Today’s post comes from Kate Harrison, the author of The Green Bride Guide. Kate and LWPI offer a Green Weddings course, which is a great way to attract new, eco-conscious clients to your wedding-planning business. Are you interested in becoming a certified wedding planner? Check out LWPI’s classroom and online courses today, and be sure to consider bundling the Green Weddings course, too.

In 2010, the Green Bride Guide launched the country’s first green wedding gift registry, where every product is hand picked by a team of experts for beauty, quality and environmental savings. The registry was created to make going green easy for couples by offering a complete collection of eco-friendly alternatives for everything from bedding to dishes. But there are more incentives to create a green wedding gift registry than just convenience. Here five reasons why your choice to create a green registry makes a difference:

1. Green gifts support the green economy: Every year, Americans spend $20 billion on wedding gifts (about $8,000 per wedding) and 70% of gifts are purchased off a gift registry. When you create an eco-friendly registry, you ensure that the money spent by your guests goes to support eco-artisans and companies taking significant steps to green their business practices. Every product in the Green Gift Shop is tagged with its country of origin, eco-certifications, and eco-strategy, so you can quickly assess its social and environmental benefits and filter your search to find products that represent your values as well as your style. The “why we love it” part of the product description provides additional information about the artist or company that manufactured the piece.

2. Green gifts are better for the environment: You may not realize it, but many of the conventionally produced products we buy are detrimental to the environment. For example, cotton, which is often touted as a “natural fiber,” is actually one of the most heavily pesticides crops in the world.  Most crystal is still made with lead (which is bad for you and for the environment), and almost all of the pottery in the United States is now manufactured is Asia under lax environmental regulation. Because many of our home goods are shipped in from overseas, their transport also contributes to global warming. The companies that Green Bride Guide works with take active steps to decrease their environmental footprint at every turn, from using organic, recycled or local-produced materials, to shipping in recycled packaging.  Plus, the site offers free carbon neutral shipping, neutralizing the impact on climate change through alternative energy programs.

3. Green gifts are unique: Quality green home goods are hard to find (and we know – we are always looking for them!) Because most of the artists and companies the Green Bride Guide represents work on a small scale, they are not found in major department stores and are hard to locate online. When you create a green wedding gift registry, you are adding interesting, unique and one-of-a-kind items to your wishlist – items that will reflect your taste and values for years to come.

Today’s post is the first of three parts on budgeting for destination weddings. Our guest writer is Chezelle Rodriguez, the owner of Chezelle Dezines, an event-planning and graphic-design company in Puerto Rico. She specializes in destination weddings, and you can read more about Chezelle’s work in her Real Weddings From LWPI Graduates post.

Photo Courtesy of Saul Padua Photography

What Couples Often Overlook and What to Expect

What is there to say about the hot trend of destination weddings? Most couples I’ve worked with say that if they had held their wedding in their hometown their guest list would have quickly grown. This is often the deciding factor to having a destination wedding: fewer guests and a wedding where they can enjoy being with friends and family over a long weekend rather than for just four hours.

Couples are always looking for smart ways to maximize their wedding dollars. And for good reason: The average cost of a wedding was $24,066 last year (according to The Wedding Report), a hefty price tag for an event that lasts just a few hours. Some couples are able to pull off a destination wedding that lasts days for a fraction of the cost.

When you use the word wedding as an adjective when speaking with venues and vendors, prices soar! Prioritizing is the key to maximizing your wedding dollars. Think about what is most important to you. Is it the food, décor, or the location? You should not have to go into debt to have a stylish wedding.

This three-part series is written to give you some good tips on budgeting for and planning your destination wedding.

The Benefits of Hiring a Certified Wedding and Event Planner

Having an onsite planner is key to planning a destination wedding! They can offer a lot of creative ideas and save you time, hassles, and they will be your eyes and ears on site. They also have preferred vendors that will be an asset to making your event flow seamlessly.

Couples use the Internet to do most of their wedding research, but you really need to inspect the site before booking it. A planner can show up at a site when it’s set up for an event and they will give you some insight on how the staff works and ideas that will help determine the décor.

