This competition is now closed. Hop on over here to cast your vote for the winner!
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OK, here's the deal :) How do you fancy winning a digital wedding photography package, valued at £1,400? A package that will actually include all of the below:-
- Engagement/pre-wedding photoshoot with 30 images on DVD
- All day photography on your wedding day
- Online gallery of images
- Approximately 300/400 high resolution retouched images on DVD
Love My Dress has teamed up with Wedding Photographer Dasha Caffrey of Exhibit Emotions Photography and London Wedding Planner Mary Lee Herrington of Forever & Ever Events to bring you this opportunity. I am particularly thrilled about this because Dasha is such a talented Photographer - pop on over to Dasha's website to learn more {I love her 'About' page}, or click here to view this wonderful Art-Deco Bride inspired photoshoot. This is a little project we've been working on quietly in the background for a number of weeks now, and today I'm so excited to finally be able to share it with you :)
Love My Dress Wedding Blog - Photography Copyright (c) 2011, Dasha Caffrey
So, what's this competition all about, and how can you enter it?
Well, we're turning our attention to eco-friendly weddings, and we have designed this competition in a way that I hope, that will inspire and assist all those readers who are seeking to add elements of eco-chic to their own wedding.
The plan is that we ask you to share eco-friendly ideas you have for your own wedding {which must be due to take place between August this year and September next year} using the form at the bottom of this page. We will select 2-3 of the best entries and then share them with our readers for a public vote {to pick a winner}. The resulting winner will win the prize detailed above, valued at £1,400. Pretty fabulous, isn't it?
"In the part of the world where I come from originally – the US – you can see many beautifully planned weddings and events that have an eco-conscious spirit. To be “eco” in wedding planning means simply to have a sensitivity towards the environment – so, focus on re-using products (such as, vintage fashions), sourcing businesses and props that are based locally, and serving locally sourced organic foods (which, to be frank, will taste better anyway because it’s organic and seasonal!). Already, readers of Love My Dress have an “eco” conscious spirit because of their love for vintage.
Vintage is inherently environmentally friendly because you are essentially re-using and recycling. And from a Stylist’s perspective (and one who was also once a bride and therefore understands that brides want to be unique and original), I particularly love vintage.
"In styling this shoot and wanting to inspire Love My Dress readers, I wanted to show vintage styles that are timeless, rather than dated. I carefully worked with The Vintage Table and displayed vintage crockery and linens that were chic and pretty. Dasha and I also loved the Kate Halfpenny collection of wedding dresses, which includes both her own designs and vintage dresses. Kate carefully sources vintage dresses that are timeless and classic!"
"Also eco-chic is Kate’s jewellery collection: she stocks vintage pieces as well as her own designs, which are handmade in the UK. As for the all-important shoes, many brides these days will purchase shoes that they can re-use again after the wedding.
They may not realise this, but this is an eco-friendly choice, because you would be re-using them again and again. For this shoot, we used a pair of stylish heels from Emmy (also worn by Carole and Pippa Middleton on Friday 29 April 2011!) and a style which can be worn with any cocktail dress after the wedding..."
"With catering for an eco-conscious wedding, the focus should be on locally sourced, organic foods. This will also be better tasting food and your guests will be very happy (the biggest criticism that guests may have about a wedding usually centers on the food!). But, as stylish people, we also want pretty food. Have no fear, there are suppliers like Skye Cooks who specialise in the beautiful presentation of organic catering, and Molly Bakes, who also uses locally sourced ingredients and bakes the cutest little desserts. Our wedding cake was provided by Anna Tyler Cakes, who also uses locally sourced ingredients for her cakes as well as organic ribbons to further pretty it up! All of these suppliers provide modern and beautifully presented catering options that are also absolutely delectable.
Many eco-conscious couples will opt not to use paper stationery for their weddings and will instead limit all their invitation information to a wedding website. However, once the wedding rolls around, you do still have to think about signage and place cards. If you want to be environmentally friendly, it’s best to use a local stationer who also uses recycled paper. Coquette Paper & Press, who is based in London, created small quirky signs for the dessert table that were all made from recycled paper and also made a personalized couple’s sign printed on recycled paper that was tied with natural raffia..."
"The brains behind Coquette Paper & Press also happens to be a makeup and hair artist called Kate Taylor. Kate styled the hair and makeup for the shoot using organic makeup and hair products from Dr Haushka cosmetics.
For flowers, I wanted to feature succulents, as bouquets made out of succulents will not only last for days and days following an event, but they are also cute as potted favors for guests. Succulents also are the most low-maintenance of plants, so even those without green thumbs can take care of succulents! The potted succulents are also a great way to dress a table by bunching them in different sizes and shapes. Simply add a guests’ name tag to them and – voila! - you have just re-used table centerpieces as wedding favors! The bouquet and succulents were provided by Hiden Floral Design.
