The Occasional Word

Eco Chic

I don't know about you, but here at Red Creative we are concerned about the state of our planet. I hate the thought that we are destroying something so beautiful and so useful. There are some simple things we can do when planning an event to do our bit.

1. Print sustainably

Choose recycled or sustainable forest stock for invitations and other event stationery. Ask your printer about their environmental policy - Do they or can they use natural based inks? 

2. Go Organic

Ask for organic food & beverage options. It's better for the environment and your body!

3. Hire 

Wherever possible hire, don't purchase. Hiring is really just a form of recycling and usually will cost you less as well.

4. Don't Cut

Consider using potted plants in place of cut flowers. These can be planted in some ones garden following  the event. Alternatively hire silk floral arrangements or non-floral options for centerpieces.

 

4. Give Thoughtfully

If giving guest favours consider potted plants, seeds, or even a donation or carbon credits purchased in your guests name.  

Warm & Rich

I had to share a few pics from a recent wedding of a very good friend of mine. The colour choice, while a little out of the ordinary, I thought was perfect for a cold winter evening - and it WAS COLD!

The motif of choice was a lantern which was carried right through into the table settings and even carried in place of bouquets by the bridesmaids - Beautiful!

Jewellry for your table

Whether a dinner party at home or planning a function with a sit down meal one should never overlook the value of the humble napkin in transforming a table from drab to fab. Even plain old white ones when handled with some thought can help your setting look amazing. Further, taking special care with each persons setting shows that you consider them to be important. Sitting down to see a beautiful bloom, or a carefully designed place card makes a guest feel instantly welcomed.

Some tips for napkin use:

- First as always, consider the theme of your event; an afternoon tea party or a chic twist on the 60's? This will determine the colours and fabrics you should consider for your napkins and whether or not you will need napkin rings.

- There are plenty of napkins available out there. Both Freedom Furniture and Nest have a great range at the moment if you are wanting to purchase some for entertaining at home. Nest in particular have a nice range of subtle colours which could be used in so many circumstances, for instance these cute little yellow stripe linen ones:

Paintbox Table Napkins - $6.90 each

-Alternatively you might look at renting napkins. Aside from your standard white napkins that you can rent from most party hire places, Tabletops have some standard colours like red and blue. At Red Creative, we can have linen custom made to suit your requirements and to complement your setting perfectly.

- There are infinite ways to fold napkins. For a sleek affair consider a simple fold and very little embellishment like this example with phalaenopsis and bear grass.

Or for something more fun I think these hot pink napkins are oh so cute!

- Colin Cowie (Event Designer Extrodinaire!) refers to napkins as accessories for your tables, like scarfs, and napkin rings as jewelry. I think this exactly captures how important these items are in creating that perfect look. Napkin rings like the one below suggest a more formal affair but consider raffia and seashells for the beach-side meal, or a simple ribbon can do the trick for shabby chic.