Clay Hill Farm in Maine, US, wants to give a couple a chance for a gorgeous wedding with green credentials, at their venue, all expenses paid. The grand prize includes outdoor wedding venue, ceremony, reception, wedding photography, bridal jewellery, wedding video, flowers and voucher for a green gift list. Anyone can enter and couples just need to answer 3 questions and submit a creative piece demonstrating their commitment to the environment.

The venue who are putting on the competition, Clay Hill Farm, are certified as a natural wildlife habitat and bird sanctuary. They hope the competition will showcase the collective small steps of real people committed to reducing environmental impact, leading to big change in our local and global community – a big ask, but as has been said: ‘one small step for a man…’

If only the whole wedding industry would have this commitment to change – either toward positive environmental care, or at least to helping couples have a unique and personal day.

Greener Abode is an online retailer offering products which are handmade or manufactured by small, independent designers and companies that are committed to creating modern, innovative designs with greener credentials. From small utensils to benches, beds and desks, you could furnish your entire new home here.

Choosing only the most stylish pieces, there is none of the hair-shirt image of previous eco design. As many of the pieces are handmade or unusual, each one has a story to tell and will make your home unique and styled with imagination.

Other pieces don’t wear their eco credentials on their sleeve. These stealth sustainability supporters include wallpaper, upholstered vintage chairs and contemporary beds – your friends won’t believe you when you tell them how green they are.

Adding some of these pieces to your online gift list will spread the word – enabling your guests to see the bredth of eco design out there, whilst also creating your ideal eco home from the wedding gifts they buy for you.

Anna Hardy recently photographed the wedding of Dawn & John (above), where Dawn had made her own bouquet, and fabric versions for her bridesmaids.

A few weeks ago we told you about MadeNew jewellery who use old brooches, pendants and charms to make gorgeous necklaces, bracelets and accessories. Well, Fancy Pants Weddings have written an amazing tutorial to take you step by step through creating your own bouquet.

There are loads of places to get these old brooches from if you don’t have 50-85 hanging around. Car boot sales are an amazing resource – though it does involve getting up early on a Sunday morning. A couple of visits should get you enough for one bouquet.

I really can’t imagime how brides planned wedding before the internet – just have a look and there are some amazing ideas out there to inspire – In particular, Rock’n'RollBride. Just remember to mix and match to make your wedding day how you want it, to represent your characters, not just a carbon copy of magazines.

A little point-and-shoot camera may not be the best quality, but the people at Shoot it Yourself (as seen on Dragons Den last week) have thought of that. They rent you the quality stuff you’ll need,give you the know-how and top tips for how to shoot the wedding, and they’ll even edit it for you afterward. Hows that for a plan!

There will be no difficulty in getting your groom’s mates to volunteer once they hear about the top of the range Sony Handicams – Just don’t let them drint too much or your Nan may need to take over… It will be great having a video shot in your style, with personal touches and get away from a stuffy montage. You will be much more chilled out with your mates behing the camera that it will be a more natural feel, and makes the day, and the lasting memories better for you!

So what are the Shoot it Yourself top tips for your DIY wedding video? Well here are just 5 for starters:

1. Don’t waste time on filming details like table decorations or flowers – the photographer will have these covered. Focus on getting fun interviews and personal messages from friends and family, these are what the bride and groom will want to remember 20 years from now.
2. Make the most of your up close and personal access to the bride and groom; for example you can film them getting ready with their parties in the morning, complete with pre-wedding jitters! They are sure to be more relaxed with you behind the camera, so don’t worry about asking them how they’re feeling or if they have any messages for their other halves before they walk down the aisle.
3. Have a look for examples of good videos online; there are plenty of good ideas you could organise, like group sing-a-longs, which people always love to get involved in! Weddings do involve a lot of standing around and drinking so take the opportunity to film some comedy action shots!
4. Why not set up a video diary room at the reception for after the speeches? There are usually a few hours to kill before the First Dance and people are already feeling a bit tipsy. Put the camera on a tripod in a spare room and direct people to leave their tops tips for a successful marriage to the bride and groom.
5. Filming is the easy part; it’s often editing the video that is people’s downfall! Look to the pros for the finishing touches that will make your video stand out. Shoot It Yourself use the latest editing software to incorporate personalised graphics, contemporary music and special effects to turn your precious day of filming into a YouTube masterpiece.

