Eco Wedding Dress

Hi Everyone,

It’s time to pick up the dresses and the tuxes, but wait, you’re probably wondering if you can keep to your “green” theme and still have the wedding attire of your dreams? Of course! We present you the 3R’s of Wedding Attire as proposed by Emily Andersen of Eco-Chic Weddings:

Reduce

• Say no to white: Get a dress in your best colour and truly dazzle with your unique flair. Opt for not-quite-white and get a wedding dress made from non-chemically treated, natural, earth-friendly fabric; soy, hemp silk, organic silk, organic cotton, organic wool, tencel and bamboo are the main fabrics available.
• Support fair trade: Purchase your gown from a company that practices fair trade. (Fair trade practices include: good wages for workers, adequate employee benefits like healthy work environments, fair hours, and health care.)
• Keep it simple: Get a simple dress and add the pretty details yourself.

Reuse

• Wear your mother’s dress: Can you wear your mother’s dress? Or maybe your grandmother, aunt, cousin or friend would welcome sharing their own gown with you for your special day.
• Share your dress: Pick a dress with a friend, sister or cousin who is also getting married and make a pact to share the dress between the two of you. This will give even more meaning to the dress because it will hold such special memories for both of you.
• Use earth-friendly dry cleaning: It’s better for your dress and better for the environment. Don’t wrap it in plastic — the chemicals from the plastic could ruin your dress. Put it in a box (with no window) wrapped in non-dyed paper. Store it in a mild, dry climate — a cedar closet would be ideal. You will ensure someone, someday can wear your dress on their wedding day.

Recycle

• Think ahead: Get a dress that can be remade into a fun, flirty cocktail dress post-wedding.
• Help someone else: Donate your dress to a charitable organization and help make someone else’s wedding dreams come true.
• Invest in recyclable materials: Natural fabric that hasn’t been dyed or treated with toxic chemicals is not only healthier for you, but it is more beautiful and richer feeling than chemically altered material. You can also be sure it will be recycled someday rather than seeping chemicals back into the earth in a landfill.

For more information about eco-wedding attire check out:
Eco-Chic Weddings by Emily Andersen

Happy Attire Hunting

Tiffany & Amalia

So you’ve decided on a planner , and you know what to expect from them, now it’s time for your interview and you need to know what to ASK your wedding planner.

Questions for your planner

• What type of courses have they taken? Educational background?
• What type of experience do they have?
• What makes them a good planner? (Look for words like detail-oriented, organized, great time management skills)
• How long have they been in business?
• Do they have a portfolio?
• What types of eco-behaviors do they currently follow in their daily life?
• What eco-friendly companies have they used in the past?
• What kind of budget have they worked with in the past?
• What kind of packages do they offer?
• Do they have any references?

Questions to ask yourself:

• Did you feel comfortable with them?
• Were they friendly?
• Did they know their stuff?
• Are they within your budget?
• Are they computer literate?

Want to know more about how to choose a wedding planner? Read the other two parts of our Wedding Planner Series.

Part I: Why Hire A Wedding Planner
Part II: What to Expect from a Wedding Planner

For some, switching to a vegetarian diet is the best way they know how to help protect the environment and all who inhabit it. According to the UN’s Report on Livestock’s Long Shadow - Environmental Issues and Options report the livestock section (cows, chicken, pigs) are one of the of the top contributors to our most serious environmental problems - responsible for 18% of the world’s green house gas emissions. (as measured in CO2 equivalents).

With all the buzz words going around it’s hard to stay informed about what options you have as a consumer to help protect the environment. Not all of us are vegetarians or vegans — so what can you do? We’re here to help!

Whats the difference between Organic, Local, and Vegetarian/Vegan Cuisine?

Organic Food is a legally regulated means of producing food that doesn’t use convential pesticides, fertilizers, sewage sluge or growth hormones. Organic Foods can be found at your local farmer’s market and grocery store.

Local Food is the purchasing of products from local companies or farms even drinking your local tap water. Local food can typically be found at your neighborhood farmer’s market, community supported agriculture, food cooperatives or can be created by you! By shopping locally you can prevent a quarter pound of CO2 emissions.

Free-Range: For those of you who eat meat, buy “free-range” animals are a good way to go. Free range is a method of farming where animals are allowed to roam freely instead of being contained in any manner. Farmers practice free range to achieve free-range or humane certification, to reduce feed costs, to produce a higher-quality product, as a method of raising multiple crops on the same land, or for other reasons. Free-Range is more costly, however.

Vegetarian/Vegan: If you don’t want to eat meat, there are more options for you. Vegetarians come in all shapes and sizes, some don’t eat meat but some eggs/dairy products or don’t eat meat but eat fish it all depends on personal comfort and taste. A Vegan lifestyle is stricter - preferring no animal products of any kind.