Catering managers help you plan the logistics of your wedding but will only cover what is within the hotel walls. Destination weddings have many details that go outside of the hotel, for example, tourist excursions, dinners, transportation and much more.

Some local wedding planners have relationships with destination planners who will be on site the day of your wedding, saving you the cost of flying them in, booking their room, transportation and meals, which can go above the usual 5 percent that comes out of your wedding budget.

Be sure to check out Part II and Part III of Chezelle’s series on Destination Wedding Budgets!

Flowers can transform a dull, melancholy venue into an astonishing, eye-popping wonderland for your special day. From the simplest to the most elaborate, floral arrangements can be one of the main things that people remember when they leave your festivities.

 But what do you take into consideration when looking for flowers? The biggest thing is time of year. Certain flowers are only in season at certain times. This means that if you want a particular flower for your wedding you might want to check to see if it’s in season so you can save some money. 
Here are some great summer flowers that are in season right now.

Chrysanthemums - Courtesy of w-wedding flowers

Chrysanthemums - Courtesy of Chiq Weddings

Peonies - Courtesy of Wedsavvy

Hydrangeas - Courtesy of Alicepub.com

All these flowers just scream summer. There are also flowers that are available year-round so regardless of the season they are priced just right.

Gardenias - Courtesy of The Twisted Sifter

Gardenias - Courtesy of Karen Tran Florals

Gardenias are so beautiful and they smell amazing. Their scent can fill a room with such an intoxicating scent.

Lily of the Valley - Courtesy of Snippet and Ink

Orchids - Courtesy of Style Me Pretty

Orchids are great because they come in some many shapes, sizes and colors.

Roses - Courtsey of Wish Special Events

Roses are a wedding staple and will always be looked at as the classic wedding flower. They are great wedding flowers because they can literally be dyed to match any color scheme. This makes them versatile and an ideal flower for any wedding, especially summer ones with bright bold colors.

Be sure to visit Shafonne’s website, read her new plus-size bride blog, follow her on Twitter, and read more about her in this LWPI Instructor Spotlight.

Are you a certified wedding and event planner? Are you taking an LWPI course to become certified? Did you know that LWPI also offers a Green Wedding Planning course? It’s based on The Green Bride Guide by Kate Harrison, and it’s a great way to make your business stand out. Today’s post comes from Kate, too, and she’s got some great ideas on offering brides options for eco-chic invitations.

Photo Courtesy of Night Owl Paper Goods

One of the most exciting parts of the wedding-planning process is deciding how you are going to announce the big day to your friends and family. Traditionally, announcements and invitations are expensive and involve bleached or dyed paper that often goes to waste. In fact, Americans send out enough invitations each year to cover the entire island of Manhattan! Not to worry, The Green Bride Guide has some eco-chic alternatives that will impress your guests and save some trees along the way.

1. Send save-the-dates and invitations electronically.

There is an increasing amount of Websites that allow couples to custom design paperless evites for little to no cost. Since there are so many different sites to choose from, couples can shop around to choose a site that can help them create the perfect invitation that fits with the look and feel of their big day. Guests can also RSVP electronically, and the site will automatically generate a guest list. This is a helpful, real-time planning tool that will ensure you never lose a head count or have to worry about RSVPs getting lost in the mail. For less computer-savvy guests, make sure to include a telephone number where they can reach you to let you know whether or not they are attending.

2. Use 100% Recycled Paper Alternatives

If you like the classic touch of paper invitations consider using a company that creates eco-chic invitations from recycled materials. The use of recycled paper and soy ink will give your guests the details of your big day while having a gentler impact on the environment. Another option is having invitations printed on 100% cotton or bamboo silk paper. Some companies allow you to send your own paper that they will transform into beautiful invitations for your guests. For a zero-waste option you can take the RSVP cards you receive and have them recycled into thank-you cards!

