Something old, something new;
Something borrowed, something blue;
And a silver sixpence in her shoe.

(By Abbey Fowler) Once again, our theme borrows from that traditional wedding poem — Old, New, Borrowed, Blue. If you missed my previous posts, check out 2011 Spring, Summer and Fall! After this post, we will start with a new theme in Spring 2012.

Winter need not be blue or lack cause for celebration. This is the season of gathering, so keep these ideas in mind for all your non-wedding holiday entertaining as well! Since we’re wrapping up the holidays, now is a good time to “re-gift” out-of-date toys, gadgets & clothes so as to keep them out of the landfill. Donate toys to local charities and find one of the many companies that will pay you for old electronics.

Something Old — Paper Tablescapes

Start with a fun tablescape. If dressing up the table settings is in order, consider unique placemat options. Instead of buying placemats made overseas and shipped here using tons of our dwindling resources, repurpose some old materials and DIY.

Above are pages torn from an old book (Great Expectations, romantic and fitting) then rolled up then stapled together from beneath the bottom charger. This adds dimension and a natural feel. Other fun materials you can repurpose are music sheets or newsprint. This idea serves well as buffet trays if the notion of creating handmade place mats for your entire guest list appears too daunting. I even turned the sample pictured here into a to a holiday wreath after I completed my photo-shoot for this post on Against the Grain.

Another “Something Old” tablescape idea is to use old-fashion Rock Candy as a favor and napkin weight. The white rock candy looks like ice perfect for your winter wedding. Add color with a ribbon and “Thank You” tag.

Something New — Bridal Bolero (Locally Made)

Nothing is more unattractive than a bride in a bright purple puffy ski jacket. Winter weddings in my home state of Michigan require more warm attire and careful planning. Many brides add a cape, bolero, muff or fancy gloves to the ensemble. Such items aren’t often found off the shelf, so consider a custom design.

Working with a custom designer on gowns and accessories is the sustainable way to go. Many retailers offer truckloads of dresses that are “budget-friendly,” but do not support your local economy. Also, dresses, tuxes and suits are either made overseas or made from fabric that was manufactured overseas, depressing our local manufacturing opportunities. But, if you employ a local designer you get not only the gown/accessory for your exact style and body type, you may also select from locally made (or regionally or nationally made) fabrics. Seek fabric that has traveled the least or, at least, was processed in a sustainability-conscious mill. You’d be surprised how reasonable working with a local designer and using locally loomed, e-friendly fabrics can be.

Show above is detail of a bolero originating from Vue Design. The fabric is wool, perfect for the chilly walk from wedding to reception. Wool is a renewable resource, biodegradable and environmentally friendlier than oil-based synthetics. Wool from free grazing, ethically raised sheep supports traditional small-scale industry that once thrived across America.

Something Borrowed — The Wine Bottle Centerpiece

For my “borrowed” category, ask your guests to “lend” you some of their clean empty wine bottles. When I got married I used wine corks at the rehearsal to hold place cards – this required some borrowing.

Here is a wine bottle used as both table number holder and an element of the centerpiece. Low flowers or candles add texture and color. A full wine or champagne bottle makes the bottle for dual purpose: table number holder and beverage! If using ice, ask your stationer for waterproof label paper. Shown above is a Kraft paper label that is nice and thick, so it covers up the previous bottle label.

Something Blue – The Warmly Layered Invitation

Blue is a most common winter wedding color, often paired with silver or other blue shades and used in an array of details. In wintertime, many invitations are adorned with lace, tissue, ribbon or satin wraps to add dimension as well as a feeling of adding warmth.

If using a fabric layer, again, as discussed above, look for fabric that supports your local economy and green-conscious practices or repurposes that which you already have. For example, this is covered in burlap, a sustainable, natural product that uses all of the original plant and is 100% biodegradable. As a bouquet wrap, it lends texture to vases and other details. Now, burlap or thicker laces don’t fit well inside an envelope so a boxed invitation is required. While more material is not always the most eco-conscious design choice, for your more craft-oriented guests, suggest repurposing the boxed invitation to other uses including scrapbooks, gift tags or garden compost.

Stay Warm!

Winter need not be blue. Make it eco-friendly and as happy as possible, whether you’re celebrating a marriage, hosting family gathering or partying down with friends during the upcoming College Bowls and Superbowl festivities. See you this Spring!

