did you? I changed my direction because I feel that we can change the world through our purchases. Also, I feel that using recycled paper is just a basic thing that we can do with no extra effort, plus I was never really fond of the standard wedding albums. 3. What are the ways in which you are green/Eco-friendly/sustainable? The ways that I am eco friendly in my business:- Paperless workflow – everything except business cards is online
- Accepting direct deposit – most people have online banking now anyway and it’s easier for both of us, no more running to the bank!
- Online proofing – there’s nothing worse than a huge amount of prints that you’ll never look at
- Recycled paper –business cards are printed on recycled paper
- Digital files – today the easiest way for people to show photos to friends is online
- Eco matte photo prints – made from 100% post-consumer recycled waste though you wouldn’t know it, beautifully soft with little speckling
- How are you green in other aspects of your life?
Here are some beautiful pics of the wedding itself:

The happy couple
I love the simple citrus decor. It's something I hope to include in a Gorgeous and Green Event in the coming months. Yum!

The blooms from the tree are beautiful, and the overall sepia tones are so romantic.

I love this little nature scene on the cake. Those little forest people are so cute!

Lovely.
Thanks to the photographer from
www.hjimagery.com and www.j-studios.com.au
In Green, Ferns, Elves and Health
G&G
Green Wedding in Santa Cruz
Local, Sustainable and Organic
In November, we did a wedding for Heidi and Dave, who had chosen to do local and sustainable flower design for their wedding. The wedding took place at the Chaminade, very close to their home in Santa Cruz. I don't live in Santa Cruz, so I stayed at a local beach cabana with my husband under the guise of a surf weekend. We brought our dog and all the materials I would need to craft 21 large table centerpieces of orchids, some cocktail arrangements, a table card arrangement and the wedding party's flowers. Heidi originally wanted orange and purple flowers, but when we talked with Dave about his needs he asked that we not use very much purple, as in his Italian culture it was considered bad luck. So out went the purple and in came the green, white and orange color scheme that I suggested. I had seen some beautifully decorated rooms where the floral designer used potted orchids as the centerpiece, so I suggested we do the same because the plants could also be used as gifts for those who wanted to take one home with them. I used willow branches, moss and glass vases with rocks to pot the orchids, and they looked beautiful in the room. Around the centerpieces I added some moss and branches I had found from the sea and that had dropped from trees in the mountains. We decided a slightly mountain-y feel would go well for where the Chaminade is located (in the Santa Cruz mountains). The ceilings were bare and we needed some height in the design, so the tall orchid centerpieces did the job wonderfully.



