On August 18, our very own “green bride” Lisa Higgs married Rolf Campbell in their beautiful Kanata backyard.

This gorgeous wedding gave a whole new meaning to the “something old…something borrowed” tradition – thanks in large part to Lisa’s efforts to make their special day as environmentally-friendly as possible. Additionally, the couple put on the wedding of their dreams for one-tenth of the cost of an average wedding.

And we have the photos to prove it. Check it out!

The happy couple. Congrats, guys! And thanks for letting us be part of your special day

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The dinner table

We first heard about Lisa when she reached out to folks in the Free category of UsedOttawa.com, asking for donations of dinner plates. Lisa and Rolf combined a bunch of mismatched dishes together for a lovely vintage-eclectic look!

They also tried a whole new spin on centrepieces. They made a pile of old books, stacked mason jars (with  candles) on top, added an oil lamp, and surrounded it all with fun origami shapes made out of 100% recyclable paper —yes, that is a bunny! And why buy or rent boring cloth napkins when you can make your own out of old bedsheets with fun prints? Add some paper fortune cookies (also made from 100% recyclable paper) as wedding favours and have one memorable table setting.

Information for guests

After buying their house  last year, Lisa and Rolf replaced all the windows. Check out  how they used the original panes and frames to display the wedding “program” and seating chart:

 

Ceremony

Some wedding ceremonies take place beneath a trellis of roses and ivy. Lisa and Rolf said their vows amidst an elegantly-vintage backdrop of old window panes.

 

Card box 

Forget the traditional card box! Lisa and Rolf used an old suitcase that once belonged to Lisa’s grandmother. This DIY Vintage Suitcase Card Holder is not only a great addition but also incredibly easy to make yourself. 

Sitting area

There were two outdoor “living room” set-ups on the property. One actually allowed guests to play retro video games!

This is the second sitting area, complete with a (non-working) television, rotary phone, lamp, recliner, coffee table and two couches. (Most of this stuff came from the Free section of UsedOttawa.com!)

Another view of the living room. I tried the couches. (They were both very comfy.)

Flowers

There were no fresh flowers at this wedding! Unless by fresh, you mean fresh pages taken from used encyclopedias. And while you might think paper flowers would look strange as wedding decor, the end result was quite beautiful. For the bridesmaids’ DIY paper bouquets, Lisa added a bit of blue paper (also recyclable). Hey, is this the “something blue”? Meanwhile, the groom and groomsmen looked rather dapper wearing their unique wedding boutonnieres.

And just for fun…

To the stars, young lovers!

You never know what you can find online! Lisa scored this free moon – yes, moon! – originally made and used for a school play. This photo backdrop was huge at a whopping 10-by-10 feet.

Thanks to Lisa and Rolf for allowing us to be part of their special day. All the best in your new life together!

Meanwhile, stay tuned for a DIY article over the next couple of weeks, when I’ll show you how to create your own wedding flowers and wedding favours.

Useful links

Your local Used.ca site

Used wedding supplies