Emerald Hour (2024)

01/01/2024

2023 was our very first year and we are so grateful for our First 50 members!

Here’s a quick snapshot of these green wedding pioneers!

We have more than 50 members now and we’re so excited for what Year 2 will bring to our community, our couples, and our PNW wedding industry!

22/12/2023

Stay tuned for more information coming soon on the first sustainable wedding show in the Pacific Northwest USA!

12/12/2023

As we approach the end of the year, we believe it’s important to find time to reflect on our businesses, to honor our progress and identify opportunities for growth.

That’s why we’re excited to bring members together tomorrow for a goal-setting workshop! We’ll use this time to reflect on our wins, challenges, and areas for improvement from this past year, and then set priorities for 2024 - in terms of environmental sustainability, our human sustainability, and other key areas of our small businesses.

No matter where you are on your journey toward greener weddings and business practices, Emerald Hour is here to offer support, community, and encouragement.

If you’re interested in making your business more sustainable in 2024, DM us to learn more, or head to the link in our bio to become a member!

27/11/2023

Say hello to one of our charter member floral designers, Meghan, from 💐

Meghan describes her work as “a little untamed and always divine.”

Having done her floral design training in England, her flower philosophy tends to have more of an English garden vibe.

She loves celebrating the seasons and exclusively uses local, seasonal flowers and foliage.

Meghan is truly passionate about sustainability in her work. “From the moment I started my business, I wanted it to be as environmentally friendly as possible. I never use floral foam, and instead use sustainable and innovative mechanics that I can use over and over again.”

Also, “Something that's important to me and my business is giving back to the community. My clients and I choose a local nonprofit to donate a portion of their invoice to that further promotes our values.”

She says her favorite part about a wedding is being able to listen to couples exchange vows. Since she often has to transfer florals from the ceremony to the reception, she gets to lurk in the background and listen to her couples share their love for each other. We’re pretty sure she’s not the only one doing that and loving every minute of it! 😉

Hop on over to her page and be prepared to swoon over her stunning seasonal designs.

Photo Credits: Courtney Bowlden, Jenn Tai, Vikki Change, BreeAnna Lasher

25/11/2023

Happy Small Business Saturday, everybody!

We believe that supporting small businesses (over mega-retailers) is incredibly important at any time of the year, but love that we have this day to celebrate all the local businesses within our communities!

What are some of your favorite local, small businesses? Tag them below!

Photo credit

Florals and rentals .for.every.season

Candles

24/11/2023

Check out our latest blog post for a list of 15 ways to support small businesses, with and without spending any money!

By implementing these easy ways to support small businesses we can all contribute to the growth and prosperity our local communities.

Together, we can create a healthy ecosystem for small businesses to thrive and succeed.

06/10/2023

Calling all PNW wedding vendors! Emerald Hour is excited to be partnering with for our next virtual workshop on Tuesday, October 10th.

Led by the Leave No Trace traveling team, we’ll learn about Leave No Trace principles, ethics, and guidelines with an emphasis on how to apply them to our work as wedding vendors in the Pacific Northwest, including social media recommendations and best practices.

Any and all wedding vendors are invited to join us for this important training! Just head to the link in our bio to register.

(Only Emerald Hour members will have access to the replay.)

08/08/2023

How can a DJ impact the sustainability of a wedding? Well, Marc Matsui of Integral DJs has lots of ideas and we’re excited to share them with you on our latest blog.

Marc is one of our Charter Members and he and his team put a lot of emphasis on sustainability in their work with couples. They prioritize using rechargeable batteries, utilizing high-quality equipment through its full lifespan instead of constantly churning through new gear, and substantially cutting back on doing destination weddings.

Marc says that one of the most harmful practices within the DJ realm is the use of single-use items like glow sticks, because “at the end of the day people remember the shared experiences, not the stuff that gets tossed in the trash and ends up in a landfill.”

We think this quote sums it up perfectly:

“Sustainability in the wedding industry is important because it prioritizes the welfare not only for couples, but future generations.”

