An Eco-Friendly, Elegant Wedding at Ma Maison in Dripping Springs, Texas
With a strong will to keep their elegant wedding eco-friendly, Ann Claire (26 and a communications specialist) and Cody Green (26 and a cellist) fell in love with Ma Maison, which values sustainable principles in Dripping Springs, Texas. "Ma Maison is built of reclaimed materials, and waters its grounds with rain cisterns," Ann says. "This is a key example of finding a venue that values ecological principles and is a beautiful place to marry." Shades of deep green, blush, terra-cotta and lavender served as the palette for the day, inspired by a Texas Hill Country sunset. Red Turkish rugs inherited from Ann's parents draped down the aisle, leading up to live oaks where Ann and Cody got married. Ann and her bridesmaids took part in assembling the flower arrangements with pesticide-free donated blooms, for their affordability and sustainability. Green glass wine bottles decorated tabletops at the reception, and the leftover corks were used for table number holders. Even the wedding cake had an eco-friendly element—a topper depicting two birds made with the same newspaper Ann used for her grandparents' anniversary cake. Our favorite detail had to be the elegant, ivory dress with a sweetheart neckline and trumpet-style silhouette, which happened to be a sample gown. "Buying a sample means a new dress doesn’t have to be created and shipped in, reducing its carbon footprint, and it generally costs less, alterations included," Ann says. "I am in the process of selling my gown so it can be used again for someone else’s miracle day."