Jennifer Goberdhan's Wedding & Event Design Showcase

“Everything in business happens at just the right time,” so says Jennifer Goberdhan, Wedding Designer extraordinaire; and you know what? She’s certainly right!

 June 15, 2013 was exactly “that right time”-  a day which Jennifer chose to host her Wedding & Event Design Showcase at the Trinidad Hilton.

I stopped by just after lunch, to chat with Jennifer and find out more about her designs.

Jennifer has had extensive training abroad, and has worked closely with Preston Bailey, who’s one of the most prestigious names in the global wedding industry.

She has an eye for being tasteful and restrained yet dramatic – and that’s a difficult combination to come by!

To top it all off, Jennifer has a warm, winning personality. It’s the type of persona that can immediately put couples at ease, knowing that their dream vision for décor, will materialize under her capable hands.

Above, to the top right, is a peek at some of my favourites from her Showcase.

To contact Jennifer, please visit this link: http://www.trinidadweddings.com/index.php?option=com_supplier&id=8999&catid=43&layout=supplierdetails&Itemid=2

The Green Bride!

How many Trini brides seriously consider having a stylish yet eco-friendly wedding? Perhaps not many and that’s unfortunate, moreso because there are so many simple and sustainable ideas out there. It’s also unfortunate because weddings by and large, generate substantial amounts of waste with food, paper goods, packaging, ribbons, favours, wrapping paper, decorations and stationery that are tossed in the trash after the reception or…soon after.

Here are some tips to help you have an environmentally-friendly wedding:

Food

·         Donate leftover food to a shelter or soup kitchen or have boxes available for guests to take some of the eats home with them.

Fashion & Beauty
·         For your dress, use one or a combination of: remnant lace and fabrics, organic cotton, hemp and silk blends or vegetable-dyed fabric.

·         Select organic or mineral products that are not tested on animals, for your makeup

·         Go to the “Bridal Classifieds” page on www.trinidadweddings.com to see if anyone is selling a used or new wedding gown or selling centerpieces they no longer need. See link to it here: http://www.trinidadweddings.com/Shop/BridalClassifieds/tabid/239/Default.aspx

·         Upcycle bridesmaid dresses that won’t be worn again, into decorative throw pillows or window treatments. You can also donate the dresses to someone who will use them.

Invitations & Stationery
·         Use post-consumer recycled paper

·         If you have open seating for the reception, this can reduce your paper needs, with doing away of place cards. Also, you can do one tented programme (printed on both sides) per table, to reduce the need for every guest having a paper programme.

·         Create custom invitations or “thank you” cards by hand or try utilizing hand-painting or stamping on your invitations, to save on printing costs

·         If you want to go entirely paperless, invite guests via e-cards or telephone

Décor & Favours

·         Use organic décor materials like: bamboo, coconut shells, hemp, pressed flowers/leaves, burlap, jute or raffia.

·         Make use of organic or fair trade items, for your food and favours

·         Create a local favour instead of one that’s already pre-packaged and full of unnecessary plastic packaging. Wrap your favour in biodegradable bags or in hand-made paper.

·         For centrepieces, choose containers you can use again in your new home and perhaps fill with fruit that you or your guests can eat!

·         Choose a florist who uses locally-grown flowers.

Reception

·         Have an outdoor wedding to save on day-time electricity costs. The options are endless: a park, at the beach, a private garden, courtyard, ranch or nature reserve.

·         Use cloth napkins as much as possible, versus paper napkins

·         Plan your ceremony and wedding reception in the same place, to save energy costs and emissions from transportation.

Registry

·    If you already own household items, perhaps you can ask guests to contribute to a wildlife conservatory, animal shelter, a recycling initiative or a charitable cause, in lieu of favours/wedding gifts

·    Ask the store that is hosting your bridal registry, not to gift wrap your wedding gifts.