And if you want to ask guests to contribute towards the cost, add it onto your wedding gift list…

{September Bride Of The Month} Karen & Alan’s Wedding – August 2011 Hosted by Official Bespoken For Blog for Bridal Jewellery Designer and Wedding Expert Jenni Bush

Karen was chosen as Bride of the Month on BeSpoken For and had this to say about Wedding Notebook:

“A fantastic website where you can have your own wedding website and gift list – fantastic isn’t even close.  For us it was ideal as we had people coming from Scotland, England and the USA and this made it easy to tell them details of the wedding, directions, accommodation and also a Gift List that meant they could shop around for the best deal for it wasn’t linked to any shop…  But the website was fantastic and now I am updating it so that we can show people photos and details of the wedding!”

Thanks Karen!

Wedding Notebook is free for brides to use. You can read more about what it can do for you here

Here is our BeSpoken For Seal of Approval.

How to wear a bit of history down the aisle:

We don’t all have a cartier tiara to borrow from the grooms Granny, but a piece of reworked or vintage jewellery will be full of past and memories and can make just as grand a satatement.

Elizabeth from Made-New has found a way of reworking tired, forgotten or broken jewellery into decadent pieces – necklaces, bracelets and acessories.

“Jewels with a history, a life of intrigue, with love’s memories or sad regrets, carelessly cast aside, sleeping at the bottom of a tired drawer,  discarded, forgotten, pieces of life’s metal, are twisted and woven, beautifully created, sole links are partnered again, and made-new, to please and to charm, give hope and experience, reborn and released in to a brand new creation …”

Have a rummage in your jewellery box or accessories drawer, and get your mum to do the same… If you find some tired or broken chains, pendants, brooches or watches that you want to be reborn into stunning wedding acessories then contact Elizabeth so she can work her magic. Then you will not only have a new piece of jewellery, but it will be full of your own memories too.

This is exactly waht is says on the tin – a Grow your own Wine Rack Kit! You get a kit of willow strips, which you plant in such a way that they graft together to make a wine rack for 10 bottles. You’ll need patience as it will take 3 years to form, but then it really is a talkingpoint – and very unique. Your friends will be fighting each other to get it for you. Perfect for any wedding gift lists from Autumn through to late Spring, as the willow needs to be planted in the winter months. Currently £31.64 from EcoCentric.

I love how much eco homewares has developed in the last few years. Not more of the obvious recycled items trying so hard to be something else. Greener Abode has some stunning finds and I love this Recycled Tyre Photo Frame, which is cool and classic, perfect for that stylish large black & white print of you from your wedding day (It is 1m square). And being black it will fit any room in your house, so even if you don’t know where you’ll be living yet, put it on the wedding list!

I must admit I am a lazy gardener, but I love having acolourful garden. This gardening gadget is perfect for lazy gardeners, or guerilla gardeners – flower bombs (Banksy would be proud!) The SeedBoms (From Kabloom – love it!) are biodegradable grenades filled with seeds and organic compost – simply throw in the garden (or nearby wasteland), then open a beer, sit back and let the sun and rain do the hard work for you. Just make sure they don’t get into your honeymoon hand luggage, or you might have some explaining to do at the airport…

So, research has shown that houseplants help keep the air clean in your home, so probably its best to have a leafy green right by your bed when you sleep, right? So obviously you’ll be wanting this mini-plantpot and clock in one… This really has to be the quirkiest gift on the wedding list… and the great thing is, it doesn’t require batteries so you can get using it straight away. Perfect! The Clean Energy Water Clock is just £14 from Natural Collection.

