Natural Decorations
You may want to let Mother Nature take center stage when you are decorating for your green wedding. It is a green wedding, after all, celebrating the beauty of the natural world and the desire to preserve that beauty for the future. Many natural elements can be transformed into elegant and stylish decorations. Use the seasons to get the most out of what is naturally available.
The term bride is thought to be Celtic in origin. It comes from Brigid, the name of an exalted goddess of Celtic lore. She was transformed to a saint with the rise of Christianity and became St. Brighid of Ireland, the patron saint of healers. It is thought that she bestows blessings on brides-to-be.
Using green objects is truly eco-friendly because no extra resources are being used, especially when you use found and wild objects straight from your backyard — wild grape vines, blooming crab apple branches, nuts and acorns, fruit, and rocks. Open your eyes to the abundance that is all around you. If you'd like to venture further from your backyard, just choose wisely and don't stomp all over someone's property or go hacking up their carefully tended landscaping.
Balloon releases used to be popular at weddings, but balloons are potentially harmful to wildlife. Unsuspecting animals can often eat balloons or get tangled in the ribbons, sometimes with fatal consequences. You can still enjoy balloons at your wedding — just hold on to them and make sure they are properly disposed of.
The other great thing about using décor straight from nature is that everything can easily be returned to nature if it isn't taken home or eaten. Vines and branches can easily be mulched, and any perishable food items can be composted. Rocks can be returned to the stream or put in a garden.
In the spring you'll want blooming branches and fresh flowers such as hyacinths, tulips, daffodils, and many varieties of bulb flowers. In the summer you'll be able to find many types of flowers, grasses, and early fruits and vegetables — mainly berries, acorns, green nuts, fresh vines, and branches full of green leaves. Late summer and autumn are the best times to use natural décor because of the sheer abundance of what is naturally available — apples, pears, plums, pumpkins, squash, gourds, tomatoes, assortments of leaves in brilliant fall colors, vines, grapes, and so much more. In the winter, evergreens are plentiful. Use these gifts from nature to adorn your tables and as material for wreaths, swags, and centerpieces.