Not many couples realise that there are venues in the UK that are also environmentally friendly. One of them is RSA House, a venue in the heart of London, just a stone’s throw away from the Thames and Trafalgar Square. As an eco-conscious venue, RSA House monitors its use of unnecessary energy and uses green energy providers and water management system. Their in-house catering team also focuses on sourcing as many ingredients from within Britain as possible...."
Dasha Caffrey of Exhibit Emotions Photography, who is giving away this wonderful prize, tell us her point of view...
"More and more people realize these days that we should take care of our environment, preserve it, stop consuming solely and start giving back.
I’ve always wanted to be good to the environment and be eco-friendly. I recycle and buy organic food and ethical products from local suppliers. So when I launched my wedding photography business in 2009, it was only natural for it to be as eco-friendly as possible. It’s not only about the way I run it (my cards are printed on recycled paper, I use packaging made from natural or recycled materials, offer fine art eco wedding albums, consume minimum amounts of energy, among other eco-friendly initiatives), it’s also about lifestyle choices and responsibility to our environment..."
"As a Wedding Photographer I try to inspire my brides to make these choices too. Being eco-conscious when planning a wedding has become a big trend in the USA (and hopefully it’s one of the trends that is here to stay), however, I haven’t seen or heard much about it in the UK. And so I came up with an idea of an 'Eco Chic' Wedding Inspiration photo shoot that would showcase as many eco-conscious ideas and suppliers as possible, and hopefully inspire UK brides in the process.
Living in London, I know that it’s hard to imagine putting eco practices into reality, as most of the time the term ‘eco’ is associated with countryside. So, apart from eco wedding inspiration, one of the ideas behind this shoot is to show brides and couples that it is possible to use eco elements in planning and designing a city wedding, and make it stylish, chic and elegant at the same time.
I collaborated with Mary Lee Herrington from Forever & Ever Events who is a London based event & wedding planner with a quirky and sophisticated approach to wedding styling, and who has a little black book of the best eco-conscious wedding suppliers. The images on this page are the result of our collaboration..."
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Photography: Dasha of Exhibit Emotions Photography
Styling and planning: Mary Lee Herrington of Forever & Ever Events
Event design, prop styling, dessert and buffet tables: Mary Lee Herrington of Forever & Ever Events
Venue: RSA House
Dresses and jewellery: Kate Halfpenny
Crockery & linens hire: The Vintage Table
Catering: Skye Cooks
Desserts: Molly Bakes
Stationery: Coquette Paper & Press
Makeup & hair: Kate Taylor using Dr Haushka cosmetics
Flowers: Hiden Floral Design
Shoes: Emmy
Wedding cake: Anna Tyler Cakes
Model: Chloe Ruffel
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How To Enter...
To enter the competition, simply complete the little form below and click 'Submit'.
And don't be shy! No matter how few or how many eco-friendly ideas you might have for your wedding, we want to hear about them! We will select the best/most creative/innovative and fun down to a shortlist of 2 to 3 and notify these entrants via email, then post details on the blog for readers of Love My Dress to vote for an overall winner :)
Links to be inspired by....
Eco Beautiful Weddings
Green Union
Eco Friendly Weddings
Eco Friendly Weddings - And The Groom Wore Green {The Telegraph}
The Natural Wedding Company
Suggest more links in the comments box below...
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We are all very excited about receiving your competition entries! :)
So much love and GOOD LUCK everyone - we look forward to hearing from you :)
Annabel, Dasha and Mary :) xXx
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Terms & Conditions
(1) All entrants must be over 18 years of age to enter
(2) The closing date for receipt of all entries will be midnight on Tuesday 31st May 2011
(3) The wedding must take place between August/September 2011 and August/September 2012
(4) 2-3 entries will be announced on Love My Dress for public vote. Love My Dress readers will then vote for the winner, who will be announced in June on the blog.
(5) The pre-wedding/ngagement shoot and the wedding iteslf can take place in any location, in any country. Travel expenses must be paid if the location is further than 50 miles from London and must be paid in advance of the shoot taking place
(6) Copyright of the images will belong to Dasha Caffrey of Exhibit Emotions and Love My Dress Wedding Blog. The winning couple will be granted a license to use and reproduce the images for personal use
(7) Couples should agree that their wedding photographs could be published on the Love My Dress Wedding Blog, and other associated press
(8) Only one entry allowed per couple
(9) Email addresses and personal details obtained via this competition will NOT be passed on to any third party. Entrants may be contacted via email AFTER the competition however, with details of other offers from Exhibit Emotions Photography - or, should the winner be unable to claim their prize, to notify them of their 'runners- up' win.
(10) The prizes includes:-
- digital wedding photography package valued at £1400:
- engagement/pre-wedding photoshoot with 30 images on DVD
- all day photography on your wedding day
- online gallery of images
- approximately 300/400 high resolution retouched images on DVD
(11) Any prints or an eco-friendly wedding album will incur an additional fee.
