Now, the highlight of my day was going around to all the exhibitors who had endless amounts of food samples.  Little did I know, as I was leaving the convention center, a cookie that was handed to me would be my favorite sample of them all!

     The show was sunday, and now Thursday, I went into my Cooking & Entertaining goodie bag and pulled out aseemingly traditional chocolate chocolate chip cookie.  Unwrapped and into my mouth, the taste immediatly brightened up my face and I went for another bite.  Licking my fingers, I emailed my friend who I also attened the show with me and said, “this may be the best cookie i’ve ever had, you must try it asap!” He wrote back, ”Delish!”

After emailing my friend, I checked out their website hoping to find this cookie!

To my surprise, I was presented with…

Choices By Shawn

Specializing in Gluten Free, Sugar Free, and Dairy Free Baked Goods

All the cookies, muffins, and cakes are divided into these three types. 

•  Gluten Free offers Carrott Cake, an area of muffins, cinimun bars, and fudge cake.
• Sugar Free Products include yummy sounding cheescakes, from Cinnamon Coffee to a Pumpkin Cheesecake that sounds perfect for a fall wedding!
• Gluten Free and Dairy Free includes a morning muffin, tempting macaroons and an aray of cookies including my very own favorite

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE COOKIE

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

Ingredients: Semisweet chocolate (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, lecithin, vanillin), brown sugar, canola oil, eggs, vanilla, gluten-free all-purpose flour (garbanzo bean, potato starch, tapioca flour, whole grain sweet white sorghum four, fava bean flour), baking powder.

“Contains eggs”

I propose to you, make the right choice and add a sweet taste of green with

 ”Choices by Shawn”

Do your part and take a few minutes to calculate your wedding’s carbon footprint and contribute the calculated amount to carbonfund.org who will provide your contribution to help climate friendly and work on energy efficient projects.  They suggest to contribute $80.00 to offset 8 tons of waste.

Information found from http://www.carbonfund.org/site/pages/individuals/category/Weddings/

Searching on www.weddingwire.com I found more than what I was looking for when searching for candles for weddings. Organic soy based candles from Mia Bella Gourmet Candles

Not only does this vendor provide soy based candles, but they also provide scented candles!

There are unscented and traditional scented candles that you would think of such as Cinnamon and French Lavender. Then there are those that are a bit more exotic like Forbidden Fruit and Chocolate Kiss.

Sifting through all 120 scents, my imagination took off and I began thinking of different elements where I could use the candles. You could place some of these cute candles with floral arrangements to match the scents, such as Lilac and Gardenia. You could even use these mini candles as wedding favors!

Through WeddingWire, I found something I never considered before, but I’m so glad I stumbled upon this little gem at http://www.littlelightomine.scent-team.com/

Search no more…

I found Wildflower Cakes designed and created by Chef Lori Ann Blethen on www.weddingwire.com

Wildflower creates some of the most beautiful wedding cakes in the industry including cakes for those unique dietary considerations such as wheat free, gluten free, dairy free, eggless, and organic.  Every aspect of the cake is hand made, the icing, adornments, even the confection!

This creation was noted by Bride's Magazine as one fo the 50 mot beautiful wedding cakes in America picture from: http://www.wildflowersbylori.com/

I have found a few popular ideas that are just gorgeous and could be used for any themed wedding.

There are many companies that provide Tree Seedling Favors, but I loved the packaging at Tree Beginning, Inc

They are delicate and add a sweet touch to your event. You can assemble them yourself or pay a little extra to have them pre assembled. I also found it nice that there is a message on each of them:

Thank you for sharing our “growing Memories”. Please plant this Seedling and nurture it in the spirit of love and watch it grow just as we will grow together in our new life.

If you want to keep your favors floral, try these beautiful Lily Bulbs.

If your initial thoughts of an organic wedding dress entails grungy, rough, and unflattering…Keep Reading!In my research, I have found many bridal salons and designers that offer beautiful and organic gowns. Look at this Peace Silk Train Wedding Dress by Rene´ Geneva.

That’s right, not only is it organic, but it is also a designer dress that is personally made for you every. Where can you find an eco friendly dress of your dreams?

Rene´ Geneva Design, LLC provides, “Green Bridal - including organic wedding and bridesmaid dress, eco-chic organic clothing, high-fashion hemp apparel…bamboo fashion, and peace silk clothing. All of our fabrics are organic, eco friendly, and dyed with low-impact dyes.”

Rene Geneva Design, LLC website also features a Green Code chart to help brides determine what they fabrics are actually eco friendly

GREEN CODES
	SBP Certified Sustainable Biodegradable Product, applies to one or more textile in garment only
	CNC Carbon Neutral Certified, % of sale donated to wind-farm projects based on carbon value of specific garment
100%	% Sus Designer determined % of sustainability determined by all factors, incluing textile, labor, and carbon
	HS/HW Hand spun, hand woven fabric. Crop and silkworm friendly
	IF Indigenious fabrics from tribal nations
	CF Chemical Free
USA	FT Fair Trade Labor in developing country or Made in the USA

Simplistic or more unique, these pieces will surely take your breath away. Eco friendly jewelry is a great find, but can be expensive. If you aren’t sure if you can spend the money, insert the pictures or this link www.dawes-design.com ideas in an online binder, found in WeddingWire.com planning tools.