3. Consolidate

Invitation companies are becoming more innovative with their designs in order to accommodate eco-conscious customers. For example, some invitations now have a detachable stamped RSVP card that guests can simply rip off and put in the mail like a postcard. You can eliminate the need for RSVP cards all together by providing an email address or telephone number on the invitation where guests can contact you. Eliminate the need for multiple paper inserts in the invitation by providing guests with a link to your wedding Website. You can customize your site with directions, registry links, menu options, and even a guest book. Not only are you saving paper but you are providing guests with the convenience of having all of the information about the event in one place.

Want to learn more about LWPI’s Green Weddings course? Take a tour today or register for a class in your area. And learn more about Kate Harrison and The Green Bride Guide at her Website.

No matter where you turn these days you bump into some sort of social media, and weddings are no exception. From the engagement, to the shower, to the honeymoon, couples are using technology and social media to share the details of their new life together. But just how prominent is technology in weddings and wedding planning? This month LWPI is polling its certified wedding and event planners about how bridal couples are incorporating technology into their big days. Are most of your brides setting up wedding Websites? Are they accepting RSVPs through their Website or email? Have you ever seen a bridal couple live Tweet their nuptials? Take our Social Media survey, and continue the conversation in the comments section or on Facebook!

Photos Courtesy of Chaz Cruz Weddings, via Event Design of Florida

The popularity of food trucks, in general, can’t be denied. There are TV shows dedicated to them, and some of the most popular food trucks have tons of Twitter followers hanging on their every destination. But food trucks as caterers? At weddings? For many bridal couples the answer is an emphatic yes. According to The Knot, via The Wedding Report, food trucks are a top wedding trend for 2011: “The popularity of street food trucks has made its way into weddings with foods like Belgian waffles and tacos now popping up at the cocktail hour or at wedding after parties.” We were curious what LWPI’s certified wedding and event planners think about this up-and-coming trend so we asked your opinions on Facebook. Here’s what you told us:

“No I haven’t but they are all the rage right now!!”
“Sorry, but unless you were having your wedding in a park or backyard, I think it’s kind of sad! lol”
“Ayyy…nooo!! Totally out of place!!”

OK. So not everyone is a fan, but just as every bride is different so is every wedding. We definitely think there’s a place for food trucks at weddings - for the right couple. First, the food-truck scene is huge in such cities as L.A. and Austin so we can imagine that couples who live in those cities definitely see hiring these traveling chefs as “going local.” Second, using food trucks is also one way to Go Green: They often offer local, organic ingredients, and they definitely create less mess than traditional catering options. And third, noshing on food-truck fare can be an easy way to cut costs. Traditional catering can be super expensive, and if you’re working with an easy-going and budget-conscious couple, food trucks might just be the way to treat guests to something new and save a few bucks in the meantime.

Are food trucks right for every wedding? No. They would definitely be out of place at a black-tie event. And they’re not practical for winter weddings, either. But if your couple is looking for a unique way to step up their cocktail hour, or a cute (and tasty) after-party favor for guests food trucks could be just the way to go.

What do you think?

Thanks to Chaz Cruz Weddings and Event Design! Check their Websites for vendor information. Amazing work!

What are your plans for your wedding- and event-planning business? Are you hoping to be known for your upscale style? Or do you want potential clients to look to you for environmental knowledge? If that’s the case LWPI’s Green Wedding Planning course is for you. One recent LWPI graduate, Sharnice Thompson, shares with us why she chose the course and what she got out of it. Will you be the next certified Green Wedding Planner in your region?

Why did you choose LWPI? I did my research and found that LWPI met the criteria that I was looking for, and the institute as a whole is very sophisticated. The staff is knowledgeable about the school and programs, and this is the only institute that offers an eco-friendly wedding-planing certificate course.

What made you decide to be a Green Wedding Planner? My husband and I are very much into the “green” lifestyle, and when I decided I wanted to be a wedding planner I knew that I wanted to be a little different and make a big impact. Therefore, I choose to go with green wedding planning, something among the path I’m already on and am very much familiar with.

What did you like most about the course? I like that it’s at-your-own-pace. I was able to balance my cake business, school, work and the course at the same time.

