Our first of a series of city guides focuses on the big (green) apple -- New York. From regional artisans to earth-friendly products and services, we've highlighted our favorite local sources for eco-chic weddings and parties. For a complete list of eco-chic venues available for rent, check out our recently updated Green Wedding Guide ™.

Eco Invitations

We're so honored to be featured in so many well-respected, green publications for our editorial research, our eco-friendly (ad-free) look books, the Green Wedding Guide and more. We wanted to take a moment to thank some of the memorable nods we've gotten in the past month. 

Today, Emily Anderson (the author of Eco Chic Weddings) included Portovert.com in her piece for National Geographic's Green Guide. She interviewed our very own Meghan Meyers on whether  "going green" will break the bank (hint: it won't!). 

The symbol of romance and fidelity, the rose, is not surprisingly the star of most weddings. Nearly 90% of brides and grooms opt to include this imported stem -- but this ceremonious icon of love and devotion will cost you a premium; the average rose is marked-up 100-200%!

In our three-part series, The Eco Invitation Guide, we covered the best ways to Go Green and Save Green® on wedding invitations. You can find links to part one and two of our guide series (on 100% pcw and handmade papers) below. In Part 3, we share hints and tips on creating invitations beyond store bought papers.

Leaf a Message: Stonington Design (pictured left) will emboss your message on real maple 
leaves. 

We recently checked in with Justin Brandreth Potter, founder and owner of Nettleton Hollow, and asked him to share his top picks for sustainable centerpieces. Here is what he had to say:

Grapewood - These are recycled from commercial vineyards, which tear out the old vines as they become less productive and are typically burned. Grapewood is one of our favorite products – you can create some amazing arrangements with a few of them clustered together. 

Looking to stretch that wedding budget? Invitation kits are easy, painless projects that meet the needs of even the un-craftiest among us. If you have the time (or a number of great, patient friends), assembling your own invitations will save you 50-75% on your invitation budget. This high-impact, low-cost look is now offered by many leading eco stationary companies. Founded in 1999, Invitesite.com is a pioneer of the DIY eco wedding invitation.  You'll find a wide selection of inexpensive tree-free and recycled paper products organized by purpose: save-the-date, wedding invitations, programs, thank yous and more. Kits start at $3 per invitation.

We constantly hear it reported that a green wedding can nearly double your wedding budget – as the leading source for green (and stylish!) wedding information, we’d like to once and for all let you know that is just NOT true! In fact, going green will SAVE you green!

Planning a vegan dessert table for your wedding reception?

Whether you're wrapping guest favors or bridesmaids presents, a wide range of chic recycled papers  -- beyond the Funny Pages -- now await you. There are also reusable, organic cotton bags, like the ones from Lucky Crow or more creative options, like utilizing vintage maps or sheets of wallpaper. If you rather reuse what you have, check out Eco-Artware's gift guide for creative wrapping solutions. If you have your plate full of diy projects, check out our latest shortlist below: 

The Wrapping Paper Shortlist

We love this figure-flattering dress from ecoSkin; made of bamboo tencel, it will take you from reception dinner to dinner and dancing on your honeymoon virtually wrinkle-free. Available in three colors, we think it's picture-perfect in black. Available at Nimli.com ($158).