Visit your local Farmer's Market



Using items from your garden or from the local farmers market will make feeding your guests and decorating your party a breeze - and will be more eco-friendly, too.

Celebrate the changing of the seasons with a gathering of friends and family.

Contact us for assistance in planning your next event.

Time to enjoy Greener Outdoor Parties.


It may seem that the occasional use of disposable picnic supplies is a harmless habit, but when one considers how many picnics and outdoor parties are being held each day around the world, it becomes clear that we must all take steps to make our events easier on the environment by using reusable or biodegradable dining supplies.
The best option for outdoor dining would be the use of reusable dishes and utensils. It's both environmentally friendly, and certainly more convenient to eat off a sturdy plate. Packing the reusable dishes is easy with the use of baskets with handles, and the cloth napkins can be used as your packing material, keeping dishes and glassware from getting chipped during transport. Roll up your silverware in another napkin, and place your fabric tablecloth on top to keep everything safe and secure. Another bonus of using reusable supplies at your outdoor event is that it turns a regular picnic into a party in the out of doors.
When the use of reusable supplies is not available or practical, there are many biodegradable picnic supplies now available. There are dishes made of sugarcane pulp, clear drinking glasses made of corn, and eating utensils made from potato. Each of these supplies are biodegradable and available at many party supply stores, as well as on line at companies such as Excellent Packaging (www.ExcellentPackaging.com), or Tree Cycle (www.Treecycle.com). The cost of biodegradable products is a bit more than the mass produced products that we've seen for years, but it is certainly worth the few extra cents when we consider the impact on the environment.
When planning your next outdoor party or event, please skip the plastic rolls of table covers, and consider purchasing rolls of butcher wrap, or use your own fabric table cloths or an old sheet.

There are many other outdoor entertaining hints to consider:
* Hold your event during the day to avoid the need for electricity.
* Use candles in canning jars should you need outdoor lighting.
* Use recycled items for your centerpieces and decorations
* Use items from nature, such as rocks and pine cones, for your place cards.
* Avoid the use of latex or mylar balloons or supplies.
* Use only paper supplies if additional decorations are needed
* Place your event under the trees to take advantage of the shade on sunny days.
* Use a large glass water containers with glasses rather than providing individual water bottles.
* Recycle all supplies at the end of your event
* Compost your leftover food
* Leave the party location cleaner than how you found it. Never leave trash behind.

Enjoy the coming warm weather with plenty of outdoor entertaining - and be kind to the earth at the same time. Think Green when planning your next party or event.

Spring is here and it's time to THINK GREEN!


Party planning is wonderful fun. It is a chance to be creative and festive. It is time to allow your imagination soar with ideas of delicious food and beautiful surrounds. Let yourself enjoy these moments of creativity, but then, as you start to write down your ideas, and begin to shop for supplies, take a moment to compare traditional party planning ideas with Eco-friendly and Greener party planning suggestions.

I've mentioned before, in earlier posts, that many years ago it was common that a special party or wedding required little more than serving a special dessert. Outdoor events were held in daylight hours, or lit with lanterns and campfires. No streamers, confetti or plastic party favors were required. Over the past few decades, though, a move has been made from hosting environmentally friendly, yet marvelous parties, to a trend where excessive decorations were widely used. It common now to browse the party supply stores where you can stock up on every imaginable form of decoration. While this does create a festive atmosphere for the party, it also creates a huge amount of waste at the end of the event.

I'd like to request that you stop a moment, think over your theme and budget, and see if there are any changes you can make to your planning that may be kinder to the environment. Stop to ask yourself if you really need the mylar confetti and latex balloons. Would your Luau be just as fun if you used Real Pineapples as your centerpieces, rather than the plastic versions available at the discount supply store? Can you cover your tables in fabrics your already have, possibly covered with gunny sack toppers? Candles as your centerpieces will provide lighting, and will not need to be tossed away at the end of the event the way a paper palm-tree centerpiece would be. Skip the streamers, balloons and confetti. Embrace the use of reusable dishware, table linens, centerpieces and other decorations.

Events Extraordinaire specializes in Eco-friendly or Greener Party and Wedding planning. Give us a call if you would like assistance planning your next party, or just need suggestions. We are always happy to help.

Have fun planning your next party - and Think Green.

Welcome to Event Extraordinaire's Greener, Eco-Friendly Event Planning Blog

Events Extraordinaire is located in Tuolumne County, California, and provides wedding and event planning services to areas such as Tuolumne, Sonora, Twain Harte, Jamestown, Columbia, Soulsbyville, Pinecrest, and MiWuk. We also provide wedding and event coordinating services to Calaveras County, California, to areas such as Angels Camp, Copperopolis, Murphy's, Arnold, Avery & the surrounding area.
Events Extraordinaire is a small, family run business that began operating in 2001. We provide wedding, special occasion and corporate event planning services, and specialize in Greener or Eco Friendly planning options.

Events Extraordinaire can make it possible for you to host the event of your dreams, while keeping within your budget, and being gentle to the environment. Let Events Extraordinaire do the work, and feel like a guest at your next party.

About Us

Events Extraordinaire will help you create an elegant event that will also be gentle to the environment. We can work with you on large or small events, and will do the work so you can relax and enjoy the day. Events Extraordinaire cares about the environment, and can locate biodegradable supplies, and will assist you in making your special day beautiful and eco-friendly. 209-928-9735 www.Sonora-Events.com

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