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Leave No Trace

The Bride: Sejal Harde
The Groom: Tim Lanterman
Wedding Date: August 9, 2008
Venue: Sakonnet Vineyards

Sejal Harde’s green bones run deep. She works as an environmental educator for the University of Rhode Island and is manager of their Master Composter and Recycler Program. So it wasn’t even a question that the most important detail of her August 2008 wedding to longtime beau Tim Lanterman was leaving as small of a carbon footprint as possible. From local wine and flowers to a menu comprised of ingredients from within a five-mile radius, this couple made conscious choices while still throwing a great party.
Venue – For the Love of the Grape
Located across the bay from Newport, just a 30-minute drive, Sakonnet Vineyards offered sprawling views of the Sakonnet River from both the outdoor ceremony in their natural gardens to the tented reception located in a field lined with gorgeous old stonewalls.
Venue – For the Love of the Grape
Located across the bay from Newport, just a 30-minute drive, Sakonnet Vineyards offered sprawling views of the Sakonnet River from both the outdoor ceremony in their natural gardens to the tented reception located in a field lined with gorgeous old stonewalls.
Theme – Green Romance
Designed around environmentally responsible and sustainable choices, the flower arrangements featured local blooms including dahlias, hydrangea, ivy, and zinnias. A fun online Jib-Jab video replaced save-the-dates, while their invites were printed on 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper. All candles used in the décor were soy based, which emit no carbon dioxide when burned.
Theme – Green Romance
Designed around environmentally responsible and sustainable choices, the flower arrangements featured local blooms including dahlias, hydrangea, ivy, and zinnias. A fun online Jib-Jab video replaced save-the-dates, while their invites were printed on 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper. All candles used in the décor were soy based, which emit no carbon dioxide when burned.
Attire – Vineyard Inspired
Sejal’s two bridesmaids (her sister, Jennifer, and Tim’s sister, Jesse) both wore simple yet stylish silk merlot-colored dresses accented with a green sash and lavender irises pinned in their hair. The colors complemented the vineyard’s natural décor: grapes set against vibrant green vines.
Favors – Plant a Tree
While on vacation in Block Island, Sejal and Tim wrote their vows. They noticed that two blue spruce trees stood at the entrance to the private house they were renting, and this gave them an idea fitting with their green, local theme. They gave their guests blue spruce seedlings as wedding favors. In addition, quahog shells with guests’ names were used to indicate seat assignments.
Menu – Within Running Distance
Known for their unbending focus on local ingredients, fantastic dishes (that have graced the pages of Gourmet Magazine), and an attention to detail with an event planner on site, caterer Smoke & Pickles of Westport, Massachusetts, was the natural pick for this green affair. They took it so far that every item served at Sejal and Tim’s wedding came from within a five-mile radius; the smoked striped bass was actually caught the morning of their nuptials.