If you’d like more information about organic, local and vegan options don’t hesitate to check out these sites:

• Livestock’s Long Shadow–Environmental Issues and Options,
• Why Vegan
• 101 Reasons I’m a Vegetarian
• Eating Green Calculator
• Global Stewards Eco-Food Options
• 100 Mile Diet

Thanks for reading & Good Luck!

Tiffany & Amalia

Can’t seem to find a store to register in that has items you would actually use? Wish that you could have a registry at your favorite local business?

RegisterLocally is here to help.

Registerlocally is a website that allows you to create a gift registry at your favorite, independently owned local business. If you don’t see your favorite local store listed on our website you can use the registry to input gifts. Sometimes, small stores have bridal gift registries that can be filled out by hand. If you duplicate the wedding registry here online, then it is accessible to out of town wedding guests. Now you can have a unique eco-friendly wedding registry with all the hemp, recycled, bamboo, natural, organic, green, charitable, local and fair trade gifts you can think of!

On top of that they offer tips & resources to help you plan your special day right down to environmentally responsible wedding rings & bands that you can buy for .99 cents!

Check out www.registerlocally.com for more information.

Until next time, Happy Planning!

Tiffany & Amalia

Looking to do something other than lie on a beach on your honeymoon?  Why not restore citrus groves at the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge or Help protect one of the Southwest’s sole grassland animal habitats?

If that sounds like fun for you why not a volunteer vacation?

Trips usually entail teaming up with rangers, leaders of non-profit organizations or park service personnel and vacations can range from restoring wilderness areas, maintaining trails, working in hospitals, whale watching or research projects.

How much does it cost?

Air-fare is usually covered by you but trips range from $200-$1500 depending on the type of work being done. Meals and Accommodations are usually included as well.

Where can I get more information?

You can look up volunteer vacations on Google or check out the following links for more information.

Sierra Club Volunteer Vacations
Gap Adventures Volunteer

Have you ever volunteered on your vacation?

We’d love to hear about it! Send us your stories at info@talenevents.ca Subject: Volunteer Vacations and we’ll be sure to let everyone know about it.

As Always, Happy Planning!

Amalia & Tiffany

Burts Bees

Since 1991, Burt’s Bees has been offering distinctive natural personal care products. Today they offer more than 150 Earth-friendly, natural personal care products, including face care, body care, hair care, lip care, personal wash, men’s grooming, baby care, outdoor remedies, and kits & gifts. More so,  their products contain the highest level of natural ingredients, nature-safe processes, and environmentally sensitive packaging among their competitors. Sounds like a reason to love them — yes, but not why we love them.

We love them for what they are doing for the world of natural personal care products, and their focus on research and development. Recently they decided to take on a whole new level of standardization in natural products — they made their own.  According to the findings of a recently commissioned a consumer
study by TSC, a division of Yankelovich Partners Inc. they realized that the public is by and large very confused about what constitutes as “natural” and what the standards actually mean.

We understand the confusion.

The Public Perception is that 78% of American women think natural personal care is currently regulated or don’t know if it is, while 97% think it should be. When in actuality, The natural personal care industry is not regulated.

So what’s Burt’s Bees Response? Since natural personal care is not currently regulated, Burt’s Bees is setting the natural standard to help lay the foundation and help customers define what “natural” personal care products really mean.

And for that - we love them. (We also love them for their Super Shiny Lip Gloss.. but that’s another story.)

Have a Wonderful Day!

Amalia & Tiffany

On the ps, if you’d like more information about Burt’s Bees:

Burt’s Bees Website
Burt’s Bees Blog

To hire a wedding coordinator or not to hire a wedding coordinator, that is the question. If you have been battling the same question recently then we’re here to help! This the first of a three part blog, that will give you everything you need to know about hiring a wedding coordinator.First we’ll discuss why a couple might need a wedding planner. After that, we’ll discuss what you can expect from a wedding planner, especially an eco-friendly one. And last but not least, we’ll cover what a wedding planner can do for you! Bookmark this page, if you think it will be helpful for you in the future!

Part I: Why Hire A Wedding Planner
Part II: What to Expect from a Wedding Planner

If you have any questions, we’re here to help! Email us at info@talenevents.ca with all you questions and comments, and we’ll be sure to answer as soon as possible.

Happy Planning!

Tiffany

Guys always get the credit.. Now its your turn! Learning to plan a night out like a party planner is the best way to make a night super special, and save some $$$ too!

