Handmade, Repurposed, Burlaps Coffee Bags

Starting today on our handmade burlap gift bags for all of our guests.  Saltspring Island Coffee graciously gave us their extra burlap coffee sacks.  We shall make good use of them.   We visited their Richmond store and picked up a nice bundle to start with.

We are not like other wedding fair where you receive swag bags full of advertising material.  As we are a homegrown event we try to give all of our guests their own wedding favour as they leave.  In the past we have given away flower seeds and macaroons.  This year we will have a handmade 3D paper heart in our little handsewn bags to give out. 

I will give a shout out now to all my little crafty helpers who really go above and beyond the call in helping me pull all the DIY elements together.

EP!C weekend

Many  vendors from The Grassroots Wedding Fair are at EP!C this year.  The event itself is quite phenomenal and it truly is an eco-friendly love-in.  The wedding showcase features many old friends and day 1 was great to meet and see how everyone is doing.

The green wedding community is not very large and EP!C is a nice way to welcome new businesses into the fold.  I believe we will all come away from this event more resolved in making a difference in our community. 

sweet earth photographics (that’s me!) and Sweet Naturally Bakery fill out one corner of the wedding showcase quite nicely.  I am enjoying chatting with Francis and Dickson of Sweet Naturally and finding out more about how their stint with the winter Farmers Markets went.  They will return for the summer markets as well.  I love the diversity of their baking specialties from gorgeous wedding cakes to scrumptious scones and cookies.

Another old friend is Onyx from Amoda Flowers who brought in both centrepieces for the Epicurean Court and bouquets for the Wedding Showcase.  Her sense of style always impresses me and the range of bouquets she creates can match any bride’s whimsy.

Shoo-Foo Bamboo offers wedding registries to couples interested in more sustainable options.  Shoo-Foo has a well-organized system to help couples set up their registries and their products are beautifully made.

Pure Magnolia provided wedding attire and Spark Jewelry provided bridal accessories for the EP!C Wedding Showcase.  Patty and Christina make sustainable fashion come to life with gowns made from natural materials and bridal jewelry made from recycled silver.

Olla Urban Flower Project is also at EP!C with air plant boutennieres, stunning bouquets and their signature living favours and centrepieces.

EP!C is a truly exciting event for those commited to sustainability and for those who are curious and want to learn more.  I am very pleased to see so many familiar faces.  Change may come slowly, but attending an event such as this just reminds me that yes, we are on the right path.

Shona Dion

photos by sweet earth photographics

Vintage inspired table setting.

We may be still in the dark of winter, but  with spring around the corner what better way to celebrate the blossoming of new life than a DIY vintage inspired table setting.

These gorgeous fair trade blooms are courtesty of Whole Foods Cambie Market.  We supplied the vintage bubble vase and the mason jar and the lovely ladies of the floral department created a display of subtle pinks and greens with a vintage flair in mind. 

The table runner is a handmade creation upcycled from an old wool blanket which was felted and cut into the shape of a giant leaf with green thread accenting the edging.

The wooden table numbers are created from recycled tree ends from a Christmas tree lot, with tiny holes drilled into the tops and recycled metal curled into a post to  hold the table card.

Green stemmed vintage wine glasses are accompanied by handmade ceramic dishware from eikcam .  Full dishware sets can be customed ordered from eikcam and make a great wedding gift.  Visit Grace at her studio at the Mergatroid Building on Vernon street in Vancouver.

Handmade paper hearts to decorate are made from reclaimed booksand handmade papers and stitched together with embroidery thread.  Holes are made through 6 sheets or more of paper with a awl and then pulled apart to create the 3D effect. 

Large mason jars work beautifully as vases and can be found at any second  hand store.

This vintage bubble vase was found at a second hand store for $2.00.

All of the vendors listed and the DIY ideas shown could be found at The Grassroots Wedding Fair.  More DIY and vendor spotlights will follow.

Photoshoot Contributors:

photography: sweet earth photographics

ceramic plates: eikcam

floral arrangements: Wholefoods Cambie Market

DIY elements:

paper hearts

felted leaf table runner

table number holder

Olla Urban Flower Project

It was a wet January day that I visited Olla Flowers to learn more about  this new florist on the edge of Gastown.  I was well rewarded for my visit and discovered much about the Flower Project that has very strong ties to the community around it.

The store sits in a very beautiful building at 235 Cambie Street with large windows and brick walls.  Everything I saw was for sale and the unique arrangements came in modern and vintage planters. From gorgeous terrariums to fair trade roses and flowers sourced locally,  Olla was alive with colour.

