Centerpieces

So you want to have your wedding far away at a gorgeous and romantic location? We can't really blame you. The culture, food, and surroundings of a destination wedding are absolutely breathtaking. While the travel associated with a destination isn't always eco-friendly, there are definitely ways you can still have your dream wedding and keep the earth in mind.

The butterfly, a symbol of romance and adventure, captures the essence of a bride and groom as they are starting out on a new journey. Including butterflies as part of your wedding theme allows you to incorporate beautiful colors and a whimsical feel into your wedding. 

Photo Credit: David Murphey

Fall's crowning glory--the sunflower--suits equally well a whimsical or more elegant wedding decor, and with the season in full bloom, it's a natural choice for eco-friendly weddings.

Combine sunflowers with other rich autumn hues to create gorgeous floral arrangements, whether it's the bride's bouquet, or the centerpieces.

The stunning brights of summer have now adopted warmer and more golden hues, providing a natural color palette for an elegant fall wedding. In addition to the complex array of tones that autumn provides, it also gives us a versatile accent piece for decor: the apple, signature fruit of the fall. With many lovely, eco-chic options, now is the time to take advantage of fall's favorite harvest. 

As the summer winds down, we're starting to think about rich oranges and deep reds. All the stores have already stocked their Halloween candy, school is starting, and the summer wedding styles are giving way to autumn's hues. But before we go there, how about one last summery, delicious, bright decor entry? There's nothing like a citrus-y colored wedding, complete with bold fruit accents, to make it an endless summer.

As Kate says in the green wedding tip of the week, flower petals are a beautiful, budget-conscious, and eco-friendly alternative to disposable aisle runners, and they can suit many different wedding styles. Have adorable flower girls sprinkle petals along the aisle during the ceremony for a romantic touch, or create a lush, gorgeous aisle with a heavy layer of petals.

Tin pails bursting with flowers are all around this season's weddings. They are another one of those perfectly versatile decor pieces that you can find used or borrow, and then return, repurpose, or donate back after the big day. Take a look at just of few of the possibilities.

Unadorned tin pails filled with seasonal blooms create a simple, understated look.

When the weather is hot, nature's perfect food (fruit, of course!) always looks refreshing and delicious. It's no wonder, then, that fruit has been cropping up all over this summer's trendiest wedding decor.

Here are some ways to incorporate fruit's juicy sweetness into your celebration.

Pin (recycled) paper place cards to pieces of organic fruit to help guests find their seats.

Who isn't dreaming of the sand and surf this time of year? We've caught the beach bug over here, especially after looking at some of these great photos. With images like this, how could we not be inspired to do a barefoot-in-the-sand entry?

Kate's tip of the week got us thinking about all the different ways to make florals more unique, eco-friendly, and cost-effective. Of course, it's summer time, and the bounty of seasonal flowers is limitless, but if you could take advantage of that, add something special to your decor, AND cut back the number of flowers you use, why wouldn't you? Balancing the number of flowers you use with other natural and sustainable elements makes good sense for the environment and the budget.