Eco-Chic + Vegan Too!

Rachel Venokur and Christopher Clark were married June 1, 2008 at The Garrison in Garrison NY. "We chose The Garrison for it’s natural, beautiful grounds, organic chic feel, the ability to use food from their gardens and [the fact] that they use locally grown, sustainable and organic [food] whenever possible."

Rachel is a Holistic Health Counselor (she does private consulting through her company Renew...For a New You), so it was important to her that her wedding be "as eco and conscious as possible." She is also a vegan, and "The Garrison was able to provide amazing and interesting vegan options that everyone enjoyed, along with an organic and local non-vegan menu." In addition to choosing an eco-friendly venue, here are some of the other ways Rachel and Christopher "went green":

Invitations, etc. Their save the dates, invitations, escort cards and menus were printed on 100% recycled paper with soy ink (by Sweet Letter Press).

The Gown Rachel bought her wedding gown from Veka Bridal in NYC, because they are "known for their non-traditional not too bridey wedding dresses, which was what I was looking for." She is planning on donating the dress to charity and is currently, "considering a few places, like the Bridal Garden in NYC. I just would like it to go to good use."

Local Flowers Their ceremony took place under a bamboo chuppah which was covered in herbs, berries and local flowers.

Rachel carried a bouquet of wildflowers wrapped in lace from her mother's wedding dress. She also used her Grandmother's diamonds in her wedding band and she and Christopher displayed family wedding photos at the reception. "Everything was very personal, from the escort card photos to the old family wedding photos, to our choreographed first dance to a Queen Song. We really wanted to add a personal touch to an organic, yet elegant wedding. People walked away saying how the wedding was 'so Chris and Rachel' and that is exactly what we wanted. We did it in an eco way that didn't bombard our guests with how to save the earth, but elegantly presented to them how easy it is to make a few simple changes that can go a long way."

To decorate the tables they used "local wild flowers, herbs and berries in vintage, recycled and refurbished pots." These were surrounded with soy candles poured into " vintage glasses that were either already in the family or bought at antique sales and thrift shops. The candles and glasses will be re-used by our florist - StoneKelly." Instead of having favors, Rachel and Christopher encouraged their guests to take home the vintage pots of flowers from the tables.

The escort cards and table numbers (imprinted with photos from the couples travels) were also nestled in containers of sustainable blooms.

Dinner For dinner, their guests enjoyed local, organic and vegan fare. Click on the menu below to see the full details - sounds delicious!

Dessert Instead of a traditional wedding cake, Rachel and Christopher had "a Vegan cupcake trio made by The Groovy Baker with organic ingredients as our main dessert." The cupcake tiers were topped with adorable (edible) vegan marzapan people made to resemble the bride and groom. Cupcakes are a great green alternative because they are easy for guests to take home.

Eau de'Toilet Even their bathrooms were green! Rachel and Christopher "used green and organic products in the ladies and men's room baskets whenever possible." Including baskets of eco-friendly toiletries is a great way to help spread the word about your favorite green products.

Kate's Note: Being green runs in the Venokur family. Rachel's cousin Danielle owns dvGreen - a green event company in New York. Danielle is one of the green wedding experts I interviewed for The Green Bride Guide.

Photo credit: Photomuse