Green Guides to Planning Your Wedding

In honor of the UN Climate Change Conference currently underway in Copenhagen, Denmark, I thought I would share with you a list of books that you can read to inspire you to go green (or a bit greener) for your big day.

All of the books are available at http://www.amazon.com/ so you are just a few clicks away from finding out how you and your fiance can do something great for the environment whilst planning your perfect day.

Enjoy!

Green Guides to Planning Your Wedding

In honor of the UN Climate Change Conference currently underway in Copenhagen, Denmark, I thought I would share with you a list of books that you can read to inspire you to go green (or a bit greener) for your big day.

All of the books are available at http://www.amazon.com/ so you are just a few clicks away from finding out how you and your fiance can do something great for the environment whilst planning your perfect day.

Enjoy!

How to offset the environmental impact of your wedding: ZERO CARBON WEDDINGS

Today, while doing my daily search on the web for news and anything interesting that might inspire me, I happened upon an organization called Carbonfund.org.


At Carbonfund.org they have a trademarked tool called ZeroCarbon Weddings that they developed in partnership with WeddingWire.

It is a calculator that is easy-to-use and allows you to calculate the approximate carbon footprint of your wedding and then find out what it will take to offset it. How great is that?

How to offset the environmental impact of your wedding: ZERO CARBON WEDDINGS

Today, while doing my daily search on the web for news and anything interesting that might inspire me, I happened upon an organization called Carbonfund.org.


At Carbonfund.org they have a trademarked tool called ZeroCarbon Weddings that they developed in partnership with WeddingWire.

It is a calculator that is easy-to-use and allows you to calculate the approximate carbon footprint of your wedding and then find out what it will take to offset it. How great is that?

Brooklyn Based Wedding Fair: WEDDING CRASHERS

When: Saturday, January 9th from 10:30am - 5:00pm

Where: The Bell House
149 7th Street
Brooklyn, New York
718.643.6510

What: A Brooklyn Based Wedding Fair

Brooklyn Based is a website of all things Brooklyn. Come to their inaugural wedding fair on January 9, 2010 at the Bell House and meet the designers, caterers, photographers, bands and DJs who they have cherry picked to make your day.

Brooklyn Based has selected 30+ original, Brooklyn-centric vendors to help you plan your wedding locally, or take a piece of Brooklyn with you wherever you tie the knot.

Top caterers including Naturally Delicious, The Cleaver Company, Red Table Catering, AVEnts and Frankies Spuntino will be passing delicious hors d’oeuvres. One Girl Cookies and Nine Cakes will display and serve confections and cake. Brooklyn Brewery will be pouring its Belgian-style ales, Local 1 and 2.

Wedding bands Michael Arenella & his Dreamland Orchestra, The Lascivious Biddies and The Engagements will perform along with DJ Small Change, popshop! DJs and DJ Lady J.

Other wedding vendors on the guest list include floral designers Root Stock & Quade, Rebecca Shepherd Floral Design and Denise Fasanello, jewelry designer Blanca Monrós Gómez, Bario-Neal Jewelry, Sesame Letterpress, Lion in the Sun custom invitations, calligrapher Paperfinger, Mélangerie Inc. custom paperie and gifts, Shootbooth photobooth, Hello Super 8 and Seth David Cohen videographers and photographers Daniel Krieger, Radhika Chalasani and 3 Photographers, Jesse Hendrich, M.Div., Small World Terrariums, Heights Chateau Fine Wines & Spirits, Added Value Farm, Real Honeymoons and Gap Adventures.

Amidst the vendors, models will showcase the work of headpiece and dress designers like The White Gown.

You’ll also get advice from experts on topics like DIY Ceremonies and Incredible Honeymoons, which the winner of our Honeymoon Gift Package will put to good use. One lucky bride will take home a $250 J.Crew gift card and private shopping party for her and her bridesmaids, a $500 travel voucher at Gap Adventures, a free TabletPlus membership at TabletHotels.com, and a gift subscription to Budget Travel magazine.

Tickets (on sale now) are $40 for the entire day, or $20 in advance for each three-hour session. In that window of time, guests will meet over 30 one-of-a-kind vendors and speakers who will propose wonderful things for their day. Flutes of sparkling wine with entrance, and the first 50 guests at each session receive free “To Have and to Hold” gift-filled bags and free entry in the Honeymoon Gift Package.

Here are the details for the sessions:

Session One (10:30-1:30)*
10:45 am: DIY Ceremonies with Officiant Jesse Hendrich, M.Div.

