Archive Love, Week 4: Woodland Inspired Decor

Embrace the beauty of the outdoors by designing a woodland-inspired party. Look for creative ways to weave natural elements, such as small wood accents and colorful feathers, into your décor. When situated beside elegant plates and stemware, earthy slabs of beautifully textured tree bark and lush moss-filled terrariums are decidedly stylish and sophisticated.
Photos: Once Wed

Archive Love, Week 3: Modern Simplicity

Reduce the amount of potential waste in your next centerpiece by sticking with a clean but modern design. Place a single, colorful stem into a translucent glass vase and fully submerge with water. The water will slightly magnify the flower, transforming something simple into something decidedly stylish.

Photo: Rachel Ray

Archive Love, Week 3: Fruit Favors

Give your guests something sweet at your next get together. Instead of a candy bar, arrange individual bags of organic cherries or any other variety of local and/or organic seasonal fruit for guests to pick up and enjoy on their way out of the party. They’ll be grateful for a healthy, yet sweet, snack.

Photo: Martha Stewart

Archive Love, Week 3: Apothecary Bottles

Instead of using electricity to light an outdoor buffet or bar, consider this simple, yet romantic solution. Gather clear apothecary bottles (which can often be found in bulk at flea markets) and fill them with wicks and lamp oil. Arrange the bottles inside of a hurricane (you can reuse it after the party) to protect the flames from the wind. Depending on the size of the individual bottles, the flames should last for at least several hours.

Photos: Martha Stewart

Archive Love, Week 3: Smart Eco Place Settings

Give your guests something to talk about during dinner. Instead of purchasing new, traditional chargers or placemats, rummage through your bookshelves for some décor inspiration. Gently tear out pages from an old book (or a dictionary, as pictured below) and place the pages beneath plates for a “smart” (pun fully intended), vintage feel. After a few glasses of wine, guests are certain to share some laughs while reading their favorite passages to each other.

Photo: Green Wedding Shoes

Archive Love, Week 3:Reuse: Recycled Sweaters

While spring-cleaning this season, forgo the temptation to ditch all of last season’s sweaters. Instead, consider giving new life to gently worn sweaters by repurposing them as fashionable décor. Dress up plain bowls by pulling a sweater sleeve over each bowl; line up the cuff with the top of the bowl and secure with some hot glue. Have some old vases or jars hidden in the closet? Simply slip a sweater sleeve over the vase, stretch the fabric so it is long enough to cover the full length of the vase and hot glue into place.

Photos: Country Living

Archive Love, Week 2: Elegant Table Setting

White linens, white china and candlelight. I can hardly think of three images that are more classic. To achieve this look arrange a line of reclaimed glass mason jars (which can often be found by the boxful at garage sales and thrift shops for a few cents each), staggered according to size, down the center of a table. Drop a simple, white soy (or other naturally based) votive in each jar for instant (recycled) elegance. 

Photo: Love Still Stands

Archive Love, Week 2: Spotlight on Succulents

Succulents are having a bit of a moment in the design world and for good reason. Since they require very little water and care and can last for years, they’ve become instant stars within the green design community. If water waste isn’t necessarily at the top of your design agenda, consider these facts to help put things into perspective: each year, there are roughly 2.5 million weddings in the U.S. On average, each of these 2.5 million brides will purchase about 8-10 centerpieces for their receptions, each of which will require roughly a gallon of water to keep the flowers looking fresh for the party (forget about all of the water used to care for the flowers pre-wedding day as well as all of the toxic sprays, packaging materials… [my florist father is more than likely shaking his head at me in disappointment right now]). Once you do the math, it’s pretty simple to see why succulents are a stylish and easy way to incorporate some green into your next event. Ask your floral designer about succulents for...

An interesting bouquet...

Photos: Emerald & Once Wed

Archive Love, Week 2: Making a Comeback: Cloth Napkins

Growing up, cloth napkins were always reserved for special occasions in my home. However, today, as more consumers are making an effort to reduce their daily waste, cloth napkins are making a pretty noticeable comeback. When shopping for décor for your next event, opt out of paper napkins and instead look for cloth napkins, tablecloths and table runners that are made from organic cotton and eco-friendly, low-impact dyes.

Photos: Plover Organics & Bambeco & Etsy

Archive Love, Week 2: Last Minute DIY Centerpieces: Branches

If you find yourself with some last minute company in the coming weeks, embrace the tail end of winter by collecting fallen branches. Simply cut the branches into equal lengths and tie a bundle of them together at the base to create a sense of uniformity before placing each bundle into a transparent vase.

Photo: Rachel Ray