Although I haven’t gotten our “professional” photos yet, I do have some shots from my husband’s cousin, who is an aspiring photographer. Her pictures are photo journalistic and I love them.

If you want a gorgeous wedding, but not at the expense of the environment, you might be like many couples who opt for an eco-friendly wedding. Whether this is seen in your choice of venue (my site renovates with environmentally friendly materials), choosing organic food for your menu or everything in between, there are so many choices available today to help make your wedding as green as you want it to be.

One way is by choosing eco-friendly favors.

1) Tree in a Box. Give out these fun favors to help guests grow their very own tree.

2) Donations. Give guests the gift of making a difference by purchasing donations to your favorite charities in their name. Most organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund give out cards with their logo on it explaining what they do.

3) Offset C02. Donate to organizations such as Carbon Fund, which helps to eliminate your carbon footprint and can help counteract the negative impact of having guests travel by car and/or plane to your wedding.

4) Edible Gifts. Gifts such as candy or tea are great ideas, especially when wrapped in recyclable products.

5) Be creative. The idea is to give something that will help guests remember your wedding while making them feel good about themselves and the environment.

Not just on clothing anymore, paisleys have hit the wedding scene in a big way! Making their debut on cards and cakes and everything in between, I think there’s something sweet and modern about those swirly shapes. Here are some ways to make your wedding pretty, posh and paisley filled.

Photo and cake from Carrie’s Cakes

Photo from Brides.com

My wedding colors were a combination of various shades of green including sage and cream. I integrated these colors throughout the ceremony and reception. Wanting to be different, I didn’t get the typical bridal bouquet but instead opted for something simpler-a green cymbidium orchid wrist corsage that matched with my husband’s boutonniere and also coordinated well with his green vest and tie. During cocktail hour, guests were treated to Jones’s green apple and cream soda and apple martinis.

Later on during the night, we received a lot of compliments and little leftovers of our simply sweet candy bar detailed with jars of salt water taffy in key lime, green apple and pear, mint chocolate malt balls (my favorite!) and green jordan almonds. The result was a fresh, crisp look that imbued a sense of simplicity and sweetness. I felt right at home surrounded by the beautiful San Francisco Bay and shades inspired by nature.

Stuck in a rut with your wedding planning? Need new ideas? Take some inspiration from bridal magazines and create a bulletin board filled with photos and pages from a magazine that catch your eye. By gazing into all the things you love, you might be inspired with a creative idea for your wedding.

Here’s my version for a fun and fabulous pink and olive color scheme.

Martini Bridal Shower/Bachelorette Invitations