Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/223869
Guests at Rachel and Ryan MooRe's weddinG at the cRane estate in Ipswich would likely never guess that the handcrafted table numbers at their elegant affair started out as wood scraps from a home improvement store. The understated décor, which included seasonally available flowers and terra-cotta pots for place cards, was intended to showcase the event's spectacular setting, on a hill overlooking the ocean. "Although I wanted the wedding to have its share of sparkle, I didn't want the décor to overshadow the beautiful surroundings," Rachel Moore says. "I wanted the wedding to look like an embellished version of the natural beauty that was already there. Sustainability played naturally into that décor choice." Weddings can be wasteful, from bridesmaid dresses that will never be worn again to party favors that end up tossed in a drawer—or just tossed. While in the past, going green may have seemed incompatible with nuptials, these days couples are finding ways to combine closely held environmental beliefs with an elegant affair. "Couples are making a concerted effort to be less wasteful," says Laura Daley, private event department manager for The Crane Estate and The Bradley Estate—both of which are properties belonging to The Trustees of Reservations. She notes that just a few years ago, people didn't really understand the concept of sustainability, but now it's much more commonplace, as couples pick potted plants over cut floral centerpieces and locally designed wedding gowns over those shipped from overseas. Merely choosing The Crane Estate—a national historic landmark which encompasses more than 2,100 preserved acres overseen by The Trustees of Reservations, the nation's oldest statewide land trust and conservation organization—is a step toward a greener wedding, as Kate and Alida Hecht found when planning their fall 2013 event. "With all the expenses associated with weddings, knowing that a portion of our funds would serve a broader purpose, outside of us and our event, was important," Kate Hecht explains. "We knew that our money would be more of an investment rather than a mere purchase, directly benefitting sustainable causes." That same 134 134,135,136,137_REVFeb14 FE_Crane.indd 134 photographs by sarah bastille 11/22/13 4:39 PM