Weddings celebrate the beginning of a couple's new life together. So it's only natural that if you plan to live green, you'll want your wedding to reflect that!

There are plenty of resources for creating a traditional, stylish event with a reduced eco footprint. The tricky part, though, can be finding green vendors who truly walk the walk. To make things easier, we've put together a two-part series highlighting a few of Seattle's best green wedding resources.

The Place
Herban Feast's stunning new SoDo loft is rustic yet elegant--in our humble opinion, the perfect setting for a distinctive, urban event. In line with Herban Feast's low-impact catering philosophy, events will be set up for recycling and composting as much as possible. Herban Feast works with vendors like Willie Greens, Full Circle Farm and Charlie's Produce to get mostly local, organic, farm-fresh ingredients. See sample menus here.

FareStart's beautiful downtown restaurant--featuring a striking Community Table made from salvaged wooden beams--brings local pride and social justice into your celebration. You'll dine on a sophisticated meal featuring seasonal ingredients prepared and served with elegance, while helping support FareStart's life-changing programs.

The Look

Melissa Feveyear of Terra Bella Flowers says summer is the best time to find organic flowers grown in Washington. If you're set on a certain species, like roses, you may have to look to Oregon or Canada for quality greenhouse-raised blooms. Whether you buy locally or not, she adds, always choose flowers with Veriflora certification to ensure social and environmental responsibility.

And think outside the vase! Shells, river rocks, potted herbs and even edible fruits and vegetables can make gorgeous centerpieces that will be useful beyond your wedding. You can also avoid waste by using rental items as much as possible.

The Taste
Joe Harrison, event lead at Herban Feast, recommends looking locally before choosing organics from multi-national producers. Love your neighborhood bakery? Then talk to them about creating a cake with locally sourced, organic ingredients. Vegan lovebirds: Head to the Flying Apron Bakery.

Likewise, look to local microbreweries like the Pike Brewing Co., which gets its grains from Washington farmers. Click here for a list of Washington and Oregon wineries that are certified Salmon-Safe.

Stay tuned for Part Two, when we'll tackle the dress, the gifts, the rings and more. Also: Check out Herban Feast's new space at Mission: Possible, the Green Festival After Party, sponsored by Conscious Choice and Bainbridge Graduate Institute! We'll see you there!