A guest blog by Marcie Muehlke, Prosperity Candle fan and associate
About three years ago at this time my partner and I were in the throes of wedding planning. That October we had gotten engaged while backpacking in the Enchantments in Idaho. When we got out of the woods and called our parents they said “congratulations-and-what-is-the-wedding-date?” in one breath. And so began our journey into one of the most fun, meaningful, and stressful events of our lives.
We wanted a wedding that would be meaningful and fun for ourselves and everyone there. We began talking about what mattered most to us—having the wedding close to the people we loved so they could attend, and to minimize the wedding’s carbon footprint. Serving local food and fair trade coffee and buying rings, flowers, and other wedding products that reflected our values. We labored over our wedding registry, finally deciding to combine a traditional department store registry (I wish we had known about the I Do Foundation department store registry) with a custom New American Dream alternative gift registry. This personalized registry included gifts that give back, experiences, charitable gifts, and services friends and family could provide.
A less traditional photo of Brian and me--and one of my favorites
This year we are happy to be receiving wedding invitations rather than sending them. We are looking forward to weddings in Massachusetts, New York, and Maine and have begun to think about what we will purchase for engagement gifts, shower presents, and wedding gifts. We want to give gifts that are meaningful, memorable, and personal.
Last week Ted, Siiri and I were all sitting around the table at Prosperity Candle and finishing our lunches when we started talking about our weddings. It turns out that Ted and Siiri each got engaged to around Valentine’s day, and that was when my partner and I started dating.
A memorable moment from Siiri and Jeremy's wedding!
Siiri and I laughed when Ted told us that he and his wife call Valentine’s day “Malaria Day” since they both came down with Malaria in Ghana on February 14th, 2002, and got engaged while recovering.
Ted and Patsy jump for joy at their wedding
We’re all married now and as we thought back on our weddings little things stood out. A friend who spent hours helping set up and decorate, a toast, a meaningful gift, and the fact that all these people traveled to celebrate our love and commitment. We realized that our weddings were all about our love and our values. Siiri and I both got married in the last several years and spent hours and hours on sustainable and green wedding blogs. We both agonized over how to make our weddings meaningful for ourselves, our guests, and the people behind the scenes—the coffee growers, ring makers, farmers, and workers who made our garments and gifts. We were both surprised at how difficult it was to live our values and vote with our dollars while planning a wedding.
Therefore, Prosperity Candle is proud to announce that it will soon be offering a range of wedding gifts and wedding products that empower women and improved lives. From favors to wedding gifts to thank you gifts to decorations, you can now shop for a cause for weddings with Prosperity Candle. Whether you are planning an eco wedding or just want to or just to give a distinctive shower or wedding gift, think Prosperity Candle.
Bee Well Gift Basket
Imagine the Bee Well Gift Basket or the Numi Flowering Tea and Candle set as your next gift with meaning and impact.
Numi Flowering Tea and Candle
Make sure you are on our mailing list to learn more about Prosperity Candle wedding gifts, favors, decorations, and more.
~Marcie