11:15 am: Signed, Sealed + Delivered: Every Invite Question Answered with Melinda Morris of Lion in the Sun

12:00pm : Best. Honeymoon. Ever. with Nina Willdorf, Editor in Chief of Budget Travel magazine, Dorothy McGivney, Editor of jauntsetter.com, and Gap Adventures

12:45 pm: Catering on a Budget with Ally Lipton of AVEnts and Meguire Campbell of Vine Wine Caterers: Naturally Delicious, Red Table Catering, and AVEnts


Session Two (2-5pm)*
2:15 pm: Picking Original, Seasonal Decor with Kerry Quade of Root Stock & Quade

3:00 pm: 10 Things to Look for In a Wedding Photographer with Daniel Krieger

3:45 pm: How to Avoid a Cookie-Cutter Wedding with Vané Broussard of Brooklyn Bride and Anne Chertoff of From I Will to I Do and Editor of AisleDash.com

4:30 pm: Pairing Food and Wine with Matthew LaSorsa of Heights Chateau and Loren Michelle of Naturally Delicious. Caterers: Frankies Spuntino, The Cleaver Company, and Red Table Catering

*Please note: All vendors, including bands, will be present and perform at both sessions. The only variation in each session is among caterers and speakers.

Brooklyn Based Wedding Fair: WEDDING CRASHERS

When: Saturday, January 9th from 10:30am - 5:00pm

Where: The Bell House
149 7th Street
Brooklyn, New York
718.643.6510

What: A Brooklyn Based Wedding Fair

Brooklyn Based is a website of all things Brooklyn. Come to their inaugural wedding fair on January 9, 2010 at the Bell House and meet the designers, caterers, photographers, bands and DJs who they have cherry picked to make your day.

Brooklyn Based has selected 30+ original, Brooklyn-centric vendors to help you plan your wedding locally, or take a piece of Brooklyn with you wherever you tie the knot.

Top caterers including Naturally Delicious, The Cleaver Company, Red Table Catering, AVEnts and Frankies Spuntino will be passing delicious hors d’oeuvres. One Girl Cookies and Nine Cakes will display and serve confections and cake. Brooklyn Brewery will be pouring its Belgian-style ales, Local 1 and 2.

Wedding bands Michael Arenella & his Dreamland Orchestra, The Lascivious Biddies and The Engagements will perform along with DJ Small Change, popshop! DJs and DJ Lady J.

Other wedding vendors on the guest list include floral designers Root Stock & Quade, Rebecca Shepherd Floral Design and Denise Fasanello, jewelry designer Blanca Monrós Gómez, Bario-Neal Jewelry, Sesame Letterpress, Lion in the Sun custom invitations, calligrapher Paperfinger, Mélangerie Inc. custom paperie and gifts, Shootbooth photobooth, Hello Super 8 and Seth David Cohen videographers and photographers Daniel Krieger, Radhika Chalasani and 3 Photographers, Jesse Hendrich, M.Div., Small World Terrariums, Heights Chateau Fine Wines & Spirits, Added Value Farm, Real Honeymoons and Gap Adventures.

Amidst the vendors, models will showcase the work of headpiece and dress designers like The White Gown.

You’ll also get advice from experts on topics like DIY Ceremonies and Incredible Honeymoons, which the winner of our Honeymoon Gift Package will put to good use. One lucky bride will take home a $250 J.Crew gift card and private shopping party for her and her bridesmaids, a $500 travel voucher at Gap Adventures, a free TabletPlus membership at TabletHotels.com, and a gift subscription to Budget Travel magazine.

Tickets (on sale now) are $40 for the entire day, or $20 in advance for each three-hour session. In that window of time, guests will meet over 30 one-of-a-kind vendors and speakers who will propose wonderful things for their day. Flutes of sparkling wine with entrance, and the first 50 guests at each session receive free “To Have and to Hold” gift-filled bags and free entry in the Honeymoon Gift Package.

Here are the details for the sessions:

Session One (10:30-1:30)*
10:45 am: DIY Ceremonies with Officiant Jesse Hendrich, M.Div.