Megan Branson and Dionne Finch are set on urbanizing flower production and working with social enterprises through work with DTES community gardens, local flower lovers and even backyard growers.  They came to this new enterprise through their love of design and landscaping. One of their goals is to ‘bring the outside in’.

Their work within the community includes working with mature gardens for flower cultivation, working with individuals with land available to host a garden and share the crop, hiring locally and purchasing flowers grown in community gardens and then sharing the bounty from corporate events, such as work with Amnesty International with non-profits in the DTES.

For weddings they have everything an engaged couple would need.  Olla Flower Project promotes living wedding favours and centrepieces.  The creative skills of Megan and Dionne can create stunning bouquets and floral displays.  Their living arrangements can be purchased or rented for the big day.

Manifesto for Horticultural Wedding Design

“We are convinced that the bounding vibrancy and evolved design of living plants be at the center of wedding decor. We offer a pair of flowering viburnum bodnantense with an underplanting of snow drops to frame your winter vows, flowering lilac trees in spring, mixed perennial grasses with wild flowers in summer, and berry shrubs heavy with fruit for autumnal nuptials. These living containers will act as metaphors for the sustained love being celebrated. 

 

We support a wedding design movement that celebrates humans’ relationship to the plant world and gifts its clients with beautiful plants that will continue to grow and thrive long after the last dance draws to an end.”
 Olla Urban Flower Project

 

I was very grateful for the opportunity to spend an afternoon wandering the store and learning so much about this unique new florist hub.  This spring will find the shop blooming with new ideas and work in the community.  Megan and Dionne have (no pun intended)  their roots well planted in this neighbourhood and as they expand so will the gardening community around them.

Olla Flowers will be an exhibitor at The Grassroots Wedding Fair on February 12 at Heritage Hall.

Shona Dion

photography by sweet earth photographics

Something new, something borrowed…. something repurposed.

Weddings can create a lot of waste.  Decor accents are one area where it may be hard to keep your footprint low.  Couples want the ceremony to be lovingly decorated and the reception hall to look magical. Wedding and bridesmaid dresses are most likely a one time wear and even though it is nostalgia that has us hold onto these items what if there was a way to share your wedding day features with others? 

Craigslist is a great way to repurpose wedding items and for those couples on their way to marriage, it is a great resource to find coveted dresses, accents and more.

Couples looking to find wedding accent treasures have a new way to go about finding gently used items.  Couples already married have a new venue to sell wedding items to upcoming brides and grooms.  A new market, a wedding swap meet begins next month at Heritage Hall in Vancouver. 

Bridal Swap  is a new venture conjured up by Dream Group Productions, a lower mainland based wedding and event company who saw the need to help new brides and grooms find all their wedding needs in one place. Not only is their idea economical it is also a great way to keep your wedding footprint low.

Geneve McNally best explains their reasoning:

“Bridal Swap came about after spending several summers watching our clients purchase and make rather than rent candy/centre piece vases and candle holders (thank you IKEA), overlays, chair covers, etc.  They justified it by saying that it was the same (if not sometimes cheaper) to buy something rather than rent it and most “planned” to sell these items on Craig’s List or other after the fact.  The reality is most brides post wedding do not have the time or energy to go to the trouble of selling these items and they end up often being “temporarily” stored away it their garages and eventually being tossed out or donated (the latter not being so bad).  So, we thought why not create a tangible forum for past brides to unload these coveted items which in turn would benefit not only current bride’s pocket books, but help in reducing the carbon footprint of future brides who may be planning to do just the same thing in purchasing rather than renting vases.  The last reason for creating the event was to have some fun!  We foresee a wonderful energy filled day with lots of bustling brides exchanging goods and possibly even wedding tips!”

Bridal Swap takes place February 20th from 10:30 -4pm at Heritage Hall, 3102 Main Street in Vancouver.  Past brides can find more information about hosting a table from their website and new brides can shop at one location for their wedding needs.

Lala Terrariums, Gorgeous Unique Centrepieces

I met Erin at MakeIt! yesterday and subtly noticed that she is doing custom wedding work.

Lala Terrariums are unique and exceptionally green handcrafted terrariums that come in all shapes and sizes.  Erin makes custom terrariums for wedding centrepieces and has smaller hanging glass terrariums that can add to the decor of your reception.   Erin seeks out vintage glass to create her terrariums in whenever she can.

For table settings, Erin suggested placing a tag under one lucky guest’s table seat  and the terrariums become a gift for someone to take home after the reception.

Not only are Lala Terrariums a completely sustainable wedding decor item, they offer a new and different take on the traditional table setting.

 

Shona Dion