For more ideas and insights click the link in our bio to check out the Emerald Hour blog.

21/07/2023

Calling all PNW wedding vendors! Emerald Hour is excited to be partnering with for our next virtual workshop on Wednesday, August 2nd.

Led by the Leave No Trace traveling team, we'll learn about Leave No Trace principles, ethics, and guidelines with an emphasis on how to apply them to our work as wedding vendors in the Pacific Northwest, including social media recommendations and best practices.

Any and all wedding vendors are invited to join us for this important training! Just head to the link in our bio to register.

(Only Emerald Hour members will have access to the replay.)

18/07/2023

We all can do our part to decrease plastic in our world and our members have some great ideas about how to do that in their businesses and in weddings.

This tip comes from the Rentals section of our Green Swaps Guide. Check out the entire guide to see more!

You can also join which is “a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution – so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities.”

Take their quiz to get even more ideas for ways you can reduce plastic in your life and in your business!

07/06/2023

In case you needed another reason to get excited about our Wedding Season Survival Series, we’re pretty lucky to be kicking off the series next week with a magical evening in the gardens of our very own .for.every.season.

Amongst over 60 rose bushes, our members will enjoy a menu of garden-to-glass cocktails, mocktails, and small bites, AND have the opportunity to create their very own bouquet with blooms right from the garden.

If you want to join us for an evening full of connection, fun, and botanical delights, you still have a week to apply to become a member of Emerald Hour!

07/06/2023

In case you needed another reason to get excited about our Wedding Season Survival Series, we’re pretty lucky to be kicking off the series next week with a magical evening in the gardens of our very own .for.every.season.

Amongst over 60 rose bushes, our members will enjoy a menu of garden-to-glass cocktails, mocktails, and small bites, AND have the opportunity to create their very own bouquet with blooms right from the garden.

If you want to join us for an evening full of connection, fun, and botanical delights, you still have a week to apply to become a member of Emerald Hour!

📸
Garden .for.every.season
Cute fluffy corgi

05/06/2023

One of our favorite trends right now has little to do with the wedding itself, and more with what comes before it– registries!

It’s becoming more common for couples to ask for funds to go towards their honeymoon (or house, or baby, or a savings account) in lieu of household items, and we love this for so many reasons. Fewer purchases being made from the “big box” stores often represented in registries, fewer packages being shipped, lower carbon emissions from the gifting process, and a shift towards experiences and away from overconsumption!

19/05/2023

There were so many amazing takeaways from our workshop with yesterday. One that really resonated with us was a reminder that allowing ourselves time to rest and connect with others is important for both our mental and physical health.

Sustainability extends far past recycling and carpooling– beyond, even, the realm of environmentalism. We can’t hope to care for our earth if we don’t take good care of ourselves, and we can’t expect our businesses to thrive if we’re constantly overextending ourselves behind-the-scenes. So yes, self-care is a sustainability issue, and having a social life is an important part of self-care!

On that note, we have an exciting announcement coming next week for our EH members that are gearing up for busy season.. stay tuned!

09/05/2023

Say hello to one of our very first charter members, Sam of .design 💘

Sam describes her work as romantic and a little wild. She loves using classic wedding flowers like roses and orchids and then mixing in garden-y elements for lots of movement and texture. She says she likes to group textures to mimic how they are growing naturally, which lends itself well to the design of her work which is quite sculptural and dimensional, with each flower occupying its own space, suspended around the others.

Sam told us, “I've been foam-free in my business since day one and chicken wire is my go-to mechanic that I'll reuse over and over again. I always prioritize composting green waste and reuse vessels and candles as much as possible.” We love that so much!

See more of Sam’s gorgeous work on her page .design and be prepared to get wonderfully lost in the textures and colors like we do!

26/04/2023

If you’ve been thinking about joining Emerald Hour, this week is a great time to do it!

Through the end of April, we’re pledging 10% of every new membership fee to Washington Conservation Action in honor of Earth Month.

