It is easy being green #8

On a blustery Friday in December, Sarah & Andrew were married at Salvage One in Chicago. Many couples set out on their wedding planning journey with varying goals towards “greening” their event, particularly being less wasteful. Sarah & Andrew found lots of easy solutions that also made for a unique and memorable wedding to remember for a lifetime.

Venue

Many couples love Salvage One for their funky tables, chairs and lounge furniture which are used for your event instead of traditional rental tables with linens. And because their furniture is reclaimed, restored, and reused, this prevents more garbage in the landfill, and fewer rentals to be trucked around the city in gas guzzling box trucks – though it also helps that Salvage One is located directly across the street from one of our favorite rental companies, Tablescapes. Furthermore, the gorgeous restored antique tables need no linen, and the chairs need no covers or ties, saving hundreds of gallons of water and cleaning solution. Who knew looking cool could be so sustainable?


Escort Cards/Favors


Instead of card stock escort cards, which hare thrown away at the end of the evening, the couples showed guests their seats with small potted succulents, which live well indoors year round and last, as a memory of Sarah & Andrew’s special day.

Menu

Andrew & Sarah chose a hearty, winter menu, instead of old banquet or steakhouse standbys like asparagus & green beans, which are not in season or very tasty in the Midwest in December. The couple and guests enjoyed

Blackened Brussels Sprouts
Smashed Baby Potatoes
White Lasagna with Exotic Mushrooms and Goat Cheese Bechamel
Whole Roasted Rushing Waters Trout (Wisconsin) with Preserved Lemon-Caper Relish and Cranberry-Whole Mustard-Celery Relish
Whole Roasted Chicken with Lemon & Herbs
{Brussels sprouts photo by Jamie Davis/Greenhouse Loft}

The meal was served family-style, so guests could help themselves without getting up and nothing was left to waste! By serving whole fish and chicken, no part of the animal went to waste either. Fish filets and chicken breasts are more expensive than whole, as the prized portion of the meat, so the couple saved money too.

Floral/Vases

Flowers for the reception were designed by Lynn at Pollen. Lynn used a mix of her own vases, which she reclaims and reuses for the next event, and the couple’s personal vases, adding a personal and extra green touch to the décor. The flowers were also sourced from sustainable farms that don't use pesticides and limit production and shipping.



Venue: Salvage One
Catering: FIG Catering
Photography: Alix Kingenberg/Free to Be Photography
Floral: Pollen
DJ: Cage & Aquarium