SELF MAGAZINE found how to be Green and Beautiful featuring some ecofriendly beauty products, Organic Wear. Test these products out like lipsticks with cardboard outer tubes and inner aluminum, as well as paper compacts, such as Physicians Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Pressed Powder, $14.

If you aren’t a natural make up artist and aren’t into DIY, take your products to your make-up artist.

I actually found tons of Organic Wear products at CVS.  So, from personal use, I’m really happy with the product.  It goes on clean and is very light, but lasts all day.  Plus, it can be recycled when you’re finished!

For the full article, click here

On my way to work, I got coffee from my regular stop and continued on, however something new caught my eye. I was distracted by a car decked-out with advertisements for Organic To Go, America’s first fast casual café to be USDA certified as an organic retailer… We deliver… We Cater!

What a great idea! Fast, they only need 24hour notice, and delicious organic food. Instead of a classic weekend wedding BBQ, have an organic picnic and check out the menu featuring appetizers from olive tapenade and crostini to grilled chicken skewers, specialty platters, petite sandwiches, and amazing vegetarian or vegan salads. What an easy and healthy “go green” way to feed your guests.

Award winner and Director of “Culinary Consulting” in Seattle, Chef Greg Atkinson is heads the culinary development for Organic To Go. Atkinson notes their relationships with local farms helps to seasonally enhance the menu and says, “So certain salads and soups appear only when the ingredients are at their peak of flavor.” There is a regional aspect as well. “Our dishes are inspired by local ingredients, but we’re not confined to our borders. Our customers have a lot of options and our goal is to offer people what they want to eat right now.”

Other than Seattle, you can find Organic To Go in LA, Orange County, San Diego, and just recently in Bethesda, MD serving the Washington DC metro area. A few things to note, you need to add additional service ware for plates, napkins and utensils. Also, like many caterers, there are minimum amounts to order for catering.

Residents of LA are getting the good stuff first as another eco-friendly transportation company is offering their services for weddings: Eco-Nation.  Featuring a Prius, Lincoln Town Car and GMC Yukon, they’re making it easy for Los Angeles couples to choose alternative cars for their weddings.

Where’s the company’s in other cities?  Leave a comment if you know of others.

HotelChatter.com is reporting today that the Seaport Hotel in Boston is going to be offering a Green Weddings package to engaged couples now.  Some of the options available to engaged couples are:

• A menu featuring local and organic ingredients
• Organic wedding cakes
• A menu made of edible chocolate….how awesome is that!
• Decorations made from soy-based materials
• Potted plants, orchids and silk trees

If you’re in Boston, you’re in luck.  If you’re not in Boston, start asking if these options are available to as well from your reception venue.  You may find they can do more for you than you think.

Read more on her blog.

Photo from Hot Breads Bakery

“At the end of every wedding I go to, I’m always left wondering, “What will happen to all of these flowers?” Beautiful floral centerpieces are a mainstay at most weddings, but they can be extremely wasteful. The solution? Use eco-friendly flowering potted plants instead. A cluster of 6 or 8 will make a lush table arrangement, not to mention a convenient take-home favor. Or call a local nursing home or hospital to see if they’ll accept the blooms—you’ll feel even better post-wedding knowing that you’ve brightened someone else’s day. (For brides in New York or LA, FlowerPowerFoundation.org will pick them up and deliver them to the sick and elderly.) For more green ideas to incorporate into your wedding, pick up a copy of the Winter issue of Martha Stewart Weddings, on newsstands Monday.”

“Mothership Wit™ elevates the zesty Wit or White beers of Belgium with wheat malt, coriander and orange peel spicing - all of which are organically grown. The Mothership experience begins with a cloudy, pale yellow appearance capped by a creamy white head. Next is the alluring, slightly spicy, floral nose.  The refreshing taste is the result of a gravitational balance of citrus and sour flavors held in suspension by a bright burst of carbonation.”

NativeEnergy and Portovert Magazine have a created a simple calculator to see how many tons of carbon waste your wedding will create.  Just enter a few details from your wedding and it will calculate about how much waste would be created if you did nothing to make your wedding more eco-friendly.

Try the green wedding calculator now.

Yahoo! now has an entire section of their site dedicated to green living. It doesn’t really contain that much info specific to weddings, but there is a Green Gifts section that might be worth looking at for wedding registry ideas. Otherwise, it’s a great resource for ideas and information on eco-friendly lifestyles.

Yahoo! Green

If you’re looking eco friendly products to add to your wedding, try registering at 3rLiving. You can items such as table ware from recycled glass or towels made with organic cotton.

Click here to start your Green Wedding Registry.