You’ll also get access to our upcoming spring and summer events, which you won’t want to miss!

We’re hosting a virtual workshop on preventing burnout in your business AND an in-person summer party series which is all about giving our members a much-needed opportunity to pause, practice self-care, and have some fun during wedding season.

Head to the link in our bio to apply!

22/04/2023

Happy Earth Day, everybody!! We were so happy to celebrate this morning by cleaning up a portion of Mountain Loop Highway with to help do our part to help keep Washington’s roadways clean🥰🌎

08/04/2023

In honor of Earth Month, we challenge our fellow wedding pros to make one sustainable change in their business. Even if we start small, we can still make a collective impact across our larger community.

To get some ideas for immediate changes you can make this month, check out our Green Swaps Guide on our site!

06/04/2023

We are so excited to announce our upcoming April workshop with , an environmental nonprofit helping businesses achieve carbon neutrality!

In honor of Earth Month, this is a free workshop open to anybody that would like to learn more about how to track and reduce your business’s carbon footprint!

Register at the link in our bio to get the link to our workshop, next Wednesday at noon PST🌎🌿

03/04/2023

Calling all vendors who give a hoot about the environment!🦉

In honor of Earth month, we're doing a membership drive wherein 10% of all new member fees will be donated to Washington Conservation Action, an organization that advocates for environmental progress & justice!

Whether you're a seasoned pro or fairly new to the idea of incorporating sustainability into your business practices, all are welcome here. We are a shame and judgement-free zone that's trying to change the wedding industry for the better, and we'd love for you to join us.

25/03/2023

Have you checked out our Green Swaps Guide?

We’ve compiled a massive resource full of “green swaps” you can make in your business, starting with swaps that can apply to any business before going more in-depth for individual wedding vendor categories. If you haven’t checked it out on our website, you definitely should!

Here’s a sneak peek into one of our hundreds of swaps– this one’s about promoting responsible behavior in the outdoors!

This is especially applicable to vendors that work elopements in the great outdoors. Think twice before tagging specific trails, overlooks, or hidden gems that you love! It’s not about gate keeping, but rather, protecting the lands from visitors that don’t know how to take good care when they recreate. Whether it be fragile alpine meadows, wildflowers, or even cryptobiotic soil that you might find in the desert, be sure to lead by example when posting photos online!

23/03/2023

We love rental options not only because they’re inherently sustainable (points for reducing & reusing!), but because it’s also the easiest way to get gorgeous table settings & decor for your wedding day!

Even if you had the time and space to shop for and store dozens or even hundreds of place settings, why waste the valuable resources used to create those new items when there are rental companies full of the beautiful collections that you need?

Look for vendors like .for.every.season that have inventories of thrifted, vintage tabletop rentals to add a bit of charm to your day in a sustainable way🤩

15/03/2023

Did you know that your website has a carbon footprint?

If the internet were a country, it would be the 6th largest consumer of electricity.

Michelle Miller of joined us on Zoom today to talk to our members about sustainable marketing, and one of our favorite tips was about reducing the carbon footprint of your website! She encouraged us to calculate our impact on websitecarbon.com, and to reduce the size of our footprint, consider switching website hosts to a certified green provider– there's a list to be found on thegreenwebfoundation.org

This was the first of many valuable online workshops that Emerald Hour will host in the coming months and years, and our members have access to the online replays indefinitely! If you're interested in joining us for our next workshop (or getting access to the recording of this one), head to emeraldhour.org to apply for membership!

07/03/2023

Want to know the quickest way to improve your business website?

Make your client the hero.

Go through your site see what you talk about more– yourself, your work, your passions, or your client’s problems and the ways they can be solved? Weddings are hard, but you’re here to make things easier for them! Remind your reader of that, and use your copy to speak directly to them.

01/03/2023

3 reasons why going green is good for business💚

Aligning your company with your values doesn’t just feel good– it’s also effective business strategy. Here are just a few examples…

1. Reduced costs & expenses
Cutting down on unnecessary printing, shipping, electricity, and other forms of waste saves you money, in terms of hard costs and sometimes labor, as well.

