By Mitchell Altholz, Executive Chef, The Manor and Highlawn Pavilion
Floral arrangements are one of the most important decorative elements in any wedding ceremony. And they can also be one of the most expensive. But you don’t have to spend a fortune – or even much of anything – for unforgettable floral arrangements. In fact, you can create them yourself. Unprotected wildflowers, herbs from your parents’ garden, or even store bought fruits and vegetables can be cheaper and “greener” than extravagant floral arrangements – and just as beautiful. Centerpieces created with wildflowers or home garden vegetables like pumpkins or squash (especially in the Fall) are a great green option you might consider. And how about that boutonniere for the groom? It doesn’t have to be store bought. A boutonniere made from home grown herbs works perfectly.
Cheers!
Mitchell
By Caitlyn Bradley, Director of Private Dining, Ram’s Head Inn
Wedding invitations printed on recycled paper are very popular today. It’s part of the eco-friendly, green concerns more and more couples are incorporating into their weddings, ceremonies and receptions. Invitations made from recycled paper are widely available with a number of patterns to choose from. The only drawback is that some people think it has the look and feel of a slightly less formal wedding. But that’s for you to decide – the choice is entirely the bride and groom’s to make. Another green option is the “plantable” invitation – an invite made of biodegradable material, often recycled paper, with seeds embedded in it. We’ve seen this done for save the date cards too. So if you’ve been eager to incorporate some eco-friendly element into your wedding ceremony, consider this your invitation.
All the best,
Caitlyn
By Christopher Gellings, Banquet Manager, Highlawn Pavilion
Here at the Knowles restaurants in the New Jersey, New York metro area, we’re seeing more interest in all things “eco friendly” and “green” when it comes to wedding ceremonies and wedding receptions these days. These “green” trends range from choosing wedding and reception locations that minimize travel for guests, to selecting invitations made from recycled paper. Now we’re also seeing the green trend in the wedding favors the bride and groom bestow upon guests.
If you’re interested in giving guests an eco-type gift, here are a couple of recent examples from ceremonies hosted at the Highlawn Pavilion . One couple gave their guests potted saplings. We’ve seen other couples make charitable donations in their guests’ names to organizations from Greenpeace to the Environmental Defense Fund. You could also dispense with favors altogether and explain it’s part of your effort to minimize the footprint of your wedding celebration, and save yourself some green in the bargain. The things you can do to inject a green element into your wedding are almost limitless. However, we would draw the line at choosing recycled burlap for your wedding gown!
Thanks!
Christopher
Welcome to The Art of Reception, a blog about everything to do with weddings. The Knowles properties (The Manor, Highlawn Pavilion, Pleasantdale Chateau and Ram’s Head Inn) have been hosting wedding of every size, style, nationality and budget since 1953. That’s more than five decades of experience, something few others can claim.
As a result, we have some of the finest, most capable bridal experts both in-house and as preferred vendors. This blog will feature the expertise and helpful hints from our in-house bridal experts and occasionally we’ll hear from our preferred vendors too, on trends specific to their line of work. Here’s a Who’s Who of our blogging wedding experts… Read more…
