October 5, 2006
Camp Wise, Chardon, Ohio

The crisp autumn breeze gently rustled the sun-dappled leaves that formed a canopy over our ceremony area. The trees flaunted the colors of their annual transition from summer's elegant, earthy greens to fall's fiery reds, oranges and yellows. Leaves that had fallen created a crisp carpet below. I waited in a car a short distance away – feeling both energized and lightheartedly idyllic – in anticipation of my grand entrance. The day had arrived in splendor and grace, and I greeted it with equal aplomb. Throughout the planning process, I had enlisted the assistance of several creative, organized people who understood my and my fiancé's vision for a unique wedding. Franklin and I wanted to incorporate holistic and sustainable elements to create an event that reflected our personalities and values. On that day, we rode a wave of wedding bliss with carefree abandon for we knew that everything was aligned and would unfold as planned – if not better.
Our Ceremony
Franklin and I crafted our wedding ceremony to embody our religious and cultural heritages, while at the same time reflecting our personal beliefs and values. Two of our close friends were invited to officiate along with a rabbi; and together, the five of us created a ceremony with reverence for our backgrounds and relevance in our daily lives. During the ceremony I pinned a swatch of my family's Scottish tartan to Franklin to signify his entry into my family. We also asked some of our friends to join us under the chuppah (marriage canopy) to offer their personal interpretation of one of the seven traditional Jewish ceremonial blessings. As our guests came in, each was invited to select a stone from a bowl before heading to his/her seat. During the ceremony each was asked to bless the stone with an intention for us and place it back in the bowl before leaving. These stones, now a part of our home, carry the energy of every guest at our wedding.

Our Ketubah
With great joy, Franklin and I personally composed the text of our Jewish marriage contract, thoroughly reveling in the process. Although historically the ketubah was strictly an agreement of the terms of a marriage, today the text may resonate with the bride and groom on a number of personal levels. We were extremely appreciative of our beloved friend, Brent Weinstock, for creating art out of our shared passions and words of commitment to each other. To learn more about Brent and his one-of-a-kind artistic ketubahs, call (216) 371-4460.

Our entire wedding and reception were held at Camp Wise. With the invaluable assistance of Dan Gesualdo, owner of North Coast Events, we transformed the camp's massive dining hall into an ultra lounge; and a sustainable one at that.

Our Reception
Our entire wedding and reception were held at Camp Wise (www.campwise.org), a Jewish camp for kids that Franklin had attended while growing up. With the invaluable assistance of Dan Gesualdo, owner of North Coast Events, we transformed the camp's massive dining hall into an ultra lounge; and a sustainable one at that. Nearly everything was rented; therefore had been used before and was destined to be used again. The hall design focused on color, light and a funky interpretation of nature – but without the use of out-of-season flowers. Red couches and black lounge chairs encircled a roaring fire in the hall's massive stone hearth, inviting our guests to gather and roast marshmallows and create scrapbook pages for us. Massive, purple linen-clad seating tables filled the middle of the room; each graced with lustrous lanterns, a sprinkling of red rose petals and an enormous vase of curly willow with shimmering tea lights hanging down. Above the dance floor, paper lanterns imparted a jewel-toned, candlelight glow while spotlight projections cast colorful luminosity to a wall across the room, splashing playful red and purple patterns.

Dan truly captured the essence of our personalities, while at the same time embodying important principles of sustainability. He spends time getting to know his clients, learning what intrigues them so he can customize a personal, unique design into each event. Dan often schedules an initial design meeting at a client's home to get a feel for the colors and style they have chosen for surrounding themselves in their daily living. That allows him to pull everything together, from table décor to lighting to flower arrangements and more, with as much or as little input from the clients as they prefer.

For example, while meeting with one couple in their home, a conversation ensued about the art hanging in their living room. Before long, Dan developed the entire event design based on a color scheme and style pulled from the paintings. He says, “Incorporating a piece of your life into the event is like sewing a piece of your grandmother's dress into your gown. It makes it personal, special and unique.”

Franklin and I wanted to incorporate holistic and sustainable elements to create an event that reflected our personalities and values.

Dan expertly utilizes sustainability principles as well. His massive warehouse is bursting with reusable everything – vases, lighting, plants, bowls, lanterns and ever so much more. He is happy to investigate new sources and sustainable options, such as organic flowers and items made from recycled and environmentally friendly materials. He has even harvested wild flowers personally from clients' properties, and he cuts curly willow (used in our wedding) from his own sister's yard.

Regardless of the theme or type of event, Dan's resourceful creativity combined with his ability to connect with clients on a personal level allows him to create a personalized wonderland for each occasion. To learn more about Dan and North Coast Events, visit www.NorthCoastEvents.com or call (440) 232-6900.

Our Wedding Day Manager
Wedding planning equals stress. There is no way to avoid it completely, but I did learn that it was a lot easier to juggle the tasks, brainstorm ideas, cover all the details and remain organized through the help of wedding coordinator Amy Shipman of At Last Event Planning. She supported all aspects of our wedding (and provides those same services for any event) and researched myriad sustainable options. Her shining personality and attention to detail were unmatched, and I was able to put my full trust in her to manage the vendors, guests and wedding party, as well as any last-minute or on-the-fly decisions. Call (440) 812-5892 or visit her website www.AtLastEventPlanning.com for more information.