2. Customer loyalty
Creating that trust with your audience, and by extension your clients, is an important first step in cultivating customer loyalty. Once your company is favorable in their eyes, they’re likely to keep coming back or pass your name along to their friends.

3. Marketing advantage
Simply put, getting to advertise yourself as an environmentally conscious company looks good. It gives you an edge over your competitors, and positions your company as a trustworthy entity!

In what other ways does going green help your business?

28/02/2023

Welcome to our very first Member Monday, where we get to feature our fantastic Emerald Hour vendors and the beautiful work that they do! First on the roster, we’d love to introduce you to Rebecca of 💚

Rebecca is passionate about noticing wonder in all forms at all times, in the tiniest of things, and sharing that with others in hopes of inspiring awe and appreciation. One thing she loves about weddings is the way in which they allow us to reinvent and redefine what ceremony means, commitment, and love. You get to choose the rituals and symbols that go into your day and will carry you into a new phase of life, and that’s powerful!

In addition to sustainability, she values authenticity, imagination, trust, courage, dreaming, and community.

Check out to see more of Rebecca’s work, and the love that she has for flowers that shines through on her profile!

14/02/2023

We are so excited by our 30+ Charter Members and can’t wait to see all of the ways we’ll inspire greener weddings together!

With an assortment of photographers, floral designers,
planners, venues, caterers, tabletop party rentals, a bridal dress shop, awesome DJ and a vintage mobile bar we are ready to start helping couples create sustainable weddings that are beautiful AND eco-conscious!

31/01/2023

The deadline to apply as a Charter Member of Emerald Hour is tomorrow, January 31!

Join before the end of the month for these perks and more– did we mention you also get a special badge to display on your website, and that you’ll be among the first to be featured on our blog and social media?

This is your chance to get in on the ground floor of this exciting new initiative, and join the other amazing vendors that have already applied! We’re highlighting them in our stories today so that you can see some of the amazing businesses that are part of our growing community🥰

Head to the link in our bio to apply, or DM us with questions!

📸

28/01/2023

Thank you SO much to everyone who made it to our launch party on Wednesday– we had an absolute blast connecting with you all, putting faces to names, and talking sustainability!!

This was the first of many amazing events from Emerald Hour, and if you missed this one, there’s still time to lock in Charter Member pricing so you can make it to the next one! Receive 10% off your annual membership price if you apply by Tuesday, January 31st. We’ve got dates set for our February and March events for members, and we’d love to see you there.

Still have questions about membership? Feel free to drop them below or send us a DM, we’d be happy to demystify the process🤗

Another big thank you goes out to for hosting us, for these incredible sugar cookies, and for the rest of our yummy desserts (that accommodated our vegan and gluten-free friends!)

We’re so excited for everything that’s coming. Will you join us for it?

21/01/2023

Drum roll, please…

As part of our launch (ON MONDAY!) we’ll be unveiling our pride and joy, The Green Swaps Guide!

What is a Green Swaps Guide, you ask? Good question!

It’s a resource that includes scores of ways to make our businesses, weddings and the entire wedding industry more sustainable through practical and inspired “green swaps”!

From dozens of small business tips like choosing community-based credit unions over big banks, to vendor-specific swaps across 10 categories, we’re really excited to put this resource into the vendor community!

The best part? Our members will help us expand this living document as we learn and grow together!

We can’t wait to share it with you!

Emerald Hour

01/01/2024

22/12/2023

12/12/2023

27/11/2023

25/11/2023

24/11/2023

06/10/2023

08/08/2023

21/07/2023

18/07/2023

07/06/2023

07/06/2023

05/06/2023

19/05/2023

09/05/2023

26/04/2023

22/04/2023

08/04/2023

06/04/2023

03/04/2023

25/03/2023

23/03/2023

15/03/2023

07/03/2023

01/03/2023

28/02/2023

14/02/2023

31/01/2023

28/01/2023

21/01/2023

Address

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share