SUSTAINABLY SENSATIONAL
Stay on trend while remaining earth conscious this season.
WRITTEN BY NISHA HALLERT
PHOTOS BY COURTNEY AARON PHOTOGRAPHY
Model Yazmin Luna-Orozco at the Coachman Hotel in South Lake Tahoe. Gown by Swoon Bridal. Floral design by Holly Fleur. Styling by La Di Da beauty artists Gloria Maritza and Bailey Hanna
Planning a wedding can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. With a little bit of direction and a whole lot of permission to let your creative energy flow, you can create a celebration that will propel your matrimonial bliss and wow your guests to boot. The best part? You can indulge in unique décor and a sensational menu while remaining consciously sustainable at the same time.
Venue
Bride Caitlin McKennie-Hanley and two bridesmaids make a grand entrance via the chairlift at Homewood Mountain Resort + West Shore Cafe. Wedding planning by Liane McCombs. Floral design by B&B Designs. Hair by Hannah Jo at Sage Hair Studio. Makeup by Edin Carpenter Makeup Artistry. Gown by Swoon Brida
Selecting your venue should be the first decision you make. After nailing down the perfect location that expresses your personality while suiting your budget, the other details will fall into line. Non-traditional wedding venues still are all the rage this season. Rather than exploring a beachfront or ranch setting, consider letting the architecture of an industrial building provide a blank canvas from which your picture-perfect wedding will manifest. Airplane hangars also make a fantastic blank-slate setting. With high ceilings and a large, open building, any dream can come to life.
If industrial settings don’t appeal to you, consider turning your attention under the sea. Aquariums hardly require any décor because the colorful underwater creatures provide an eye-popping backdrop. Art or history lovers should consider renting a museum for the special day. At the Nevada Museum of Art, we help couples curate celebrations to match their personalities. Often, the food and décor will be themed to complement an exhibition on view. The extraordinary architecture, sculpture garden, and rooftop make for incredible photos as well — a critical consideration when booking your venue.
A creative venue delivers more than a look to your wedding; it sets the tone for the entire celebration. But if none of the venues mentioned above appeals to you, not to fear. Keep it simple and book a brewery for your big day. Beer enthusiasts, this one’s for you.
Color and Design
Summer’s jewel tones still will be on trend through the fall and winter, albeit with slightly richer and deeper hues. Think garnet rather than ruby. Chocolate diamonds and sapphires also are fantastic options this season while copper is the hot metallic.
Balloon installations still are in this season. Consider making them a large part of your event in the form of balloon arches or a photo wall backdrop. For background and photo décor, think light box signage, vintage neon, and chalkboards.
Velvet and print table linens are all the rage this summer and fall. Floral prints are especially on trend. Eye-catching floral installations can serve as the entrance or backdrop for photos. Consider geometric or ceremony arches that will really dazzle your guests. Textured grasses such as pampas and greenery-focused arrangements will create a soothing and celebratory vibe.
Keeping sustainability in mind, always explore the source of your flowers and choose a vendor that’s as conscious as you are about the planet. Also, less is more: Be bold but go simple.
Catering
The food-and-beverage area is where you can really make your sustainable mark. Sustainability-centered catering not only will infuse earth-conscious bliss into your special day, but it also will leave your guests feeling better having kept Mother Earth’s beauty top of mind.
How do you accomplish this? Consider compostable disposables rather than plastic. Do your caterer and venue recycle or compost? Be sure to ask. Family-style service will create a communal and bountiful experience, leaving everyone feeling more connected and joyful. Unique glassware such as square-shaped wine glasses and colored goblets not only create more vibrant place settings, but they also leave less of a trace. Also, food-as-art presentations, including interactive food stations, add a delightfully creative element to your big day.
New this season: Catering with CBD oil, a cannabis product. With new, more-lenient laws on the books, expect to see more CBD-infused foods and beverages hit the events scene. If traditional vices are more your style, regional craft beers and sour beers are sure to keep all your beer enthusiasts hoppy.
Entertainment and Photographic Experiences
DJ Joey Parazo-Modlin entertains a reception crowd at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park in Reno
These days, you have to consider the longevity of your wedding experience. When creating photographic backdrops, think about how the photos will translate online when shared later with your guests and friends who experience them virtually.
Regarding entertainment, silent discos are hot, hot, hot. This option, which involves dancing to music heard through wireless headphones rather than speakers, is especially good for venues with less-than-ideal sound ordinances. Silent discos can offer your guests, all at the same event, the opportunity to choose different musical genres with just a click of a button — a cross-generational win for your DJ and your guests. Be sure to ask your DJ company for more information about this option.
Nisha Hallert has more than 16 years of industry experience planning 600-person galas; rooftop weddings; intimate, exclusive dinners; events for VIPs such as Former President Clinton, and more. She currently works as director of facilities and special events and sales at the Nevada Museum of Art and serves as immediate past president of the Reno/Tahoe chapter of the National Association for Catering and Events (NACE). In 2018, Hallert and her team were awarded Reno Tahoe NACE Venue of the Year and, in 2014, a national NACE award for the Best Social Event Production of the Year.