11:15 am: Signed, Sealed + Delivered: Every Invite Question Answered with Melinda Morris of Lion in the Sun

12:00pm : Best. Honeymoon. Ever. with Nina Willdorf, Editor in Chief of Budget Travel magazine, Dorothy McGivney, Editor of jauntsetter.com, and Gap Adventures

12:45 pm: Catering on a Budget with Ally Lipton of AVEnts and Meguire Campbell of Vine Wine Caterers: Naturally Delicious, Red Table Catering, and AVEnts


Session Two (2-5pm)*
2:15 pm: Picking Original, Seasonal Decor with Kerry Quade of Root Stock & Quade

3:00 pm: 10 Things to Look for In a Wedding Photographer with Daniel Krieger

3:45 pm: How to Avoid a Cookie-Cutter Wedding with Vané Broussard of Brooklyn Bride and Anne Chertoff of From I Will to I Do and Editor of AisleDash.com

4:30 pm: Pairing Food and Wine with Matthew LaSorsa of Heights Chateau and Loren Michelle of Naturally Delicious. Caterers: Frankies Spuntino, The Cleaver Company, and Red Table Catering

*Please note: All vendors, including bands, will be present and perform at both sessions. The only variation in each session is among caterers and speakers.

The Foxy Vegan Travel Agent Of Our Dreams, PLUS: Win a $3,500 Trip Abroad!

Your Time Travels (YTT) is a travel company for animal lovers, vegan-owned and run. Ever begin to plan a vacation only to think “Damn, I hope they have healthy food I can eat” or “I really hope this place doesn’t
have monkeys on chains as entertainment.”  This is the sort of business idea we get really excited by and want to support whole heartedly!





Enter brilliant Liz Longacre, a gorgeous and compassionate former lawyer, who was inspired to start YTT after her experience volunteering abroad at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand.Tourists engage in countless activities all over the world that appear innocent on the surface but in reality harmfully exploit animals. YTT is a travel company for the socially-conscious animal loving traveler who wants all the perks of a traditional vacation (cultural, adventure, and sightseeing activities and beautiful hotel stays) while also incorporating activities that are truly beneficial for animals and avoiding those that are not. You’ve just got to watch this beautiful video Liz made about why she started this company.

Liz customizes trips to suit your schedule, needs and budget and incorporates spending a portion of your vacation either volunteering with an animal welfare organization or seeing animals in the wild on various types of safaris. YTT promotes vegan resorts, eco-lodges, and vegan cooking classes whenever available and will plan out exactly where you can eat on any trip to accommodate your vegan diet. Could this be a more genius service!?

Wouldn’t your rather support a green animal-lovin’ girl and her
company?  We would!

YTT is basically your vegan animal loving travel agency! They plan your trip from start to finish to give you your dream animal-friendly vacation ranging from a vegan safari in the middle of the Serengeti to working with rescued elephants in Thailand to doing conservation work with endangered sea turtles in Costa Rica. Are you packing yet? To maximize the amount of money retained by local communities YTT uses local guides and tour leaders who were born and raised in the country they work in. Your guides can take you off the beaten tourist path and educate you on the countrys history and culture. YTT’s trips are for travelers who want to have exciting adventures without them being at the expense of other living creatures. By engaging in the activities YTT promotes you will have a far more educational, fulfilling and unforgettable experience, it may even be life changing. YTT currently offers trips to Costa Rica, Argentina, Thailand, St. Martin, Tanzania and Rwanda and is always working to expand its offerings. YTT can also help you plan local trips within the U.S., including trips with your own pets!!!

To learn more about traveling through YTT and to get all sorts of animal/travel inspiration, visit their website yourtimetravels.com, subscribe to their blog, and like their facebook page.

And now for the best contest ever!

YOUR SKILLS FOR ANIMALS CONTEST!

Too lazy to read about it? Watch the video.

YTT is currently hosting a big contest on their blog for average everyday under-the-radar heroes for animals.

EVERYONE deserves to be thanked for the work they do. To enter all you have to do is submit an entry in the comments section of the contest blog explaining what you do to help animals and what skill you use to accomplish that task. No task is too small, everyone who does something is a hero!

There are over $3,500 in prizes! Prizes include $1,500 off a trip abroad, vegan cooking lessons in New York (or virtually) with vegan catering company Verite Catering, a 2 night trip to a farm sanctuary, life and nutritional
counseling sessions, and much more!

There are also six celebrity judges who will pick the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners from the top contestants:

• Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States
• Kris Carr, NYT best-selling author, motivational speaker, and wellness coach
• Gene Baur, President and Co-Founder of Farm Sanctuary
• Colleen Holland, Associate Publisher of VegNews
• Leanne Hilgart, founder of Vaute Couture
• Jasmin Singer, co-founder and executive director of Our Hen House
  

You have until Friday, April 29^th to get your entry in! Go here to enter now!