Our Food
When searching for a caterer, I had two priorities: tasty, unique preparations and the use of as many local, seasonal ingredients as possible. Marigold Catering deliciously exceeded our desires, integrating each of our favorite foods into a totally unique and imaginative menu. Filling their plates with stuffed trout, squash roulades, pumpkin-cider soup and more, our guests raved about the meal and the beautiful way in which it was displayed and served. In addition, the event planner, Amanda Bates, skillfully organized and smoothly orchestrated food and beverage for the entire affair. To contact Marigold Catering, call (216) 566-5400 or visit www.MarigoldCatering.com for more information.

Our wedding cake was made with local eggs, dairy products and grains. It featured flavors that were tailored to our personal tastes: Bananas Foster and Hot Chocolate. Guests commented that they had never encountered such a delicious and uniquely designed wedding cake.

Our Wedding Cake
Heather and Rebecca Haviland, sister team and co-owners of Sweet Mosaic in Tremont, rose to the occasion to provide us with a most delicious and artful confection. Our wedding cake was made with local eggs, dairy products and grains. Meltingly rich and deliciously decadent, it featured flavors that were tailored to our personal tastes: Bananas Foster (banana cake with caramel butter-cream frosting) and Hot Chocolate (chocolate cake with spicy pepper infused ganache). Beautifully handcrafted fondant in colorful shapes pulled from our custom-designed wedding invitation cascaded down the side over the rich brown chocolate ganache. Guests commented that they had never encountered such a delicious and uniquely designed wedding cake. To learn more about Sweet Mosaic,call (216) 374-9030 or visit www.SweetMosaic.com.

Our Gifts to Women Attendants
Our women attendants found themselves cozy in the crisp autumn air during our outdoor ceremony because we had given each of them a royal-purple wrap made of Pashmina wool, handmade to order in Nepal by Sunrise Pashmina, a very small fair-trade company that is owned and operated by its owner, Tsering Choekyap Sherpa in Nepal. The internet-sales portion of the company is based in Ithaca and provides exceptional, personal service. We even received a hand-written note from Tsering himself, offering us best wishes and blessings from his entire team of skilled workers. Sharing the elegant, quality Pashmina shawls was a rewarding experience from start to finish. Sunrise Pashmina has generously extended a 10 percent-off offer to all Balanced Living readers through February 28, 2007. To redeem, visit www.SunrisePashmina.com and enter code BLD, or call (607) 256-0102.

Our Photography & Video
Flipping though our photographs and watching the wedding day video has been a joyous way to relive our blissful day. A number of the photos taken by Kathy Hitesman have been included with this article. As the women and I dressed and primped for the wedding, Kathy offered unassuming nurturing and expert advice. In a creative, photojournalistic style she captured our emotions splendidly and then designed an incredible book of photos for us. To contact Kathy, call (216) 346-7233. Also visit www.Candids.org to view more of Kathy's work.

Paul Perhacs, owner of Mystic Image Video, was equally low profile and delightful during our wedding celebration. Through talented editing, he created a video that encapsulated every element of our event and our personalities. In addition to a wonderful full-length video, he produced a 20-minute version, which can be viewed online at www.Mystic-Image.com/malemud. For more information about Mystic Image Video, visit www.Mystic-Image.com or call (216) 351-6717.

My Wedding Make-up
Make-up artist, Jamie Flowers, began advising me on my skin care regimen many months prior to the big day. As an Arbonne International independent consultant, she is highly knowledgeable about the Swiss company's line of natural, animal-free products and make-up. Jamie taught me the importance of using these products to draw impurities from my skin for a clear, glowing complexion. Meeting with me ahead of time to preview my wedding-day look, she drew on her 15 years as a professional make-up artist to expertly create an elegant look that specifically matched my dress and met my personal desires. She notes, “Out of the 25 product lines I have used over the years, Arbonne has the best make-up.” To reach Jamie to discuss make-up sessions for weddings, proms or photo shoots, as well as Arbonne products, call (330) 562-1911 or (330) 554-1911 or e-mail jmarief@adelphia.net.

We were extremely appreciative of our beloved friend, Brent Weinstock, for creating art out of our shared passions and words of commitment to each other.

Cleaning My Dress
It is inevitable that a wedding dress becomes dirty during the wedding and reception – especially if you hold your event outdoors. London Cleaners specializes in using a liquid silicone-based system called GreenEarth® Cleaning, which is biodegradable and has not been shown to cause significantly adverse health effects. This full-service drycleaner is especially effective for cleaning delicate and specialty fabrics, as well as those with trim. My dress was returned to me looking glorious once again. I was delighted to know that there is an earth-friendly alternative that allowed me to care for my dress while still adhering to my values. To learn more about London Cleaners, call (800) 832-1222 or visit www.LondonCleaners.com.

Forever Fest
With our wedding on a Thursday and all of our friends staying out at Camp Wise through the entire weekend, we had the opportunity to throw an extended event, which we dubbed “Forever Fest.” Friday and Saturday activities included crafts, pumpkin carving, hiking, sports, Thai yoga massage, yoga, a clown, a bluegrass duo, DJs, a rock band and lots of local, seasonal foods. It gave us an opportunity to spend quality time with our friends, a number of whom had attended camp with Franklin as a child. All in all, it was magical.

Other Things I Learned Along the Way
Do
- Take the packing peanuts and bubble wrap from the presents you receive in the mail to a shipping center where    they can be reused.
- Use a website to share information about your holistic and sustainable measures with your guests. We loved the    ease of using and look of www.MyWedding.com, which is a free website.

Do Not
- Do not release butterflies. While beautiful, the North American Butterfly Association lists several hazards, which    can be read online at www.naba.org.
- Avoid the use of disposable plates, glasses and cutlery. Rentals are both affordable and classy.