Abbey Fowler from 6.25 Paper Studio

{From the Editor:  Abbey Fowler is the proprietor of 625 Paper in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 2008 Abbey left her job as Art Director at a publishing company and started Syd Design to concentrate on custom wedding stationery. After three years of growth, she re-branded as 625 Paper (her wedding anniversary is June 25^th) and moved into a small retail space in downtown Grand Rapids. Her popular seasonal column offers great wedding ideas in paper that are beautiful, unique and environmentally friendly.}

Show Them the Love

Editor’s Note: According to Abbey Fowler of Syd Design in Grand Rapid, MI, if you are looking to create a more eco-friendly wedding, the best solutions lie in the most minute of details. Overlook no opportunity that can make your wedding celebration one that honors not only your future as couple but also your relationship with Mother Earth.  Below, she shares with ideas that are creative, sensible and delightful. See far, far below for links to some of Abbey’s favorite wedding related sites.

By Abbey Fowler of Syd Design

It’s a little disconcerting when you think about it. Wedding invitations, decorations, reply cards, ceremony programs, seating place cards, thank you cards, mailing envelopes and menus.  Too much wedding “stuff” gets tossed in your county landfill. So much for a bright future, right?

But. It does not have to be that way. There are many stationery vendors, paper suppliers and printers working to reduce the environmental impact of paper and printing.  All it takes is a little awareness and creative thinking. Your local stationer today has a wide range of eco-friendly options to offer. They are on top of the latest information. Put them to work so that your special day is as green as it is white.

Sure, there are the obvious choices, options such as plant-able seed paper for programs or re-using your grandmother’s cake topper. But look deeper. By carefully considering other details you can drastically reduce environmental impact of your printed materials and decorations making you and your guests feel even better after the party is over.  Consider the classic poem:

Something old, something new; Something borrowed, something blue; And a silver sixpence in her shoe.

In the Victorian era, each of these items represented good-luck tokens a bride carried or wore at her wedding. Each “something” would ensure that her marriage would be long and happy. This timelessness of the poem’s message is relevant today because it is a great way to think about sustainable options that honor not only the wedding couple’s future hopes but also their hopes for their friends, family, community and planet.

Something Old: Family Wedding Photo Display

One popular idea that honors family heritage is to display wedding photos of past generations at the reception.  Watch delighted and curious guests flock over to view and discuss them. Hang the photos by clothespins from string or ribbon. Attach them to branches of a tree or decorative branches. For a more rustic look, use an old doorframe or window shutter as a display element. If the reception venue has a nice shelf or mantel, do a little antiquing and display the photos inside unique vintage frames. Your display elements can then be reused and incorporated into your home décor later!

Something New: Invitations

It’s difficult to “borrow” or reuse old wedding invitations. Your wedding invitations should be newly made just for your wedding. That does not mean they cannot be eco-friendly. There are many sustainable options in stationary products. Here, I use the Levi suite from my studio collection, a casual and organic set is shown printed on Neenah’s ENVIRONMENT 100% PC Desert Storm, Neenah’s ENVIRONMENT PC 100 Natural paper and a wildflower seed-embedded paper from Of The Earth. Any fine stationer can help you source a quality sustainable papers that suits your style and sensibility, whether its natural, modern, glamour or classic.

Something Borrowed: Confetti

Confetti can be a horrible waste of paper. Unless, of course, the wedding couple uses paper that is destined for recycling bin anyway. “Borrow” it to make confetti. Ask your stationer if you can have scrap paper from other wedding materials. Then, use shape punches on them to enhance reception, wedding shower or bachelorette party decor such as, say, snowflakes for a winter wedding or shimmering circles for a New Years wedding.

Something Blue: Paper Flower Wreaths or Bouquets

For the bride, bridesmaids or flower girl, you need floral bouquets. If you cannot find an organic or locally grown flower supplier, I recommend using flowers made from 100% PCW paper. This beautiful and fun alternative also will last longer than a real flowers! With a little advance planning, your stationer can fashion for you a custom bouquet that matches your wedding stationery. The flower girl bouquet shown here was made with Neenah’s ENVIRONMENT PC100 White, ENVIRONMENT Green Tea, CLASSIC CREST Welsh Blue and Windsor Blue.

Good Luck!

Like any successful wedding plan, the solutions are in the details. Plan ahead. Your biggest day can become not only a celebration of the beginning of a life long marriage, but also a celebration of a healthier future through sustainable living. Your wedding guests will leave with memories of a love-filled day, but also a wedding that reminded them to love the earth as well. Talk about a wonderful souvenir. You will be surprised how easy this can be.

Syd Design is a locally owned stationery company based in Grand Rapids, Michigan that endeavors to promote and support its community by developing printed-paper solutions that help make our planet healthier. Says Abbey Fowler, Syd’s Creative Director, “Our role is to translate a client’s individual style into paper solutions for their unique events.” Syd’s specialty is custom stationery and fun greeting cards that fit everyday occasions. Abbey suggests these wedding related sites to visit for ideas, inspiration and info:  Pearls Events,  Wedding Chicks,  Snippet & Ink,  Once Wed,  100 Layer Cake,What Junebug Loves, Style Me Pretty