How did the course prepare you to work in the event industry? It helped me become organized, and it guided me in the direction of a successful wedding planner.

Do you think Green Weddings will grow more popular? With the direction that the world is going I know that Green Weddings will absolutely grow in popularity in the years to come.

Why should a bridal couple try to plan a Green Wedding? Wedding couples should try Green Wedding Planning to see the bigger picture: their commitment to one another; their commitment to their community and the world; and their commitment to lessening their carbon footprint as a couple. It can also be the beginning of a green life together, and it may help them save money.

What are your favorite eco-friendly trends? I love eco-friendly clothes, jewelry and makeup. People are always trying to enhance their appearance, and if they use green materials it makes a large impact on our world.

What trends do you predict will grow in popularity and become more mainstream for non-green weddings? Gowns: They will be heirlooms, recycled, made from recycled materials and/or donated.

Do you have a background in event planning? I do not have any previous background in event planning, but I do plan to continue to grow my business to a full-time job.

Do you have anything else to share with aspiring Green Wedding Planners? Reach for your “green” goals, and be sure you’re making your clients aware of how they can reduce their carbon footprint.

You can find Sharnice through her business website, Haute Chic Cakes and More. Be sure to click on the Eco-Chic Wedding Tab for wedding and package information. To reach her, visit the Contact Page, where you will find her name, number and her email address.

Certified wedding and event planners are obviously expected to keep their brides and grooms happy. But there are others to think about, too, especially during the hot summer months. Don’t let the heat bum out the wedding guests - or the wedding party! Keep them cool and refreshed with these great ideas:

* Have the caterer set up an ice-cream bar at the reception. You can keep it simple by having several flavors of homemade ice creams, or you can go all out with a sundae bar, replete with candies, syrups and fresh fruits. We’re also loving the idea of a gourmet ice-pop cart! The King of Pops, Steven Carse, who is based in Atlanta, will come to you!

* Various colors of lemonade are a fun way to add color to the affair, and guests love to sample flavored teas, especially when they’re sweet and served over ice! Summery cocktails are always a nice touch, and they keep guests refreshed (and happy!) during a hot summer evening.

Photo Courtesy of Martha Stewart Living

* When it comes to the food think cool: gazpacho in shot glasses; individual servings of chilled banana pudding; shrimp cocktail; chilled oysters; and fruit “salad” skewers. We also absolutely adore these sorbet “wedding cakes” from Martha Stewart that serve as a palate cleanser and a guest chiller! The possibilities are endless!

* Outdoor weddings are parties so treat them as such. Steel-drum bands and ukelele players create the perfect music for weddings during the day or those that take place under the stars. The music will remind guests of breezy Hawaiian beaches, which could be very helpful on a hot August afternoon!

* Offer double-duty favors: Fans are always welcome during an afternoon wedding, and they can also serve as the ceremony programs. Specialty drinks, such as the sodas from P&H Soda Co., are colorful and fun. Coordinate one flavor with the colors of your wedding, and make sure the bottles are chilled. The guests can grab a drink and relax while they wait for the wedding to start, or for the wedding party to finish the picture hour.

You Might Also Enjoy:

Summer Wedding Myths Busted, From The Knot
Going to a summer wedding? Here’s how you should dress.

The celebrity weddings keep rolling in, and celebrity brides are pulling out all the stops. They’ve had some major celebration footsteps to follow, after all, with Prince William’s Royal Wedding earlier this year in England and Prince Albert’s nuptials recently in Monaco! Certified wedding and event planners are likely to have brides following the details of every celebrity celebration so they know what The Next Big Thing is in the wedding industry. Here are some of our favorite celebrity wedding details of the past few months.

Become A Certified Wedding and Event Planner Today!

Sara Rue: Every bride knows how hard it can be for her and her fiance to choose a wedding-cake flavor. That’s why we love the route Sara Rue took at her May wedding: She had three cakes! “I’ll be having one of each,” Rue told PEOPLE of the three wedding cakes planned for the nuptials, including a red velvet and a pumpkin caramel confection. How fun is that?

Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz: While we love a big, beautiful wedding as much as the next planner we also love sweet, intimate events. Not many details are known about the Craig-Weisz nuptials, but the idea of saying “I Do” in front of only your children and officiant strikes us as super-sweet.

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Dylan Lauren: When your dad is famed fashion designer Ralph Lauren there’s no question who is going to design your wedding gown! “I wanted to just give her something that she’d really treasure, give her something that would be really amazing, and I wanted her to feel fantastic,” Lauren told Oprah, according to People. And of course Dylan, the owner of Dylan’s Candy Bar stores, put her own touch on the dessert bar!

America Ferrera: We’ve all fallen in love with America as we’ve watched her grow up on television and movies so it’s so sweet to see her fall in love and have the wedding of her dreams in real life! America married her fiance on a Monday, and our favorite detail? Her dress and styling. How gorgeous is she?

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Niecy Nash: If you’re a TLC fan you already know all about Niecy’s wedding because of her show, Niecy Nash’s Wedding Bash. If not, however, you might not know that Niecy took a moment to sit down with each of her attendants before the wedding. She tells Essence.com, “I had a little time with each one of my bridesmaids… they just kept coming to my room, one by one, and we had conversations about our friendships, and what kind of woman they think I am and I was just like, ‘Oh my God!’ I was so overwhelmed that women I hold in such high esteem thought so highly of me. I definitely had to lay down for a little while and put ice on my eyes because I was so emotional.” This has to be one of the sweetest wedding moments we’ve ever heard about, don’t you agree?

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Prince Albert and Charlene Wittstock: This wedding, a calm, religious ceremony, took place in a palace courtyard because of the large guest list. We loved all of the traditional details, down to Albert’s cream-colored summer uniform of the palace guards. But our favorite parts? The couple exchanged vows in French, which the bride religiously practiced before her big day. And second? The couple rode to their reception in a Lexus hybrid - showing their green side! We wonder if they had a Green Wedding Planner working behind the scenes…

Do you have a favorite celebrity wedding moment?

Today’s post comes from Sally Lorensen Conant, who is also known as the Gown Care Lady. Be sure to visit her website, the Association of Gown Preservation Specialists, too. Having this kind of information available to potential bridal clients is a good idea for certified wedding and event planners. Plus, contacting this type of business expands your vendor contact base. Sally says:

Make getting dressed in your wedding gown, from head to toe, go smoothly on your wedding day. Most bridal shops press and stuff your wedding gown to prevent wrinkling, but here are some tips about what to do once you take your bridal gown home.

1. Take your bridal gown out of the garment bag if the bag is plastic and hang your bridal gown where it will be safe from children or pets. Wrap it in a clean sheet to protect it from light and dust.

2. Make a list of everything you will need the day of the wedding–including things for emergencies. Look here for ways to treat spills on your wedding gown the day of the wedding. If you are dressing in your wedding gown away from home, double-check your list before you leave the house.

3. Several days before the wedding, look over your wedding gown and wedding accessories and make sure everything is ready to wear. Hang your veil near the shower to smooth any wrinkles or let a Specialist help you. Visit here to read about free pressing for your wedding gown from a Specialist.

4. Wear your shoes around the house so you will be comfortable the day of the wedding. You might even rub the soles against a sidewalk or other rough surface to make them less slippery.

5. Arrange for someone (two “someones” are even better) without a fresh manicure or dark polish to help you dress in your wedding gown. Or hire a professional dresser who will take responsibility for your bridal gown all day and make sure you are dressed perfectly in a bridal gown that is not creased or wrinkled and is bustled properly.

6. Make sure you know how to bustle your wedding gown and show whoever is helping you dress how to do it, too. Pin five or six safety pins to the underside of your wedding gown. They will not show, and you will be glad they are handy if your bustle loops break.

7. Allow plenty of time to get dressed in your wedding gown. Allow even more time if it is raining.

8. Worth repeating–allow plenty of time to get dressed in your wedding gown. Allow even more time if it is raining.

9. Most important, remember to relax and enjoy every minute of your special day because your wedding day will go buy all too quickly!