Any other ideas that you want us to know about, leave a comment below, or tweet us @weddingnotebook or like us on facebook.com/weddingnotebook

If you want to set up an online wedding giftlist for your big day, it is free from weddingnotebook.co.uk

We love this creative and cheap favour idea from Daisy & Ben via Emma Case Photography.

Loads of plants self seed, creating more little plants than you can handle and spreading halfway across your garden, or your parents, or neighbours… Get them to plant up herbs, flowers or any spare seedlings into clean jars of various shapes and sizes and coordinate them by tying a ribbon round the neck. Et Voila!

Image via Emma Case Photography

Take history down the aisle. Make Granny’s day and borrow jewellery or accessories to wear on your big day. There may not be a 1936 Cartier tiara in the family safe, but a delicate locket or earrings can complete an outfit and incorporate family history as your ‘something borrowed’. The silk bridal bag I carried was first taken down the aisle in the mid 1800′s, and my necklace was a gift between my husbands grandparents.

Write your own prayers or vows. They may not have had the liberty to write their own vows, instead opting for the traditional anglican wedding service, but during his address at the royal wedding the Bishop of London read out a prayer that William and Kate had written for the start of their marriage. A truly intimate act, in writing a prayer together you will discuss what your hopes and expectations are for the rest of your lives and your roles towards each other. Not only does it reveal your hearts to your guests, but you can read it over throughout your marriage to bring it back to basics.

Follow family traditions. Is there a flower that has been used in brides bouquets through your family? Perhaps not a family mertyl bush that Queen Victoria first used for her bouquet… Instead of laying your bouquet on the tomb of the unknown soldier is there a family grave that has been honoured by brides through the family. Ask your parents and grandparents about their big days and pick the aspects that you would like to start as a new tradition. It will be fun just looking through all those all photos and hearing the romantic stories over a cup of tea…

Annual reminder. The tree lined aisle from Westminster abbey will be replanted in Highgrove and the strawberry and Lily of the Valley plants donated to charity. Use trees or flowers in your decorations that can be planted afterwards and will remind you of your big day whenever they flower, or fruit! Give each guest a favour of a potted bulb that will flower during the season of your anniversary to remind them of your big day. Make sure you reserve some for your garden or window box too!

Image: Daily Mail

No frills. Echoing the wedding gown of Princess Grace, Kate’s dress flowed with clean lines. We may not all be able to afford a couture designer but a simply cut silk gown is a classic. If a lace overlay is too costly then a lace bolero over an elegant dress is a winner.
Perhaps if she had not been marrying a future king, the crepe cowl neck dress worn by bridesmaid Pippa would have been Kate’s wedding dress of choice, and would be a more wear-again wedding dress style, rather than it entering the Royal archives!

Clean lines. Instead of over the top ornamental floral displays, a line of trees framing the aisle creating a spectacle and bringing nature into the building. You don’t need to spend a fortune on blooms, as around the base of the trees were planted British wild flowers; Lily of the Valley and white flowers from wild strawberries. And rather than letting the flowers wilt or go to waste, the couple show their loyalty to their causes by donating the flowers (and fruit) to charity and replanting the trees in the grounds of Highgrove. If you have a long engagement you may have time to grow your own flowers or strawberry plants, but if not, you could hire potted trees for the occasion.
Image: Flickr

Spring fresh. Dress the church in displays of white and green. Traditionally royal brides have carried bouquets of white flowers, and Kate chose to keep the colours simple though all the flowers and dresses. Easy for any bride to emulate, foliage is cheap and creates a look that is fresh and perfect for a Spring wedding with a few choice blooms. Follow Kate’s example and choose springs of mertyl, ivy and eucalyptus with white flowers which are in season, not only saving money but means the flowers will be fresher and more likely to be locally grown.

The eyes have it. A simple area to save a few pennies for any bride is to take the task of beauty in-house. So with a budget to die for it shows how that Kate Middleton is a down to earth girl in choosing to do her own make-up, especially when an estimated 2 billion people will be watching, some in HD. There again, she had been taking lessons from bridal makeover expert Arabella Preston.