The wedding peak season is coming up and every bride will be reminded of the famous somethings rhyme for good luck, “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.” For short, it is called the “four somethings” and lots of thought goes into this special part of the bride’s gown and accessories. Rarely are these four somethings incorporated into the wedding ceremony and reception. This wedding season, however, I’d like to propose starting a new somethings rhyme that is used for planning a beautiful and healthy farm-to-table wedding.
Farm-to-table is a way to describe a meal that uses all locally grown ingredients. It can be expanded to include locally made decorations and party favors as well. Farm-to-table weddings are gaining popularity with the increased awareness of the benefits that come from supporting local farmers and vendors. Supporting local farms helps build communities, support local families and benefit the environment. Local food is also known to be produced safely, of high quality and delicious tasting.
Below are four new somethings to incorporate into your wedding planning if you would like to support your farmers and local community during your ceremony and reception.
Something Healthy - When you are planning your wedding menu, make sure that you are including healthy items like salads, vegetable sides and fruit cup desserts. Of course you can add a few unhealthy items because it is a celebration, but guests will appreciate it if they have healthy items to balance their meal. The healthiest and freshest ingredients can be found at farms and farmers’ markets close to your venue.
Something Fresh - To make sure that your healthy ingredients are fresh and delicious, visit your local farmers’ market and see what is currently available. Food that is grown close to home is always fresher and will taste better than food shipped from other parts of the country. If you need a large quantity of an item, talk to the farmer or vendor and ask if you can place an order to pick up the morning of the wedding. If you are working with a caterer, ask for assistance on incorporating local ingredients into your reception. A caterer will also be able to give a good estimate on the ingredient quantity amounts you will need for the reception meal.
Something Local - There are many parts that go into planning a wedding and one of the most important is decorations. If you’re decorating your wedding venues with flowers, consider sourcing them locally. Visit the farmers’ market and talk with the vendors who are selling bouquets. Many times, buying flowers from the actual growers will be less expensive than using a florist. Buying local flowers can be a fun experience if the farmer will allow you to visit the farm and pick out the flowers you would like at your wedding.
Something Good - By choosing to buy your food and flowers from local vendors you are doing something good by supporting your local economy. Another way you can do this is to give your guests locally purchased party favors. Visit your farmers’ market to see what items vendors are selling and if any will work to give as gifts to your guests. Many markets have vendors who sell local soaps, jams, honey or other delicious items that can be easily distributed. Another idea is to use local ingredients to make your guests a treat to bring home, like chocolate covered strawberries or caramel apples.
Even if your wedding planning has already begun, you can still incorporate parts of the farm-to-table something rhyme into your big day. Talk with your wedding planner or caterer to see if you can add local ingredients to the meal or purchase flowers from the farmers’ market to add an extra pop of color to the reception tables. Just remember the new four somethings rhyme for wedding planning - “something healthy, something fresh, something local, and something good.” Best wishes for planning a beautiful and healthy farm-to-table wedding!
