Last weekend we participated in Indie I Do for the 3^rd year in a row.  It was a great day and we had a lot of friendly brides to talk to.  Thanks to all of you for stopping by to say hello.

We had a number of people enter our draw for a chance to win free wedding invitations. Congratulations to our winner, Josie A., who is getting married on August 25th and has won 200 cards for her wedding!

There were quite a few new & interesting vendors this year, and here were some of our favorites.

Lana Betty – Looking for some unique jewelry for your special day? Lana Betty has some very beautiful and vintage inspired jewelry.  I especially liked her cute owl earrings.  They come in so many different colours too!

Revel Events – An event planning company run by Jenna Smith, she makes sure every little detail is taken care of for your special day.  I absolutely loved her booth too! Her DIY backdrop of streamers and bouquets of handmade crepe paper flowers were gorgeous.

Feest – They provide all natural bath products and use eco-consious packaging.  I loved how environmentally friendly they were.  What was especially neat was their lavender bud confetti.  Instead of blowing bubbles or showering the newlyweds with rice, shower them with the scent of lavender.  They’re biodegradable too!

Thanks to everyone for making it a great day.  We had a great time and got quite a few interesting suggestions for new wedding invitation designs.  We’ll be expanding our catalog throughout the year, so watch for design updates!

So I decided to make the swag for this year’s Indie I Do.  It was fun doing it myself and I think it added a nice touch as well.  So what are we giving away?  French Vanilla Soy Candles!  They would also work great for wedding favours (and are all-natural to boot!)  If you’d like to try and make these yourself, here’s how to do it.

The candles I made were done in 125ml mason jars, but you can really use anything you like.  At this time of year, mason jars were great as they have now been emptied from eating everything from summer canning  All the candle supplies were purchased locally from Wicks and Wax in Burnaby.

If you’re aiming to make 100 candles, here’s what you’ll need:

-       8kg of wax
-       100 wick tabs
-       5 meters of wicks
-       Scent (if desired)
-       100 125ml jars

Melt the wax in a pot and heat to 155 degrees farenheight.

In the meantime, cut the wicks to 2” in length.

Insert the wicks into the wick tabs and squeeze with pliers to secure.

When the wax gets to 155 degrees, add the scent.  Don’t heat the scent for too long or else the smell will disappear.  It didn’t take too long for the wax to melt completely, so make sure to watch it closely.

Pour the wax into jars when it’s between 125 – 155 degrees.

Drop in the wicks and wait for the wax to solidify.

That’s it!  You could make some custom labels (like I did) or cover the jar with a bit of fabric for a personal touch

These were really easy to make, and only ended up costing about $70, not including the jars.  If you were to purchase the jars they run about $13/dozen.

I was feeling extra creative and I had a small bit of wax leftover, and with our recycling bin nearby I decided to make a beer can-dle (haha!).  This just shows how versatile and creative you can be.

Come to Indie I Do next weekend to grab a swag bag filled with some awesome loot!  We still have a couple of free passes to give away so contact us if you’d like some.

We’ve recently partnered with another event planning company, deBelle Designs.  deBelle Designs is a Vancouver-based wedding planner, run by Elise Duchesneau.

Elise originally got involved with the wedding industry through a friend that started her own wedding dress company (www.puresomething.com), where she modeled some of the dresses, and fell in love.  Because of her experience with Pure Something, Elise had attended numerous wedding shows and had made a number of contacts with a variety of wedding vendors, so becoming a wedding planner came naturally.  She also planned her own wedding so she knows just how stressful things can be from the bride’s point of view.  Unlike some wedding planners, Elise designs weddings that are tailored to each couple.

deBelle designs is also eco-friendly.  They reuse many of their items and instead of buying brand new items, they often find things at second hand stores.  They also encourage their couples to rent items instead of buying them.

For more information about Elise and deBelle Designs and how they can be of service to you on your special day, visit them online or check out our partners page.

Today I received our shipment of Complete Weddings magazine.  We have an ad featured in their new issue so pick one up to check it out.  We do have some complimentary copies to give away, so if you would like a copy of the 2012 issue, drop us a line at info[at]sgreencards.com.

Two new card designs have been added to the store.  You can now order Autumn or Fireflies themed wedding invitations.  Check them out in the catalog or request a sample.

Also, keep an eye out for some new Christmas cards designs.  Some sketches will be posted soon!

Two new card designs have been added to the catalog!  Check out the new Mason Jar Invitation and Bicycle Invitation to place an order.  You can also request a sample or contact us with any questions.

Hey Everyone,

So we have a couple exciting things going on this week.  We’re being featured on Green Box Top’s National site and you can get $150 worth of wedding cards for $50.  Check it out soon as the deal ends Tuesday night.

Also this week we’re participating in a giveaway from WeddingInviteLove.  Enter by 9pm on Friday June 10th for  your chance to win a grab bag of 66 different items.  Check out the details here!

We’re running a deal on Weddingful starting today!  For $49 you can get $150 worth of wedding cards.  This can be used on any combination of Save the Dates, Invitations, RSVP cards, and Thank-you cards.  This deal will be running for 1 week and will be valid for 1 year from the date of purchase.

Please visit http://www.weddingful.com/deals for more info and check out our catalog to view our designs!

After talking with many brides, one thing we’ve noticed is that many people have difficulties in finding green wedding favours. Well the search is over.  Tree Beginnings offers a wide selection of customizable, eco-friendly favours.  From honeys and teas to flower and tree seeds, they have it all.

Started in 1993 by Sheila and Rick Sheffield, they decided to give away saplings as favours at their own wedding. Rick ran a tree seed business and they wanted their favours to reflect their passion for the environment.

What makes Tree Beginnings unique?
All of their eco favors are personalized and they all have thank you messages which the bride and groom can customize.  Having been around since 1993, they have developed a great reputation as well.

One customer commented,
“Thank you so much for your quick service and the beautiful favors. They were just what we thought they’d be, and out guests received them very well. My new wife cried when she saw and read them — which is always a good sign! Thanks again for the quick and professional service and a quality product that became a really nice part of our reception.

Sincerely,
Chris”

So what makes Tree Beginnings eco-friendly?
99% of their products are from nature, they use recycled & handmade natural papers, natural wood moss, and shredded paper for packaging. They operate out of an old farmhouse with no fancy modern furniture.  They really believe in what they do and offer quality gifts at affordable prices.  It’s a great way to add a touch of green to your wedding day, and let your gift make an impact on your friends and family for years to come.

Check them out at treebeginnings.ca, and if you’re looking for other green wedding vendors check out our partners page.