Green Style

While a gorgeous flower arrangement can add character to your table setting, many people are starting to realize that living centerpieces are an equally attractive and easy way to host a greener party. Living centerpieces are great because they can be as easy as dressing up a simple potted plant to set the mood for your party and they can be used in your home after the party, given to guests to take home, or even donated to a charity.

For example, these pineapple and St. Bernard Lily centerpieces by Kauai Fruit and Flowers and Growing Green Nursery were used for an eco-friendly event on Kauai we participated in last weekend. Following the event, they were donated to the Wilcox Hospital; the lilies were placed in patient rooms while the pineapples were served in the cafeteria.

Living centerpieces can be just as stunning as cut arrangements, as you can see from the gorgeous orchids, or you could use something as simple as wheatgrass to add an understated elegance. The clean lines of these pieces do much to enhance a stylish dinner.  Alternately, featuring potted herbs and decorative moss can add an earthy coziness to a barbecue with friends, and this sweet African Violet arrangement would be ideal for a garden party. Punch up the décor for a simple weekend luncheon on the porch by using fresh fruit to showcase your plants. All of these ideas are easy and eco-friendly ways to create a great looking centerpiece that not only does good, but looks good too.

Images from these sources; orchids, orchids with Spanish moss, African violets, potted herbs, wheatgrass, flowers with lemons.

The Grand Plantation Ball

Here are some photos of Wilcox Hospital’s “Grand Plantation Ball” from our amazing photographer Renee Kester. 

It was difficult to capture the extent of the event due to the large size of the room, extensive entertainment and so many guests, but Renee's photos are a great representation of a wonderful night. Kilohana Pavilion is a gorgeous venue to work in and had more than enough space for our 600 guests, silent auction, multi-ethnic food stations and photo area – where our guests were invited to take professional photos which were later displayed live on the large video screens in the venue. Our entertainment took place on the main stage, which is elevated above the crowd and provided an excellent vantage point for everyone to view an action-packed revue that included Tahitian dancers, a live Hawaiian band and even a fire knife show. It was a fantastic event and we are so glad to have been part of it.

Mahalo Wilcox!

The Garden Island

Last weekend we did an amazing event on Kaua’i where more than 600 people celebrated Wilcox Hospital's 70th Birthday. Because of Wilcox Hospital's dedication to servicing the community and making this event as eco-friendly as possible, they were featured in the Garden Island for their efforts - click on the photo above to read article.

They reduced waste by eliminating disposable dishware and bottled water, opting instead to rent dishes and use carafes of water on the table. Any extra paper, glass, and cardboard was sorted and recycled. The majority of the food was supplied by local farmers who implement sustainable growing practices, and leftover food was donated to New Hope Christian Fellowship to help those in need in the community. They also chose to use living plants as centerpieces (rather than cut flowers) so that they could be reused to brighten up patients’ rooms at the hospital. All of these little choices add up to big returns that keep the islands thriving. We were proud to be a part of such a wonderful and responsible event!