We went out to the winery, Wolffer Estate Vineyards, this past weekend. Brad had not been out there since early June, and since we have started scoping out our rentals for the reception, we wanted to take a closer look. We went to Classic Party Rentals to check out their tables, chairs, flat wear, etc. They actually have a whole green line, too. They had everything we will need, and now the hard part will be narrowing it down.

At Wolffer, all the vines were in bloom as the crush is quickly approaching. It is BREATHTAKING!!! Lush and green, with this beautiful villa sitting on top of a hill.

This romantic little gazebo hides out in the midst of the grapes a small distance away, and that’s where we will have the ceremony. It's truly a fairytale spot.

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In this week's Real Green Wedding, Anna and Chris set their 1920's-fab-meets-downhome-farm wedding on a friend's farm, with beautiful results. They worked hard with their friends to prepare the farm for their wedding, which ultimately made them feel more connected to the place they were wed. This kind of effort and commitment is a special way to start your life together. If you love the fresh, simple, rustic feel of a farm wedding as much as we do, but don't want to do quite as much prep work as Anna and Chris, you're still in luck. Many farmers are responding to this new wedding trend by offering their farms as wedding venues.

The natural charm of a farm setting requires little additional decor, cutting down your budget, and the amount of waste your wedding produces. It also makes for some beautiful photo opportunities.

Image: Orchard Cove Photography

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So this wedding plan is serious stuff! My mom, my assistant, a recently married bartender at my restaurant, and anyone else I can enlist to help have now become my team of wedding planners. A full time wedding planner is not in our budget, but I think everyone needs a "day of" person, so I recommend reserving that place in your own budget. Can you imagine me not having one? I would be running around in my wedding gown with my chef's knife, a true bridezilla! It will be hard to let go of the reins for the food aspect, but we will go on about that later. 

Image (above and below): William Hoiles

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Image: Kuperberg Weddings

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Question:
Hi Kate,
I am having trouble finding environmentally friendly vendors in my area for apparel, invitations, favors, etc. It seems green weddings are a pretty big deal on the west coast, and in larger cities, but if I were to ship those things here, the energy used in their arrival would pretty much defeat the purpose. Are you aware of anyone who can help me within fifty or so miles of XXXX, Ohio? I feel kind of stuck here... Thanks for your time.Read more...