The Backyard Bouquet
Image source: Flickr.com
Last weekend I went to the most beautiful, green-friendly wedding I’ve ever seen. The entire thing was eco-conscious—from the food to the favors to the music! The food was all locally grown, some of it was even from the bride’s own garden. The favors were handmade from found materials and they were all unique. Some were stones painted with pretty designs. Others were potted plants or seeds. Some were soaps made by the groom and his best man. It was a wedding that seemed to break all the rules. Nothing matched, the bride was barefoot, and the guests were dressed in all manner of wacky colors and styles (as per the couple’s request). Despite its crazy hodge-podgeness, the event felt unified and pure, perfect in its eccentricity. I think it was the philosophy of the event that brought it all together. It was a zero-impact, 100% natural party and I left feeling refreshed, renewed, and totally inspired.
Image source: Projectwedding.com
One of my favorite parts of the party was the flowers. They were all wild and weedy and most of them came from the couple’s farm. It gave me an idea: why don’t more couples gather wildflowers for their weddings? I suppose the answer is simple enough—It takes time and energy—but even busy couples can send a few friends out to gather the bouquets. If you’re flexible and free-spirited about it, any living blossoms will look beautiful. If waiting until the day before to gather flowers is a little too stressful, consider incorporating wild blooms into your bouquet or hair or make just a few bouquets for the gift table.
Image source: Pncs-roseburg.com
My friend grows sunflowers (if you think ahead, you can grow them for your wedding too). They are her favorites and they bloom absolutely everywhere around her farm. She used that flower as her focus and came up with tons of creative ways to incorporate it into her décor. She built a trellis out of grape vines and wove sunflowers between them, creating a stunning golden arch. She tied tall sunflowers to the chairs at the head table so each person in the wedding party felt like a prince or princess on a living throne. She even plucked the petals from sunflowers and put them in a basket for the flower girl.
Image source: Sparkleandhay.blogspot.com
If you don’t happen to have a backyard garden, consider surveying your local meadow. As long as you don’t pick anything rare, picking wildflowers is perfectly eco-friendly. Just make sure you’re not picking every flower in the area and enjoy the process! Nature provides the perfect eco-friendly décor.
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by Anni M.