PLUS: GirlieGirlArmy.com subscribers can get 5% off any vacation booked with YTT! Just tell them you heard of their travel services through Girlie Girl Army and 5% will be taken off the total cost of your vacation package!

This contest is sponsored in part by Earth Balance/Made Just Right, Verite Catering, and Hurraw! Lip Balms.

The Foxy Vegan Travel Agent Of Our Dreams, PLUS: Win a $3,500 Trip Abroad!

Your Time Travels (YTT) is a travel company for animal lovers, vegan-owned and run. Ever begin to plan a vacation only to think “Damn, I hope they have healthy food I can eat” or “I really hope this place doesn’t
have monkeys on chains as entertainment.”  This is the sort of business idea we get really excited by and want to support whole heartedly!





Enter brilliant Liz Longacre, a gorgeous and compassionate former lawyer, who was inspired to start YTT after her experience volunteering abroad at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand.Tourists engage in countless activities all over the world that appear innocent on the surface but in reality harmfully exploit animals. YTT is a travel company for the socially-conscious animal loving traveler who wants all the perks of a traditional vacation (cultural, adventure, and sightseeing activities and beautiful hotel stays) while also incorporating activities that are truly beneficial for animals and avoiding those that are not. You’ve just got to watch this beautiful video Liz made about why she started this company.

Liz customizes trips to suit your schedule, needs and budget and incorporates spending a portion of your vacation either volunteering with an animal welfare organization or seeing animals in the wild on various types of safaris. YTT promotes vegan resorts, eco-lodges, and vegan cooking classes whenever available and will plan out exactly where you can eat on any trip to accommodate your vegan diet. Could this be a more genius service!?

Wouldn’t your rather support a green animal-lovin’ girl and her
company?  We would!

YTT is basically your vegan animal loving travel agency! They plan your trip from start to finish to give you your dream animal-friendly vacation ranging from a vegan safari in the middle of the Serengeti to working with rescued elephants in Thailand to doing conservation work with endangered sea turtles in Costa Rica. Are you packing yet? To maximize the amount of money retained by local communities YTT uses local guides and tour leaders who were born and raised in the country they work in. Your guides can take you off the beaten tourist path and educate you on the countrys history and culture. YTT’s trips are for travelers who want to have exciting adventures without them being at the expense of other living creatures. By engaging in the activities YTT promotes you will have a far more educational, fulfilling and unforgettable experience, it may even be life changing. YTT currently offers trips to Costa Rica, Argentina, Thailand, St. Martin, Tanzania and Rwanda and is always working to expand its offerings. YTT can also help you plan local trips within the U.S., including trips with your own pets!!!

To learn more about traveling through YTT and to get all sorts of animal/travel inspiration, visit their website yourtimetravels.com, subscribe to their blog, and like their facebook page.

And now for the best contest ever!

YOUR SKILLS FOR ANIMALS CONTEST!

Too lazy to read about it? Watch the video.

YTT is currently hosting a big contest on their blog for average everyday under-the-radar heroes for animals.

EVERYONE deserves to be thanked for the work they do. To enter all you have to do is submit an entry in the comments section of the contest blog explaining what you do to help animals and what skill you use to accomplish that task. No task is too small, everyone who does something is a hero!

There are over $3,500 in prizes! Prizes include $1,500 off a trip abroad, vegan cooking lessons in New York (or virtually) with vegan catering company Verite Catering, a 2 night trip to a farm sanctuary, life and nutritional
counseling sessions, and much more!

There are also six celebrity judges who will pick the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners from the top contestants:

• Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States
• Kris Carr, NYT best-selling author, motivational speaker, and wellness coach
• Gene Baur, President and Co-Founder of Farm Sanctuary
• Colleen Holland, Associate Publisher of VegNews
• Leanne Hilgart, founder of Vaute Couture
• Jasmin Singer, co-founder and executive director of Our Hen House
  

You have until Friday, April 29^th to get your entry in! Go here to enter now!

PLUS: GirlieGirlArmy.com subscribers can get 5% off any vacation booked with YTT! Just tell them you heard of their travel services through Girlie Girl Army and 5% will be taken off the total cost of your vacation package!

This contest is sponsored in part by Earth Balance/Made Just Right, Verite Catering, and Hurraw! Lip Balms.

Clothing Swap… For Charity!

