Eco-Friendly Secret Garden Wedding Elopement In Delmont, USA

Today we share this gorgeous sustainable secret garden wedding set at the historic Station House 7, a venue in Delmont, Pennsylvania, USA. We love the feel of this wedding – not only is it eco but it’s captured the white and green theme perfectly. We catch up with the organiser, Angela from Eco & Ivory Event Design to hear all about it, and also how to achieve the look.

Eco Friendly Styled Shoot from Capture Life Films on Vimeo.

Eco-Friendly Secret Garden Elopement In Delmont, Pennsylvania, USA

“As an eco-friendly wedding planner, my goal for styled shoots is to make them as low-waste as possible and to inspire couples to do the same. Styled shoots become a great opportunity to reach out to vendors to see if they would be interested in making accommodations to go green for the day. I’ve found that it inspires them and, therefore, effects change within the industry, one photo shoot at a time. The owner of the venue where this styled shoot-turned-elopement took place is rather eco-conscious. When we met, we felt like our visions aligned, so doing a styled shoot together seemed only natural; not to mention, the venue’s windows were an architectural feature that I wanted to play around with. The black iron window bars found throughout the venue’s loft are reminiscent of the style of gate you might find in a secret garden and inspired the design concept.”

“The eco-luxe nature of this styled shoot inspires couples who want their wedding to feel special and luxurious yet don’t want to create a ton of waste. For those who want to go eco-friendly yet avoid giving off DIY vibes, consider hiring professional vendors, such as a wedding designer or signage creator, who can help you achieve your luxurious vision while also brainstorming ways to be more sustainable. To achieve an indoor secret garden theme, you’ll want to (of course) incorporate lots of flowers or greenery, but also try finding additional ways to bring the outdoors in. For instance, floral patterns can be used for everything from the stationery to the dinnerware to the linens and more. Integrating materials like brick, stone, or wrought iron is another method for evoking the sense of being in a secret garden.”

“Station House 7, a historic venue that was previously a bank and a fire department, now hosts small, intimate weddings and events. The downstairs space gives off industrial farmhouse vibes, and the upstairs loft where the elopement was shot is bright and airy, a beautiful clean slate that can accommodate many different styles.”

“Stylistically, a goal for this secret garden wedding shoot was to bring some moodiness into the bright and airy space. One way for couples to achieve moodiness is by using a dark and moody color palette. For this shoot, darker greenery, a deep shade of brick, and black accents helped to foster a moody vibe. We particularly love how the black taper candles tie in with the surrounding iron window bars. One of the sustainability goals of the shoot was to avoid purchasing new items. We worked with an antique rental company to bring in pre-used dinnerware and a floral-patterned settee. Incorporating touches of floral patterns via the linens and antique rentals helped to bring the outdoors in while also adding subtle pops of color. The venue had a large inventory of pre-used décor to pull from, which is a great way for couples to both reduce waste and cut costs.”

“While locating pre-used and sustainable wedding dresses is becoming easier for couples to do online, finding local eco-friendly dress suppliers can be challenging. This dress was supplied by Gemma Bridal, a newer local shop that is eco-conscious. The owner states, “We carry a line that is made out of 100% recycled materials as well as work with many designers that make everything in their small, independent studios, allowing for lower waste and good social practices. We chose a floral embroidered dress called “Dahlia” by Sarah Alouache for this shoot to give the bride two different looks without having to purchase a second dress.”

“When choosing a hair and makeup artist for your wedding, look for stylists that use cruelty-free and/or vegan products for an added touch of sustainability. In preparing for this elopement, Bloom Beauty Parlor gave Cindy a gorgeous cruelty-free hair and makeup look that was chosen to compliment the dress and theme. The dark greenery that was tucked into Cindy’s hairstyle paired well with the secret garden shoot while allowing the dress and accessories to be the stars.”

“Robert wore a rented charcoal-green suit. A borrowed watch made from mother of pearl by an eco-conscious watch brand topped off Robert’s look.”

“Selecting a photographer that fit in with the vibe we were going for was a priority for this secret garden wedding styled shoot. When choosing a photographer, it helps to first pinpoint the editing style that you like while also considering how the venue and design concept will work with that style. For this shoot, Talia Nelson Photography was the perfect photographer for capturing a bright and airy space in a moody way. She also ended up clicking well with the couple, which is another key factor in choosing the right photographer for you.”

“To go eco-friendly with florals, try to work with a florist that can source seasonal, organic blooms from a local farm and design arrangements without using floral foam. For this styled shoot, The Copper Petal helped to bring the outdoors inside by creating gorgeous floral arrangements with a moody, overgrown feel. They sourced seasonal blooms from their own local farm and hid reusable potted plants within the “broken” ceremony arch to produce a fuller look that was also more sustainable. The ceremony arch was designed to mimic the arched windows. Hellebore flowers added touches of violet in the sea of greenery, and anemone was the perfect flower to capture the dichotomy of a moody wedding in a bright and airy space. A hanging installation was made to accent the sweetheart table and create a feeling of being surrounded by greenery.”

“Wedding vendors tend to see a lot of cake go to waste, especially here in Pittsburgh where the infamous cookie table often overshadows the cake. To reduce waste while also adding an elevated experience for your guests, consider serving an upscale mini cake or dessert display. For this styled shoot, featuring these exquisite mini cakes on the dining table added an additional piece of artwork on the tablescape that tied in with the menus and greenery. A show-stopping faux display cake was made to give the day a luxurious feel without the excess waste. If you choose to go this route, work with the baker to ensure your faux cake is made from sustainable materials.”

“Stationery and signage can really enhance the design of a secret garden wedding, but they’re inherently not very eco-friendly. For couples who want the added luxury of using stationery and signage, reach out to a few different vendors before deciding on one to see if any would be willing to use more sustainable materials.

The stationer and signage creator for this shoot tied in the secret garden wedding theme both beautifully and sustainably. The invitation suite, made from eco-friendlier luxury paper, set the story for the wedding with its garden gate insert, antique key, and use of florals. The floral menus were made from wildflower seed paper. Backyard bricks were used to create gorgeous table numbers that bring to mind the bricks you might find on a garden pathway. Finally, the signage was created out of pre-used, reusable items.”

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