1. Find out how many people are interested… Send out an invitation or evite with a date and location TBD (To be Determined) that way you know exactly how many people you are working with. This will be important when you’re calling around and trying to find the best place for your party.
2. Call different bars and ask them what they can do for you!: Remember, even though you’re planning a night of booze and mischief doesn’t mean that not a CUSTOMER. See what nightclubs, hotels, limo companies, restaurants can do for you. Who knows? They might know someone too - so ask them for references and see if you can work a deal with all the people involved.
3. Make sure that everyone is accounted for –  If you’re going to drink find a designated driver, or hire one…: Every good planner knows that risk management is the only way to be able to have fun, and know that everyone will be okay throughout the night. Plan ahead and find out where everyone lives, what taxis are available and what options they have of getting home.
4. Come up with games to make the night progress faster.. They don’t call them ice-breakers for nothing! Getting a group of people who might not know eachother together can be tough, so make sure you have a couple of little quick fun activities to get everyone mingling with one another.
5. Keep your bride pumped till the Wedding Day… She’s stressed out and has a big day coming up, work amongst your new group of bachelorette party friends to see if you can find different ways to keep her motivation up before and after the party.

5.5 Have Fun! Remember this day is supposed to be a stress reliever for everyone involved in the
wedding day. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and delegate!

We hope your bachelorette party is a huge success!

and as always, Happy Planning!

Tiffany & Amalia

If you recently read our post on Organic Wines or have been hearing all the buzz about organic foods and beverages and want to know more, welcome! Organic beverages are a great addition to your sustainable lifestyle and actually taste incredible too. So the next time you put on your party shoes and need to head out to the liquor store for a house warming gift — why not give the gift of organic?

What is Organic?

As I mentioned in the other post, Organic Farming is a more natural way of farming that eliminates the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulations and additives. Instead of these foreign substances and chemicals being added to your food, farmers let nature run its course and produce food naturally.  More so, farmers really have to take a lot of old farmers techniques into consideration.. things like crop rotation, and residues to mechanical cultivation will really help them grow the best crops possible. Organic beers are no different, there are primarily made from barley, hops and wheat so producing these crops usually include lots of pesticides and fertilizers which we’ve seen pose a threat to our health and the environment. Beyond that the transportation of this beer consumes fossil fuels by the truckloads.. literally, with statistics showing that a beer travels as much as 1400 km. before it hits your belly.

How do I know what I’m looking at?

When you walk into a store, shopping organic might not be the easiest thing in the world. It might take a little research before you know what you’re buying. There aren’t many organic beers on the market, but they are easy identifiable. Keep your eyes open for the “Certified Organic” label on the beer which means, like organic wines follow all the standards set by the USDA, which include standards for chemicals used to clean breweries. You can also find beers “made with organic ingredients” which are made from organic grains, but not processed in certified organic breweries.

Buying Local

Another great way to enjoy a beverage without the carbon addage is to take a trip to your local microbreweries. While it’s not organic (although some microbrewers do carry organic brands) buying local beer reduces the amount of fossil fuels used in shipping, and supports smaller, local businesses.

For more information about Organic Beers don’t hesitate to check out the following links:

Green Guide to Organic Beer
The Fermenting Barrel: Is Organic Beer Bad?
Organic or Bust: All about Organic Beer

Enjoy your night out and BYOB, it can be a great conversation starter

Amalia & Tiffany

Heard all the buzz about organic foods and beverages and don’t know what it all means? Well. the next time you put on your party shoes and need to head out to the liquor store for a house warming gift — why not give the gift of organic?

What is Organic?

Organic Farming is a more natural way of farming that eliminates the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulations and additives. Instead of these foreign substances and chemicals being added to your food, farmers let nature run its course and produce food naturally.  Also, they have to take everything they know about crop rotation, and residues to mechanical cultivation to really invest it into their farms to make sure they they get the best crops possible. Organic wines are no different, like other organic products they have been produced from organically grown grapes, and may not necessarily be sulfite -free but they have no added sulfites.

How do I know what I’m looking at?

When you walk into a store, shopping organic might not be the easiest thing in the world. It might take a little research before you know what you’re buying. The Wines of Canada is a site to start out with. On their site they offer a list of Canadian organic wines as well the differences between one organic wine to the other.

For Example, According to the Wines of Canada site:

“100% Organic” means that the wines are produced with grapes that are certified 100 per cent organically grown and do not have any sulfur dioxide added.

“Organic” means that the wines are produced with a minimum of 95 per cent organic ingredients. These wines may have a very low level of sulfur dioxide added to them.

“Made with Organic grapes” refers to wines that have a minimum of 70 per cent organic grapes. These wines may have sulfur dioxide added.

They also add a bit about Biodynamic farming which is a number of techniques used to organic farmers to utilize the vineyard’s natural resources in order to cultivate the highest-quality grapes possible without the use of pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers, or growth stimulants. A vineyard that is certified biodynamic meets and typically exceeds the standards and regulations for organic certified farming.

For more information about Organic Wines don’t hesitate to check out the following links:

Wines of Canada: Organic Wines in Canada
The Dirt on Organic Wines
Style at Home: Top Organic Wines

Enjoy your night out and BYOB, it can be a great conversation starter

Amalia & Tiffany