HARTFORD MAGAZINE ◆ JANUARY 2018 WEDDINGS ◆ 85 their printing. Kendra Meany, owner and designer of Whole Weddings by The Nice Paper Company in Woodbridge, creates custom wedding invitation suites using plantable paper. The paper is hand-packed with perennial and annual wildflower seeds. Meany is also a pioneer of the “Waste Less More Love” movement, which serves as a guide for sustainably driven couples who want to have an entirely zero-waste wedding. This type of wedding not only has an environmental goal, but a social mission as well — to support and promote local, small businesses. Some green brides noted that planning and decision-making became much easier when they limited their options exclusively to nearby vendors. This past June, Nancy Goldstein, founder of Amazing Celebrations and Events in Glastonbury, planned and executed an entirely locally sourced wedding in New Hartford. “The tent vendor was down the road and grew up in the town where the wedding was, the photographer was from the town, a farmer in town provided the meat for the wedding, the flowers were sourced from a flower farm across the street from the wedding, the farm tables were made by somebody in the town. “It was astounding to me that once we started reaching out to people, everyone connected us to someone else in the town.” How can couples make their verdant vision a reality? Taggart advises that couples share their goal of using locally sourced products with any vendors or wedding planners that they consult. “Farm-to-table style weddings are very trendy and a hot topic of conversation for caterers,” she says. “Some caterers really pride themselves on being hyper-local and can tell you the exact farm their cheese comes from.” Some of Taggart’s favorite seasonally inspired caterers with a green approach include Gourmet Galley and A Thyme to Cook, both in North Stonington, and Hunt and Harvest in Millbrook, N.Y. If couples choose to source the majority of their food from Connecticut or New England, they must keep in mind that some fruits and vegetables may not be available during certain times of the year. While there is an abundance of fruits and vegetables from May to October, couples getting married in late fall or winter will experience some limitations. Food, of course, will be consumed, but the overabundance of flower arrangements at weddings can seem, to some, excessive and downright wasteful. Florist Paula Gallo of Suffield’s Pentimento Design has tried to find a way to appease couples who want Pinterest-worthy bouquets while being mindful of the environmental impact. To do so, she sources from as many neighboring farms as possible. She frequents Gott Family Farm in Glastonbury and Muddy Feet Farm in Ashford, as well as the Boston Flower Market every Wednesday to collect flowers for the week. “In the last three to four years, the flower industry has really changed,” Gallo says. “Now, a beautiful, natural look with tons of greenery has become really popular.” Since Gallo sources many of her flowers from Connecticut farms, she sometimes has to break the news to couples that the flowers they want are not available. “Peonies are always popular in spring, as are garden roses and dahlias in the summer. If you’re getting married in December, expect lots of greenery and poinsettias.” To reduce waste, Gallo advises that couples donate flower arrangements to their ceremony venue, nursing homes or even small businesses. Don’t have a green thumb but want to have a hand in the design process? “Eddy Farm in Newington lets you pick general color tones,” says Taggart. “The owner is a designer and farmer. It makes it really easy for people who want to support local farmers but don’t have any interest in making their own bouquets.” Goldstein clarifies that while green weddings are both inspiring and resourceful, it is nearly impossible to have a completely green wedding. “You have people staying in hotels, driving to the events, traveling from all parts of the country so there is definitely a carbon footprint,” Goldstein says. “It’s more about really being aware of what you’re doing to source locally, recycle, limit what you’re printing as far as paper — it’s really more being conscious of what you’re doing in your planning.” COREY LYNN TUCKER The farm tables, food and flowers at a wedding in New Hartford all were locally sourced, according to planner Nancy Goldstein of Amazing Celebrations and Events.