Megan & Kyle's Wedding at The Olmsted Louisville, KY

The Olmsted Louisville, KY

Megan and Kyle were married yesterday at St. Paul's United Methodist Church with their reception following at The Olmsted on Frankfort Ave. The Olmsted is one of the prettiest reception halls I've seen in Louisville. The set up is ideal. You have the entire building for your wedding. There is a grand foyer in the middle (where the band, Endless Summer Band) was set up. To the left of the foyer is a large room set up for cocktails & to the right is the dinning room.

The table linens by Sha Fox Weddings and Events and the flowers by In Bloom Again were gorgeous. There were 4 different table designs.

Black table linen with white overlay, Calla Lilies in black rectangle container.

 

White table linen with black overlay, Purple orchids in hurricane glasses with clear stones.

Black and white floral printed table linen with pop of purple flowers.

Wineberry purple table linen with white hydrangeas in tall square vase.

Black and white floral printed cake by Mert's Cakes

There was open seating and no place cards (except for the wedding party). However, they had a genius idea to put small framed signs on a few of the tables that said "Reserved for the Family and Friends of _________" to make sure all the relatives had a place to sit together.

Even though the wedding was absolutely beautiful, the best part of the evening was the appreciation from all the guests. They were so thankful for all of the hard work Ellen Fox and I put in (mostly Ellen!) and so kind. We felt like an integral part of the wedding...not the help!

How to make your wedding more green

It's hard to go anywhere these days without hearing about "green" efforts or new "eco" products. However, when it comes to planning a wedding many people don't think about what a big impact their decisions have on the environment. Here is a list of small and easy things you can do to have your big day make less of a big impact on the plant:

Website

• The I Do Foundation helps you make a wedding website that is as chic as any other. There are a few different options of couples who want to help make a difference. The first is linking your gift registry to I do Foundation partners who will donate a percentage of all the gifts bought for you back to a charity of your choice...so let's get this straight; you get all the gifts you want and still make a charitable donation?! Why wouldn't you do this?!
• Secondly, if you don't think you need/want that many gifts you can set up a place to make donations to a charity in lieu of giving you a gift.
• Thirdly, the I Do Foundation has a link to many different wedding shops. For example there are links to rings, favors, even honeymoons. Buy through the website and 10% of the sales will go towards your charity. Again, you need this stuff anyway...why wouldn't you do this?!

Invitations

• Use recycled paper! It's so easy to find and then you can print your own. Or check out InviteSite for pre-designed eco options

Favors                                                  Mini Bloembox Flower Seeds

• Use sustainable favors e.g. give away seeds or plants in mini potting plants. Not only does it reduce the waste from your wedding, but then guests can plant them in their garden and always remember your event. The one's pictured above have a biodegradable tissue example of the flower...love it!

Dinner

• It is always important to give your guests options when it comes to food at your wedding. However, I cringe as a planner every time I see a caterer or restaurant putting all the options on one plate. For example, the last wedding I worked at the Brown Hotel had a filet of beef, a filet of sea bass, shrimp, vegetables, and risotto all on each plate given to the 200+ guests. Don't get me wrong, the food was amazing, but ultimately who can eat that much?! I watched plate after plate being scraped into the garbage at the end of the night. Sea bass is endangered, People! Not okay! Instead, give your guests the choice and do a count ahead of time...the most classy option, maybe not, but definitely more eco then throwing out half the food.