Jordan and Juan Carlos (Juancho) are a truly special Bella Figura couple who married in April 2008 after they fell in love while Jordan was living in Ecuador where Juan is from. This past fall they threw a wonderful eco-friendly wedding celebration in Jordan’s home state of Texas in October, four years to date of their very first kiss, and chose Bella Figura’s letterpress wedding invitations in our Amy design printed with taupe ink to kick it all off. It was a great pleasure for us to work with Jordan and her mother who corresponded closely with client coordinator Tiffany, and we love all of the ways Jordan and Juan Carlos worked to make their wedding green and eco-friendly. Theirs is a wedding that was truly centered on love, family and togetherness while limiting any negative environmental impact and we find that incredibly inspirational. According to Jordan, “…for the green aspects of the wedding, we wanted to have a self-indulgent time but not at the cost of our carbon footprint. ”

To kick off the weekend celebration in true Texas fashion, Jordan and Juan invited their guests from around the world to join them for an evening at the rodeo followed by dinner and then dancing at a favorite local tavern. It was a chance to bring together their friends and family from as far away as Ecuador, Spain, England, Germany, Mexico and from across the United States in a fun and festive way that allowed everyone to forge new friendships and make new memories. Guests camped out and stayed in cabins at a couple of dude ranches in the local area, enjoyed horseback rides, participated in a series of summer camp-inspired activities such as games, tournaments, and scavenger hunts during the day on Saturday before enjoying a hayride before dinner.

The highlight of the weekend was a celebratory gala on Saturday evening complete with toasts in honor of the newlyweds, dinner, and dancing well into the evening. Guests enjoyed local beers and organic wine and were treated to the best of good Texan hospitality. The following day they hosted an open house where guests could again enjoy horseback rides and a final taste of Texas before the weekend came to a close. Throughout the weekend Jordan and Juan Carlos provided transportation for guests by bus and encouraged those opting not to take the bus to car pool in order to save on emissions. Guests were provided with aluminum SIGG water bottles with Jordan and Juan Carlos’s custom monogram to use instead of purchasing bottled water and locally brewed beer was served out of kegs with reusable stadium cups in order to limit waste. Any and all disposable cups were biodegradable and reusable dinnerware was used for each of the three meals they provided.

We are such huge fans of this lovely wedding that we had to know more about what inspired Jordan when planning the weekend with Juan Carlos and her mother we helped to bring it all together…

How did your Bella Figura invitations capture the mood of the wedding?
“[They were] just perfect. Green. Simple. Beautiful. I had looked at so many invitations and I knew even from the obscured internet photos that this was the one from the very first look. It was even better when I held the sample in my hands – there was just nothing I had seen or felt that compared. This invitation is great to look at, substantial to hold, and soft to the touch. I absolutely loved that it was tree-less as well. The invitation and the whole event went together just perfectly.”

What was your overall inspiration?
“From the very beginning, we knew that the celebration would be a full weekend in order to allow time for fun, intimate time with guests, breaks for resting, and time to just have fun.  Because we had guests coming from so far away (Ecuador, Spain, England, Germany, Mexico and from all over the United States) it was important to us for some of the Texan customs to come through. Juancho had never been to a rodeo before, so naturally the rodeo immediately became part of this Texan hospitality.  Juancho and I love being in the country and more than anything at my parents’ place in Tarpley – we adore the people there, the culture, everything – so what better a place. The dude ranches of course were the perfect setting for our guests to relax and get to know one another. “

What your favorite moment?
“The whole wedding celebration was one continuous moment of joy and friendship and love.”

Any advice for future brides still planning their wedding?
“We wanted to have a unique celebration but unique made it hard to explain to everyone (friends and family alike) as well as plan. It took us four solid months – less time than perhaps most people take to plan – but it was a second full time job for me, my husband and my mom. I got some great ideas from alternative bride books – more than anything how to understand that many people have a strict idea of what a wedding is supposed to be – and ours was not going to be that. My favorite book: The Offbeat Bride. Advice: start early, work with someone on planning who knows you and understands your vision, nothing is worth arguing over.”

How did you incorporate being eco-friendly into your event?
Wedding Registries: Greenfeet and Gaiam
All guests were given custom SIGG water bottles for the weekend festivities
All disposable cups were biodegradable but we supplied reusable stadium cups with the celebration logo next to all drink stations.
All wines and greens served throughout the weekend were organic
Guests were transported in large buses, together, throughout the weekend and encouraged to carpool to get to the festivities
Locally brewed beers were served in kegs, rather than individual servings
Programs printed on 100% recycled paper
Invitations were from Bella Figura
Napkins and plates for meals were non-disposable
Water was served in water dispensers with 5 gallon water bottles

Thank you so much, Jordan and Juan Carlos for allowing us to share your amazing wedding weekend! We are so happy to have worked with you and even happier that you made being eco-friendly a huge part of your celebration. Congratulations and best wishes for a happy future!

{Vendors}
Twin Elm Dude Ranch – accommodations
Dixie Dude Ranch – accommodations
J.D. Nix – Rodeo Planner
Rosemary Catering Group (RK Group) – All meals, tents, lighting, transportation
London Calling – Band
Tarpley Tavern – Post Roedo Country Ho-down
Da Vinci Gelato – Dessert