Chic and Easy Eco-Friendly Parties

By SAMANTHA DAVIES

Updated 12:09 PM CST, Mon, Nov 23, 2009

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Tara Wilson is a local event designer specializing in eco-friendly parties.

"It’s very different from what you used to think of green ideas; they are much more sophisticated," said Wilson. "The décor is much more mainstream than you would think.”

When planning a green party, Wilson recommends using center pieces you can plant, tables covered with linens instead of paper, and menus on reusable chalk boards.

Wilson doesn’t use bottled water; all liquids are served in decorative pitchers. One of her recent green events was a party in Benbrook.

Green Party Planning

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Green Party Planning

"This client in particular wanted a green event and really wanted to do some fun things for their guests” said Wilson.

The party favors consisted of miniature bottles of Pama liquor with a recipe for the parma martinis.

"Parma liquor is made with real pomegranate which has wonderful anti oxidants. It's one of the greenest drinks out there” said Wilson.

And while setting up for the party, she doesn’t have to spend a lot of time decorating. Wilson relies on the scenic views of the parties location.

"One of the great things about the location that we chose is that it's very organic in nature. And it's really pretty so we haven’t taken a lot of our clients' budget [to decorate]," said Wilson.

The guests were also invited to the party through invitations made from eco-friendly hemp paper, which is biodegradable.

Wilson’s mission in planning this green event was to make the party unique and beautiful, while inspiring others.

For Martha Wells, this was her first time attending a green party.

“It’s fantastic, I’ve never been to a green party” said Wells. “It’s a great idea, I mean I would do it in a minute”.

As part of Green Week for every user who pledges to buy local this week, NBC Universal will donate $1 to the FEED foundation an organization dedicated to improving the global food system through good nutrition and education for children. CLICK HERE to find out how to make a pledge.