Green Options

On Saturday, the most influential woman in my life is getting married. The love that radiates between her and her hubby-to-be is intoxicating- inspiring me to treat not only my boyfriend, but everyone in my life with as much respect and adoration as she does.

With her wedding on my mind, I find my thoughts wandering to my current dream wedding dress from Seattle based designer, Wai-Ching.

With bike weddings, bike parades, hundreds of naked bicyclists, bike fashion shows, popular & interesting cargo bikes, and travelling bike pubs, Portland is #3 on this great bicycle city photo tours list.

Portland has great bicycle facilities (colored bike lanes, bike boxes at intersections, great bike signs, off-road bicycle paths, etc.), a large number of people using the bicycle for transportation, and a bike culture that brings the fun of bicycling to another level.

As a result of these factors and more, Portland was the first large city in the US to achieve the Platinum level Bike Friendly award from the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) — the Platinum level being the highest level possible (above Gold, Silver and Bronze). It is truly a world-class bicycle city now, and the amazing photos in this photo tour help to show that.

If you’re about to be engaged, the engagement ring and wedding band can offer an excellent opportunity for true positive social and environmental impact. Check out these reputable “green” jewelers to start your search.

If you are looking for beautiful eco-friendly earrings to wear for your wedding or for upcoming holiday parties, then look no further than Rebekah Green’s sustainable styles.

Rebekah Green has eco-elegant studs, leverback drops, dangling leverbacks, hoops, chandeliers, and even children’s earrings all made from 100% recycled 14K and 18K gold, along with fair trade gemstones and cubic zirconia.

Selene and Alex Cole have a US-neighbor company, Little Foot Yurts, in Nova Scotia. Their style is based on traditional Mongolian and Kazakh yurt designs.

Most regions in the US have some style of yurt company these days, so what’s the big deal? The answer is rental and setup services.

Are you planning a wedding in Michigan and you are hoping your big day will be a shade of green?

Then look no further than the Traverse City area which boasts beautiful resorts, wineries, and bed and breakfasts-many that have gone green.

I love looking at Vintage wedding gowns and accessories and Etsy is a great place to do it. You can find such amazing deals on Etsy.

Check out this amazing 1950’s Tea Length wedding gown. It is flirty, feminine and sexy. I just love the 50’s styles they are so cute. The same seller has a variety of vintage dresses that are just beautiful.

Etsy has gowns available from all eras- Victorian to 80s. I really love how feminine the gowns weer from the 40s, 50s and early 60s.

I’ve always had a special place in my heart for the Victorian era with the layers of lace and quiet romance. There are a couple Victorian gowns available on Etsy that are phenomenal. In such fabulous shape and for such reasonable prices. Of course a few are vintage but not true Victorian they were made back in the 70s when Victorian styles were popular once again. That doesn’t make them any less beautiful though.

I always thought the name Portovert was a little off. Sure it means gateway to green or door to green but how many people are going to understand that.

I think it was smart to change the name of the magazine to WedVert which pretty much means green wedding, which is what Portovert is all about. Now it just makes more sense for the common folk that couldn’t pronounce Portovert.

Another change is that WedVert has now partnered with WedShare and eco-designer Yoko Chapman to provide personal wedding website designs matched with the very first 100% carbon neutral wedding stationery line, VERT.

Now here’s something truly creative for the guy who doesn’t want to wear flowers or for the couple who wants to add a little bit of personality to their wedding.

Erin Rosenow of Rosenow Floral Design, has created the Fritts Rosenow line of Bespoke Boutonnieres. These are creative accessories that show off your unique style and personality.

They are also a little eco-friendly since they don’t use pesticide laden flowers that will get tossed after the special occasion. These boutonnieres are more likely to be kept as the keepsake they should be.

Silver Moon is a wonderful Chicago-based vintage store with an online presence. Silver Moon features gorgeous perfectly in tact vintage bridal. By investing in a vintage garment, you are helping to extend the life of a fine hand-tailored luxury item that may end up in a museum costume collection one day (if it is cared for).

Recently, I find myself adoring every eco-chic wedding site available. Daydreams of my wedding fill my mind, do-it-yourself projects collect on my list of “things never to forget” and wedding dress designer’s names are burned to my brain.  But please, don’t tell my boyfriend.

During my numerous hours spent drooling over my computer I came across twobirds Bridesmaid, the most incredible-intuitive-mind-blowing-why didn’t I think of that myself- choice for bridesmaid dresses known to the human race.  Twobirds is simply this: one dress that can wrap over twelve unique ways with the ability to flatter any body type. Brilliant, right?