Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something GREEN? Plan your wedding with the enviroment in mind.

"We at Karlin Studios specialize in on location photography at the Vineyards & Wineries here in Northern California. As you are planning your eco-friendly wedding you might think about a daytime or outdoor reception as there is no need for electricity or lighting. Having your reception and ceremony at the same place, so you do not have to decorate two spots and travel from one to the other." "We also photograph many San Francisco Bay Yacht weddings, where the ceremony is done on board the ship with the reception following, during a fantastic cruise of the San Francisco Bay". (Hornblower Cruises, Commodore Cruises) "These types of eco friendly venues also photograph beautifully, abounding with backgrounds for your romantic wedding images" Says Alan Karlin of Karlin Studios". http://www.karlinstudios.com/

Excerpts from an article By Natalie Ermann Russell in the USA Weekend.
More and more couples are tying the knot with earth-friendly celebrations, effectively wedding traditional "I do's with the three R's of sustainability: reduce, reuse, and recycle. And not surprisingly the wedding industry is adapting to ensure that elegance need not suffer in deference to eco-consciousness.
" There are all kinds of ways to have a green wedding without sacrificing style or taste,"says Millie Martini Bratten, who is the editor in chief of Brides Magazine.
How can you green your wedding? Try these Ideas:

CENTERPIECES
Use glass bowls of seasonal fruit or candies for eco-friendly centerpieces.

INVITATIONS

Emily Anderson, author of Eco-Chic Weddings( http://www.ecochicweddings.com/ ) Says" About 500,000 trees every year are used to support weddings in the United States. So opt for invitations that are printed on recycled paper, and buy from companies that use wind power. And skip the save the date cards" http://www.greenwichletterpress.com/ "Just send your invites three months in advance" E-mailing your guests about your wedding web site ( set one up for free at http://www.mywedding.com/ ) also can be a great alternative to sending out traditional paper invitations.

HONEYMOON

Consider signing up for eco-tours or book through eco-travel agencies such as http://www.globalbasecamps.com/ . "Seek out hotels and resorts that are recycling, supporting local businesses and agriculture, and reducing energy consumption"

FAVORS

" The main philosophy is consumption- and waste-reduction, and there is nothing quite as glaring as a throw away gift item,says Daniele Venokur, the owner of environmental event company http://www.dvgreen.com/ She likes favors to be useful beyond the event: custom-designed hats from http://www.in2green.com/ or raw honey from http://www.beeraw.com/ Even better" make a donation in lieu of individual favors, " suggests Kim Ritch of WWF, which offers an on line gift registry for eco-conscious couples. " then print out a card to communicate this to the guests." Set up charity favors at www.worldwildlife.org/weddings , http://www.idofoundation.org/ or http://www.changethepresent.org/

ATTIRE

"There are no rules but the ones you make yourself" says Venokur. Vintage or "gently" used dresses are essentially recycled, whether they come from a shop (http://www.preownedweddingdresses.com/ ) or your mother's closet. Dresses also come in eco-friendly fabrics such as hemp, silk, organic cotton or bamboo fabric( check out the selection at http://www.olivialuca.com and http://www.rawganique.com/ and http://www.annatarian.com/ )For grooms, renting (even high end tuxedos) is a way to get "reuse" in the mix.

www.karlinstudios.com