Grab a bag and start going through your closet. It’s time to trade in the things you no longer wear for something new (to you.)  On May 11th from 4pm – 9pm on the lower east side in NYC, eco fashionistas are going to be gathering for a large-scale clothing swap. Though this swap is happening in New York, we encourage you to host your own in your Town and give the proceeds to a charity that moves you! Hit up this swap in NYC on May 11th.

For $10 ($7 for students) you get to trade your old items for adorable pieces you’ll love. Think of it as the cheapest chicest thrift store you’ve ever been to. The more people who show, the more options you have for swapping, and the more money raised for charity.
Where does your ten bucks go? To an organization any do-gooder guy/gal will love. HEART, a non profit that goes into schools and teaches kids about human rights, animal protection and environmental ethics. Thousands of students have gone through the HEART program learning about issues like child labor, bullying, dog fighting, factory farming, pollution and climate change. Once the kids understand the issues, they learn how to take action to make a difference in the world.
Never been to a swap? Here is how it works. Each item you bring gets you a ticket. You get to trade in each ticket for an item of your choosing. The more items you bring, the more tickets you get and the more choices you have for grabbing something new.
What kind of items should you bring? Clothes, jewelry, shoes, bags, belts and other similar accessories. Just make sure everything is clean and in good condition. Think of items that no longer fit or gifts that weren’t really your style. Or items that you once loved, and have now replaced with other things.
To ensure there is a great selection from the beginning of the event through to the end, I’ve already started collecting pieces from fashionable friends of HEART. So far we’ve got brands like Yves Saint Laurent, BCBG, Emporio Armani, Betsey Johnson, Escada, Bicci, Max Studio, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, costume jewelry, handbags, ties and more. The list is just going to keep getting bigger and better.
Plus, while you’re there, enjoy the vegan bake sale with treats by fabulous bakers like Leinana Two Moons from Vegan Good Things. And, buy a raffle ticket to win treats like delicious cookies from the vegan cookie brand Liz Lovely (a personal favorite of mine.)
The event is sponsored by the fabulous Ecorazzi. Check out the flyer for additional info. Or, contact ali (at) swankyveg. RSVP on the facebook event (although not mandatory.)
Check out this video of HEART to see what those dollars are going to support;

Clothing Swap… For Charity!

Grab a bag and start going through your closet. It’s time to trade in the things you no longer wear for something new (to you.)  On May 11th from 4pm – 9pm on the lower east side in NYC, eco fashionistas are going to be gathering for a large-scale clothing swap. Though this swap is happening in New York, we encourage you to host your own in your Town and give the proceeds to a charity that moves you! Hit up this swap in NYC on May 11th.

For $10 ($7 for students) you get to trade your old items for adorable pieces you’ll love. Think of it as the cheapest chicest thrift store you’ve ever been to. The more people who show, the more options you have for swapping, and the more money raised for charity.
Where does your ten bucks go? To an organization any do-gooder guy/gal will love. HEART, a non profit that goes into schools and teaches kids about human rights, animal protection and environmental ethics. Thousands of students have gone through the HEART program learning about issues like child labor, bullying, dog fighting, factory farming, pollution and climate change. Once the kids understand the issues, they learn how to take action to make a difference in the world.
Never been to a swap? Here is how it works. Each item you bring gets you a ticket. You get to trade in each ticket for an item of your choosing. The more items you bring, the more tickets you get and the more choices you have for grabbing something new.
What kind of items should you bring? Clothes, jewelry, shoes, bags, belts and other similar accessories. Just make sure everything is clean and in good condition. Think of items that no longer fit or gifts that weren’t really your style. Or items that you once loved, and have now replaced with other things.
To ensure there is a great selection from the beginning of the event through to the end, I’ve already started collecting pieces from fashionable friends of HEART. So far we’ve got brands like Yves Saint Laurent, BCBG, Emporio Armani, Betsey Johnson, Escada, Bicci, Max Studio, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, costume jewelry, handbags, ties and more. The list is just going to keep getting bigger and better.
Plus, while you’re there, enjoy the vegan bake sale with treats by fabulous bakers like Leinana Two Moons from Vegan Good Things. And, buy a raffle ticket to win treats like delicious cookies from the vegan cookie brand Liz Lovely (a personal favorite of mine.)
The event is sponsored by the fabulous Ecorazzi. Check out the flyer for additional info. Or, contact ali (at) swankyveg. RSVP on the facebook event (although not mandatory.)
Check out this video of HEART to see what those dollars are going to support;