Paris Wedding Trends : Color

I just got back from the Salon du Mariage at the Carrousel du Louvre, and while I usually try not to use my own photos on my blog (I have a cheapy camera and a shaky hand…not a very pretty combo) I wanted to share some of the pix from the fashion show while the details were still fresh in my mind. I picked up on several trends at this years show, the most obvious one being color. From a delicate sprinkling of flowery pastels to electric day-glow green, color seems to be one of the hottest trends in Paris bridal fashion for 2008. More trends tomorrow…

So, you and your trend-setting betrothed have decided to have a destination wedding. More than that, you’ve decided on a “green” destination wedding. You’ve e-mailed or hand delivered your recycled paper invitations. You’ve registered with World Wildlife Fund Weddings and Celebrations instead of Pottery Barn. You’ve even offset the amount of carbon emissions used to fly you and your guests to Paris by donating money to help build wind turbines in India. But why should your eco-wedding stop there? A lot of people feel that planning a “regular” destination wedding is hard enough- the thought of trying to make it eco-friendly as well is just too much. In fact, with a locally based wedding planner and a little time online, you’ll find that there are plenty of ways that you can incorporate green or eco-conscious elements into a destination wedding. For instance, here are my Top 5 Ideas for a “Green” or Eco-Friendly wedding in Paris:

1. Purchase or have a wedding dress custom created that uses all-natural, earth friendly fibers. Elsa Gary and Aranel are two French designers who are showing natural bridal collections using materials like silk, bamboo, hemp, soya, and maize.
2. Have your wedding meal prepared by Ethiques et Toques, an organic catering company servicing Paris, Lyon and Blois.
3. Rather than tossing bird seed or blowing bubbles, why not follow a wedding tradition from the South of France and have your guests shower you with handfuls of lavender, like these sold in packets from Pluie de Lavande?
4. Thank your guests with a sweet French wedding favor: a little sachet of organic hard candy or lollipops from La Butinerie.
5. Toast your nuptials with a glass of organic champagne: Jean-Pierre Fleury and Larmandier-Bernier are two to try.
6. (I know I said 5 ideas, but who could write an entry on eco-friendly Paris without mentioning Vélib- the public bike system that’s been all the rage since they were installed all over Paris this past summer? Nothing says eco-lovin’ like your first bike ride as Mr-n-Mrs along the Seine…)